Thanks, I've seen that video before and do not use the balling method. I can only relate my own experience with what occurred with my system. I did 18% weekly water changes and quarterly ICP tests which showed the majority of my trace elements were fine with only minor high or lows on a few. I wasn't dosing any trace or even major elements the majority of the first year due to weekly water changes. Using your opinion, then all my trace elements should have been undetectable during my regular ICP tests but that simply was not the result. I use coral pro salt.
Based on my statement, regular water changes don't replenish anything at the rate that they're used. It slows the decline because you are constantly replacing SOME of them. Depending on your coral load, coral type and level of feeding, etc, there might actually be some trace elements that don't get used at all... In which case your water changes wouldn't affect them at all (swapping out 1 for 1). Or you may have some that become elevated... In which case water changes help keep them in check (but only knocking them back at the same 10% rate).
The video is a Balling Method video, but the part about trace elements and water changes is universal (so is the "Part C" stuff if you use any 2-part dosing solution, not just the TM Balling components). If your tank uses 10ppt of something in a week, and you do a 10% water change, you're only adding back 1ppt. That's a net loss of 9ppt. Every week, until you eventually hit zero. Unless you're doing 100% water changes, they (water changes alone) will never replace all of the trace elements your tank use. It just can't happen.
I'm not saying you can't have a successful tank with JUST water changes. I have a 10g that's been running great for over 3 years now with nothing but weekly 1g water changes.
All I'm saying is that the statement, "Weekly water changes replenish trace elements" is a false statement. I still keep seeing it pop-up in threads like this all the time, though.
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