Making aqua concoctions: Have you ever tried the Reef Moonshiner Method?

[Treefer32]

I'm at about a year since my last water changes, I skipped the spend on ICP this year as corals are doing well in my 340 gallon mixed reef display. I dose Red Say A, B, C, D trace elements one day a week based on calcium. I dose at a 10:1 ratio of volum so around 30-40 ml once per week. I also dose chaeto grow which includes an overlap of trace elements consumed by my algae turf scrubber. Chaeto grow is cheaper than red sea and supplements the rapidly consumed elements like iron.

I have two large gonipora, 1 rapidly growing alveopora and a green goni taking it's time, but it's growing as well. I may supplement manganese on top of red sea's elements, but so far, these once a week are doing great. Someday if I get creative I may convert the red sea bottles to a doser to dose 4-5 ml per day instead of once daily.

I love the high concentrations of elements, only a few ml in 300 gallons of water needed. I go through a 500 ml bottle every 10-12 weeks. $80 every 2-3 months to maintain trace elements. Or $25-30 a month

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I think that regardless of company used, or diy, and whether you do water changes or not, dosing based on icp is a fine way to go, but definitely not foolproof as icp does not tell the whole story of bioavailability of trace elements (all chemical forms present of a single element are lumped together, for example).

As to Reef Moonshiners in particular, I have a problem with two of their recommended elements (barium and rubidium) as they have no known need by any organism. But keeping them at natural levels won’t hurt. It is likely just a waste of time and money.

I discuss trace element dosing in these articles;

Randy's Elements to Dose

In a previous article I discussed my thoughts on trace elements https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randys-thoughts-on-trace-elements.951/ This article expands on that discussion by providing specific guidance for all elements one might dose. First...

www.reef2reef.com

Randy's thoughts on trace elements

Randy's thoughts on trace elements in reef aquaria.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[14 foot reef]

My 850 gallon reef has been "Shinning" for about a year now. It is so easy, 1 minute a night to manually dose.
My reef has never looked better. But I do believe 50% of my success is directly related to Apex monitoring, dosing and insane stability. The "Shine" is a big part also I believe.

 

[Peanut]

I've been doing this for years and did not know it had a name

 

[Oldreefer44]

I tried it for it about 6 months with what I would describe as mixed results, but after reading several ICP reliability reviews by people way smarter than me, I stopped and have gone back to semi-regular water changes. I have continued with regular ICP tests and have seen no real difference in the the test results or coral response.

 

[SimbaAnto]

Certainly yes Moonshiners method has helped me having more success rate for SPS. But i just dont do Moonshiners. But a Hybird . I Do Balling method Part A + Part B + Part C. I do ICP Test and add Moonshiners Accordingly. Yearly i do 4 time ICP like a every Quarter.

I do daily Moonshiners Traces like Fe, MN, Chromium, Cobalt, Zinc and Nickel through ReefDoser. For Majors i dont do daily as the Majors are compensated mostly through TM K and A. Sometimes post ICP i add them as required.

But certainly not a lot of work and its helps my way of reefing.

 

[Minifoot77]

I'm on the shine but very loosely I don't icp test enough

 

[vetteguy53081]

Making aqua concoctions: Have you ever tried the Reef Moonshiner Method?

The moonshiner method in reef keeping has focused on water quality and nutrient export. While not for everyone, the implementation of this method includes regular testing and dosing of a wide array of elements to achieve success in reef keeping. Some reef keepers have seen dramatic improvements in the health and growth of their reef ecosystem; however, some suggest the benefits of the moonshiner method is more a result of the excessive attention to detail that often comes with keeping up with the moonshiner method. What about you – have you ever tried the reef moonshiner method? If so, please tell us about your experience and share any tips that you may have.

Photo by @Panama Brown


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I have used it and still have most of the chemicals in the event my ICP tests call for something like vanadium or cobalt to be deficient and i can then bring those levels up

 

[AquaLogic]

Constance maintenance and dosing feels more like a job than a hobby. I dose two part, from a little cup, with no fancy dosing pump nonsense and rigamarole.

Maybe I will try something different when I am retired, but right now I have a full life and I want to enjoy looking at my tank, not spend 80 hours a week playing amateur chemist. I will never send water out for testing at a lab.

 

[BigAl07]

For those who are "Daily Dosing" etc how do you handle vacations etc? I find it troubling just to train someone how ot feed and check the basic stats (ATO reservoir etc).

 

[shakacuz]

For those who are "Daily Dosing" etc how do you handle vacations etc? I find it troubling just to train someone how ot feed and check the basic stats (ATO reservoir etc).

depending the length of vacation, you could do a larger dose up front. or after. i do believe andre mentions this in his handbook but also does mention it from time to time over at his FB group

 

[BigAl07]

depending the length of vacation, you could do a larger dose up front. or after. i do believe andre mentions this in his handbook but also does mention it from time to time over at his FB group

Please excuse my ignorance.... could you link to the "book" and maybe the FB group? I'd love to learn more.

 

[nano reef]

Been looking at these various trace supplement methods and going to just try AFR plus A or K based on the major element in each and go from there. Individual adjustments off ICP-MS. Granted will be a while before that’s needed for me and things might change as I learn more about it. Dutch method another I’ve considered. Less elements to adjust.

I just purchased ALF yesterday! canty wait. Why not buy the all in one though without adding the a and k. I notice people are saying that when you dose this or other trace element that you dont have to do nearly as many water changes, i hadnt thought of that until recently. That would be a nice bonus instead of doing bi weekly wc on 3 tanks

 

[GARRIGA]

I just purchased ALF yesterday! canty wait. Why not buy the all in one though without adding the an and k. I notice people are saying that when you dose this or other trace element that you dont have to do nearly as many water changes, i hadnt thought of that until recently. That would be a nice bonus instead of doing bi weekly wc on 3 tanks

Talking about adjusting based ICP-MS for elements missing with A&K although that may not pan out as expected and might need adjust individual components and at that point thinking Dutch method as it focus on fewer elements. End of day likely a combination of all since I don’t don’t what consumption will be.

 

[Minifoot77]

I just purchased ALF yesterday! canty wait. Why not buy the all in one though without adding the a and k. I notice people are saying that when you dose this or other trace element that you dont have to do nearly as many water changes, i hadnt thought of that until recently. That would be a nice bonus instead of doing bi weekly wc on 3 tanks

As stated before I'm on the shine and I have done 3 water changes in 3 years... normally when I see my sump is gross and just vac it out

 

[slojmn]

I’ve been on the Shine since Feb 2023, only 1 small water change on the main tank in that time, some detritus removal in a few tiny 2 gal water changes in the nano. I am sending in ICP-MS monthly to 6 weeks on my main tank and my Nano Tank. Things are extremely stable. The initial $$ outlay is a bit daunting, ICP tests are pricey but in all reality, the stability and incredible growth/color/health of my tanks is the best it’s been in MANY years. I am seeing the trends now and hope to go to 2-3 month ICP tests going forward. There are many ways to run a reef tank and the Shine might not be for everyone but I love it. The dosing is super fast, a few minutes each day which I enjoy doing. I don’t dose when I travel and I just pick up where I left off when I return, easy peasy. The proof is in the health of my corals. I still get occasional losses, but the overall health of my system is much improved. For me, it’s been a game changer.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

still get occasional losses, but the overall health of my system is much improved. For me, it’s been a game changer.

What were you doing previously?

 

[slojmn]

What were you doing previously?

Hi Randy,
Over the years, I’ve tried a few different strategies. Zeovit system way back, it worked but kept me on that knife edge and I couldn’t sustain a healthy balance in the reef. After that, I went to simpler strategies like testing, trying to keep Alk and Ca in line, 20% water changes every couple of weeks. I tried some additives every now and again for trace elements but couldn’t really keep a thriving reef. What I found year after year was that I couldn’t keep the reef balanced, sometimes due to my own mistakes but I also found a trend over 6-7 years…my tank would thrive better in the fall and winter and start to have losses in the Spring into summer. I have long suspected local water issues but I really don’t know. I prefer a simpler straightforward reef keeping style. Watch my corals, test regularly add two part, do water changes, try to maintain a balance of PO4 and NO3, etc….it just wasn’t working for me in any kind of sustained way. I thought about giving Zeo a try again and found Moonshiners during my research about where the Zeovit program was these days. I read a lot and in the end decided to give it a try. It’s not totally simple but it’s not hard either and the ICP tests and adjusting help me to really see what is happening a bit more than just plain guess work. This is truly the first 15 months of stability in many, many years for both of my reef tanks. I’m hopeful it will continue.

 

[Rocky Mountain Reef]

My question is (as I use the Tropic Marin/BRS 3 part Balling method adding TM Trace K and A) who has tried Reef Moonshiners and Balling, and what have you found in comparing the two?

 

[Minifoot77]

My question is (as I use the Tropic Marin/BRS 3 part Balling method adding TM Trace K and A) who has tried Reef Moonshiners and Balling, and what have you found in comparing the two?

I was using a and k before the moonshiners method but I didn't icp test so I couldn't tell you if I was even close to nsw levels of trace elements