Trace element dosing a la carte reacting to ICP test

[carri10]

Hiya.
Consensus seems to be only dose the trace elements you see are lacking in ICP.
That rules out any trace element mixes, unless you are lucky.
Therefore, this conclusion is to dose specific elements.
I don’t want to buy a range of expensively made up solutions, when I can get the raw chemicals and mix myself.
if I want to make a multi element stock (make once for about a year supply), how do I know if there will be precipitation issues?
Is there a resource I can be pointed to?
My chemistry knowledge tells me that chloride salts are usually a good bet for solubility, but that’s where my knowledge starts to get a bit scketchy.

At this moment, I’m specifically lacking Cr and Co

Thanks for guidance.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hiya.
Consensus seems to be only dose the trace elements you see are lacking in ICP.
That rules out any trace element mixes, unless you are lucky.
Therefore, this conclusion is to dose specific elements.
I don’t want to buy a range of expensively made up solutions, when I can get the raw chemicals and mix myself.
if I want to make a multi element stock (make once for about a year supply), how do I know if there will be precipitation issues?
Is there a resource I can be pointed to?
My chemistry knowledge tells me that chloride salts are usually a good bet for solubility, but that’s where my knowledge starts to get a bit scketchy.

At this moment, I’m specifically lacking Cr and Co

Thanks for guidance.

I do not generally agree with that premise. A mix may be fine ( exact levels are neither needed nor justified) and one certainly should not dose everything that is "low". Some ICP companies might have you believe you can know the bioavailability from a concentration, but even if accurate, you cannot. Chemical form is also very important and ICP lacks any chemical form information.

That said, I provide DIY recipes for many elements in this thread, including those two:

DIY Chemistry Archive

I thought it would be useful to have an archive of DIY chemistry methods. I'll add to it as things come up. Calcium and Alkalinity DIY method comparison https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randy-recommended-diy-two-part-recipes.984604/ Three Part using Sodium Hydroxide (including Balling Part...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[carri10]

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley
I frequently see ‘don’t dose without ICP tracking’, the inference being don’t dose everything, only those that you need, otherwise you might end up ‘overdosing’.

Given the inherent difficulties with ICP testing that you mentioned, what is your view on how to dose?
If ICP can’t be used to manage dosing (accuracy, relevancy, reproducibility) then what to do?

I’m keen to learn, as a relative noobie, but a curious one.

And thanks for recipes!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley
I frequently see ‘don’t dose without ICP tracking’, the inference being don’t dose everything, only those that you need, otherwise you might end up ‘overdosing’.

Given the inherent difficulties with ICP testing that you mentioned, what is your view on how to dose?
If ICP can’t be used to manage dosing (accuracy, relevancy, reproducibility) then what to do?

I’m keen to learn, as a relative noobie, but a curious one.

And thanks for recipes!

well, everyone using products like All For Reef are dosing trace elements and not generally having tox issues. Icp is a relatively new reefing tool, while trace element mixes have been around for decades.

 

[carri10]

That is a fair point.

 

[rtparty]

Tropic Marin A and K elements. Will cover the majority of what you need. I ran the BRS balling hybrid method with A and K elements added into my 2 part for close to 2 years on the tank below. I sent off multiple ICP reports over the years and nothing was ever “out of whack”

 

[Reefering1]

Tropic Marin A and K elements. Will cover the majority of what you need. I ran the BRS balling hybrid method with A and K elements added into my 2 part for close to 2 years on the tank below. I sent off multiple ICP reports over the years and nothing was ever “out of whack”

Did you mix it with the alk/ca parts or dose separately? How much of each did you use per gallon?

 

[bandando]

It would be possible to use TM A and K with ATI balling Essential Plus?
Could it help for ionic balance?

 

[rtparty]

Did you mix it with the alk/ca parts or dose separately? How much of each did you use per gallon?

Added to alk and calcium. At the end I was adding the high consumption which is 330ml per gallon I think. Something like that.

 

[UMALUM]

Added to alk and calcium. At the end I was adding the high consumption which is 330ml per gallon I think. Something like that.

What was your daily alk consumption?

 

[rtparty]

What was your daily alk consumption?

Don’t know. I was dosing 3000ml of kalkwasser and like 150ml of soda ash per day

 

[Reefering1]

Don’t know. I was dosing 3000ml of kalkwasser and like 150ml of soda ash per day

In a....? (/gallon system)

 

[rtparty]

In a....? (/gallon system)

Around 250 gallons

 

[UMALUM]

Don’t know. I was dosing 3000ml of kalkwasser and like 150ml of soda ash per day

I was just trying to wrap my head around what BRS considered a low, medium, high demand system with TM blindly recommending 1 ml per 25g.