Question about dosing. Kent Essential Elements?

Hi everyone. I have a question about dosing. Right now I am using Kent Iodide, Calcium and Strontium & Molybdenum. Does anyone have any experience with the Kent Essential Elements stuff? I am only changing 4 gallons of water once a month to replenish trace elements. My system is a 20 gallon with a 10gallon sump, so volume should be >25 but <30. I have green star polyps, zoas, kenya tree, ricordea mushroom and a galaxy coral. Would adding the Essential elements to my dosing regime be beneficial, replace any of the other supplements, detrimental, or unnecessary? Thanks!

Or are there any other "all-in-one" type supplements that anyone would recommend? I'm almost out of the Calcium and Strontium&Molybdenum and will be ordering more supplements soon.

 

other than nickle chloride, potassium chloride you are dosing the same thing. Or a tleast in my book, if it is doing good why keep adding things to the soup?

 

Just buy Kent Marine Reef salt....it has all that stuff already in it...and you dont have to dose anything if u keep up on ur water changes...problem solved

 

Ok thanks. Yeah I just wanted to see if some of those supplements could replace what I'm using now or if it would benefit from adding them. I will just reorder more of the calcium and S&M

Yeah but the problem is that I only change the water once a month. I mean I could change it more often but I don't have a RO/Di unit so I go out to buy the water. And more water changes means more salt. lol.

 

Yeh but more water changes also means healthier environment...

 

Yes this is true but If it's possible to dose the trace elements without having to change water than I would rather do that. I try to cut costs if possible ;D

 

honestly dude it doesnt sound like youre really growing any corals that are super demanding to begin with. i bought into all those supplements when i first started and realistically, if you have quality reef salt and keep up with water changes, i dono, maybe twice a month.. your tank should be perfect even with a heavy bioload. a lot of those supplements are meant for people who do not do water changes, but use a skimmer, ato, and doses. theres a million ways to skin a cat and that goes for saltwater tanks as well. i still have bottles of calcium, kalk, this or that that i have never even opened simply because i started investing in what kevin recommended... kent's marine reef salt. good stuff and saves you big bucks on buying supplements.. plus your tank is only 20g w 10g sump, you have mainly leather corals.. i think you personally do not need to dose.

 

I agree with you. I don't see the point for you to really dose anything right now. Also, I have always been told not to put anything in my tank that I can test for when dosing is concerned.

 

Cooll. Ok thanks. So maybe I don't NEED to dose but would my corals benefit from them? Increased growth? I mean whatever I've been doing seems to be working well but I don't know what would happen if I stopped. I'm just using Instant Ocean salt btw, not the Reef Crystal one.

Thanks, yeah I've heard this too. Ok thanks for the info everyone!

 

Oh wow, the Kent salt is not much more than the IO stuff either. Like a 4 dollar difference. I think I'm going to give it a try once I burn through this 200gallon box.