Red Sea reef care program question

[TankCla]

Looking to improve coral colors and Red Sea reef program caught my eye.

What is your experience with Red Sea products from coral nutrition program, reef foundation program and coral coloration program?

Red Sea Reef Care Program

 

[thegrun]

I've been using it for 6 months now in my 50 gallon system and I have seen improvements in the corals (color and polyp extension). Rather than test for all the trace elements, I simply tie the dosing to the calcium demand.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, like many reef companies, their advertising leaves a lot to be desired, making statements that, at best, are misleading.

That said, I'll leave to comments on effectiveness to folks who have used it, since many folks don't care if it actually does what the supplier claims, only whether it seems useful.

 

[TankCla]

You said it right.
Is it effective or not to dose Fe, K, and I2 from Red Sea?
I know people who had great results with K-balance and B-balance from zeovit, but they are way more expensive.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, of the ions you mention, iron is the only one that I still dose (as a DIY using iron tablets from the drug store). I didn't find that iodide was useful despite using it for years, and potassium isn't depleted in my tank.

 

[TankCla]

...iron is the only one that I still dose (as a DIY using iron tablets from the drug store)...

How are you dosing iron? I have in the house Euro-Fer 300mg.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I use Fergon brand Ferrous Sulfate tablets.

Take 1 tablet and dissolve in 100 mL RO/DI (overnight soak). Let the solids settle out and use the liquid. Then I dose about 1-5 mL to my 200 gallons (dose is not critical) occasionally.

I generally don't recommend iron dosing unless you grow macroalgae, however, as I'm not convinced it is otherwise that useful.

 

[TankCla]

What I have is Ferrous Fumarate. Is it the same thing?

Can I open the capsules in the water or just let it there until it dissolves?

 

[TankCla]

I see the difference 100g vs 60g iron.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The fumarate is fine as long as the other ingredients in it (if any) are reef OK.

 

[TankCla]

Well, it has all these extra stuff:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Those are probably OK. Let it settle out as I indicated.

 

[chema]

I have been using Reef Energy A and B and the four solutions of the Coral Color Program for almost two years. I'm very happy with the results. My SPS have solid and vibrant colors. I like them more than the pastel tones you get with the Zeovit system.

I dose 10 ml/day of Reef Energy A and B. The dosage of the four Coral Colors solutions depends on the levels of the different reference elements, as stated in the manual instructions, except for iron, which I find very difficult to measure. For the dosage of this element I use the green color of some acros as a reference. Also, the growth, or lack of growth, of the chaeto in the refugium is useful.

 

[TankCla]

Thank you chema!
Good info. This is actually what I am interested in, a good and cheap alternative to zeo products.
How cheap? That remains to be determined.

 

[tmz]

FWIW, I don't dose any trace or minor elements except iron on occasion for macroalgae and rarely a little generic potassium chloride .
Food and water changes do very well without other supplements.
IME;color growth and vibrancy on a wide variety of corals are very good(blues, reds greens etc) without dosing more than calcium hydroxide and routine water changes totaling around 35%% per month.

 

[sn4265]

Just curious... Is this mainly/only for SPS or does this also seem to benefit softies and LPS? I ask because I currently don't have ANY SPS just a bunch of softies and LPS.

 

[TankCla]

All corals benefit, but I think this industry grows mainly around SPS.

 

[tmz]

I'm not convinced all corals or any benefit at all from thsoe kinds of commercial systems program but each to his own methods enjoyment and choices.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not convinced either. Things that are useful in a zeovit coral starvation setting may also not be useful in other scenarios.

 

[chema]

Just curious... Is this mainly/only for SPS or does this also seem to benefit softies and LPS? I ask because I currently don't have ANY SPS just a bunch of softies and LPS.

The main difference is the coloration of Acropora spp. For low demanding SPS or softies I do not think you need to expend money in a supplementation program. But for acros I have definitely found quite a difference.

Concerning how it is needed or not to supplement trace elements, you have to take into consideration the amount of SPS in your tank, the concentration of those elements in the salt mix and the frequency of water changes. With certain salt mixes I experienced a quick drop in potassium concentration after a few weeks.