My 90 Gallon Reef

Probably because coral 1) requires better quality water and

Could you be more specific? What do you mean by "better quality water"?
My nitrites, nitrates and
ammonia levels are undetectable using store bought tests. My phosphates are
also very low. My salinity is also on target. I dose with Kent Marine
Essential Elements every three weeks.

2) is part of the definition of a "reef" aquarium.
George Patterson
Coffee is only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to
your slightly older self.

Stoutman wrote on 9/7/2006 7:22 PM:
I dose with Kent Marine
Essential Elements every three weeks.

How do you know you need to add the "essential elements"?
Are you testing for them?
Is this addition *really* essential? :-)
Or is "essential elements" just a way to make more money? :-)

To answer the above questions: Don't get sucked into the
hype.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

How do you know you need to add the "essential elements"?

Are you testing for them?

Nope

Is this addition *really* essential? :-)

I add them in lieu of doing partial water changes. Unless I am mistaken the
artificial sea salt (instant ocean?) contains essential elements that over
time can be depleted.

Or is "essential elements" just a way to make more money? :-)

Not sure.


To answer the above questions: Don't get sucked into the hype.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

How do you know you need to add the "essential elements"? Are you testing
for them?

I could ask you the same question about your soft coral toxins couldn't I?


If you are doing partial water to dilute toxins, how do you know they are
present if you can't test for them as you stated?


Is this addition *really* essential? :-)
Or is "essential elements" just a way to make more money? :-)

To answer the above questions: Don't get sucked into the hype.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

Stoutman wrote on 9/7/2006 9:18 PM:
How do you know you need to add the "essential elements"? Are you testing
for them?

I could ask you the same question about your soft coral toxins couldn't I?




Like I said in the previous post, there are things that
the hobby test kits don't test.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

How do you know you need to add the "essential elements"? Are you testing
for them?

I could ask you the same question about your soft coral toxins couldn't I?


If you are doing partial water to dilute toxins, how do you know they are
present if you can't test for them as you stated?


Is this addition *really* essential? :-)
Or is "essential elements" just a way to make more money? :-)

To answer the above questions: Don't get sucked into the hype.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets

My nitrite, nitrate and ammonia concentration is less than the store bought test. My phosphate is very low. My salinity is also planned. Kent Marine elements I dose every three weeks. Water parameters, hobby test kit does not test, such as the issue of the soft coral toxins.