Strontium and sps growth

[deep6er]

I just tested my water and my Sr was at 3. Acording to the salifert test kit it should be 8-10 ppm.

Does this play a big part in sps growth?
Does anyone dose Sr?

[fishieness]

out of curiosity, how often do you do water changes and what percentage?

[deep6er]

i do around 35g a week on a 150g tank

[stooges3tx]

So you dose two part or have a CR?

[Ian]

Who makes a test kit?

[deep6er]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15091362#post15091362 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stooges3tx
So you dose two part or have a CR?

I do have a cr and I dose alk and Ca when low.

[deep6er]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15091531#post15091531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ian
Who makes a test kit?

Salifert makes them. That is what I used.

[Frankenpora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15091793#post15091793 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deep6er
Salifert makes them. That is what I used.

It seems to help with color in my system.
This is the most frustrating test in the universe, If I am thinking
of the right one. As I recall it took me about a half hour, and many
titrations. I vowed not to do it again, so I am using the force on
this one :)

[ct_vol]

I dose strontium daily... I too use the force... http://www.smileyshut.com/smileys/new/Battle/lightsaber-battle.gif

[Skeptic_07]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15091890#post15091890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Frankenpora

This is the most frustrating test in the universe,

you can say that again but the good side, if i remember correctly, is you can test your calcium along the way. I bought this test and used it once and then said to hell with it, what a waste

[unbreakable]

so do you guys still test for Strontium or just go by the directions of the bottle?

[deep6er]

at $40 a box I will be spending 20 min to do this test, at least once a week.
I think Sr helps with skeletal growth.

[spleify]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15093278#post15093278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by unbreakable
so do you guys still test for Strontium or just go by the directions of the bottle?

+1 I would be curious about this too.

[unbreakable]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15094235#post15094235 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by deep6er
at $40 a box I will be spending 20 min to do this test, at least once a week.
I think Sr helps with skeletal growth.

What will you be using to dose Sr? I know kent makes a bottle, forget the name but has Strontium in the title i believe. 8 bucks for it so I might pick it up

[deep6er]

I picked up a canadian brand called Tailored aquatics Strontium.
Dosage is 1 cap/50g and this will raise Sr by 0.5ppm
I'm going to try 3 caps every 2 days and see what my strontium is at on Sunday, also see if I notice any difference with color and growth

[ct_vol]

Use Brightwell Strontion here... Directions on the container, though I do underdose...

[BigJay]

I always figured the tank would get enough strontium from frequent water changes and dissolved ARM media. Is this something that really needs to be dosed in addition to what the CaRx adds?

[mcliffy2]

There is an interesting article in Coral this month, while the verdict is still out on Sr, my takeaway from the article is that there is more evidence that dosing dose not increase the calcification rate. One theory it suggested is that Sr ions may bond to DOCs removed via skimming. That might explain why some report better coloration when dosing (i.e. increased skimming performance).

[Stanley-Reefer]

I use Kent Stontium/Moly I put 10cc in my 90 every 4d and 20 in my 175.

[rireuter]

i too dose kent and just go by the bottle. my reef is still "young" mostly frags, but i really didn't notice a diff. i stopped dosing once for a few months cuz i ran out and didn't really see a change, but was at LFS and decided to grab some more for the heck of it.

[Frankenpora]

I have a couple of SRs I am using the Brightwell for Mag and Sr on
occasion. I also have a Reef SR from Tropic Marin or somthing like
that. I will generally do a dosage about half way beetween every
other water change or so. This way I am not really taking the risk
of O.D. ing on it, nor should I be deficient. This is by no means
Scientific, but the force has worked on this so far....
As to the comment at $40 bucks a box I'll be doing it once a week.
I am sure you can find a friend that will lend it to you, If not all
I can tell you is you better love Chemistry. Best practice would be
to do what you suggest, but try it out and get back to us :)
It's not just the time it takes on this one that is frustrating.

[toaster77]

My hunch is that regular water changes should be able to maintain adequate Sr levels.

I would like to see more evidence documenting the importance of Sr.

[tastingSalty]

double post \/ \/ \/

[tastingSalty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15097891#post15097891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by toaster77
My hunch is that regular water changes should be able to maintain adequate Sr levels.

I would like to see more evidence documenting the importance of Sr.

++1 Me Too!

I can't justify buying an expensive kit that takes forever AND dosing expensive stuff without having adequate evidence supporting the importance of maintaining proper concentrations of the element.

[Frankenpora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15097935#post15097935 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tastingSalty
++1 Me Too!

I can't justify buying an expensive kit that takes forever AND dosing expensive stuff without having adequate evidence supporting the importance of maintaining proper concentrations of the element.


This is what initially got me on board.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2003/chem.htm

Although the jury seems to be out on the benefits, I have an SPS
heavy system, and try to keep good levels of each of the
elements found in coral skeletons.

[deep6er]

Just an update. I have been dosing 15ml a day since my first post and the SR has only gone up to 5ppm. I have not noticed any visable difference to the corals. I will test again next week.

[BigJay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15097963#post15097963 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Frankenpora
This is what initially got me on board.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2003/chem.htm

Although the jury seems to be out on the benefits, I have an SPS
heavy system, and try to keep good levels of each of the
elements found in coral skeletons.

If you're running a calcium reactor, you should be adding plenty of strontium as the media dissolves.

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118649#post15118649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
If you're running a calcium reactor, you should be adding plenty of strontium as the media dissolves.
agreed.
In fact, in all of my years of testing it appears that Sr levels closely follow Ca levels no matter what method of Ca supplementation is used.

Years ago (early 90's) it was always stressed how important Sr was for stony coral growth when (in fact) it's probably more important to monitor Mg levels than Sr levels (IME/IMO)

[stanlalee]

I just use reef complete. If my salt isn't defficient then using it should replenish Sr at the rate its utilized (assuming they have the right ratio ca:sr = 100:0.1).

[deep6er]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118678#post15118678 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gary Majchrzak
agreed.
In fact, in all of my years of testing it appears that Sr levels closely follow Ca levels no matter what method of Ca supplementation is used.

Years ago (early 90's) it was always stressed how important Sr was for stony coral growth when (in fact) it's probably more important to monitor Mg levels than Sr levels (IME/IMO)

I agree. With the Mg levels. I keep mine at 1300. But Re the Sr levels. I have read that tanks should be around 5-10ppm with Strontium and NSW is at 8. My tank is reading 4( was at 3).
I do have a Ca reactor too, its not that good of one.
im trying to is raise it to around 7 and see how my tank reacts.

[d-town tony]

I've tried the salifert strontium kit multiple times.

I've screwed up 90% of them.

Worthless test IMO.

I've tried adding supplements. Noticed no difference.

[Frankenpora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15118649#post15118649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigJay
If you're running a calcium reactor, you should be adding plenty of strontium as the media dissolves.

I concure.
Although It does seem to help with coloration in my case, I would
not say I am an advocate. However I have the stuff, so I figure
I'll use it. At the rate I am dosing, I should run out in 2020 some
time :) maybe by then we will have better data. Also I do have a
Galaxia that is pretty big, so I am assuming that it will make up
for the supplimentation.

Here is a Quote from the article referenced above:

"The argument that using ground up coral skeletons in a CaCO3/CO2 reactor will supply exactly what corals need is too simplistic. Different sources of calcium carbonate have different amounts of strontium in them. In testing of samples used by aquarists, Bingman39 reported a Ca: Sr ratio of 15,385:1 for Korlith and 7143:1 for Super Calc Gold. Similarly, Hiller40 reported 2732:1 for a quarried limestone and 1379:1 for Nature's Ocean brand crushed coral. These values are all FAR below the amount of strontium taken out by calcification, which is more typically like 110:1 for calcification by corals and 100:1 for abiotic precipitation of aragonite (although the exact value for each of these depends on the ambient strontium concentration, the temperature, and the species involved).25 If these reported values are actually real, and not in some way an artifact of the testing procedures, then it would seem that using such media would soon lead to depletion of strontium (in the absence of strontium additives)."

[xtm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15097891#post15097891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by toaster77
My hunch is that regular water changes should be able to maintain adequate Sr levels.

I would like to see more evidence documenting the importance of Sr.

I use Kent Strontium/Molybdenum from time to time (meaning NOT dosing regularly). A few years back, I conducted my "own" test and part of what I noticed is that the addition of Sr had dramatically produced coralline algae blooms. However, the SPS growth had remained the same. Just my observation.