Red Sea Complete Reef Care 4 Part Easy Dose Program Based On Calcium Uptake Instruction Manual
- June 1, 2024
- Red Sea
Table of Contents
Red Sea Complete Reef Care 4 Part Easy Dose Program Based On Calcium
Uptake
Product Specifications
- 1 Calcium & Magnesium+
- 2 KH/Alkalinity & pH Stabilizer
- 3 Iodine & Potassium+
- 4 Iron & Bioactive Elements
Product Usage Instructions:
Overview
The Complete Reef Care is a 4-part supplement program designed for optimal
coral growth and coloration. It is based on a weekly measurement of Calcium,
which determines the dosages of all 4 parts.
Complete Reef Care Supplements:
The 36 Major, Minor, and Trace elements are divided into four parts to
ensure stability and bioavailability. Each part is dosed according to usage
ratio and container volume.
Elements
- Part 1: Calcium & Magnesium
- Part 2: KH/Alkalinity & pH stabilizer
- Part 3: Iodine & Potassium
- Part 4: Iron and Bioactive elements
Dosing Ratio
| Part 1| Part 2| Part 3| Part 4
---|---|---|---|---
Small| 500ml| 1000ml| 250ml| 250ml
Medium| 1000ml| 2000ml| 500ml| 500ml
Large| 2000ml| 4000ml| 1000ml| 1000ml
Coral Growth and Coloration
Corals exhibit vivid colors due to pigments that protect their tissue from
UV radiation. Specific trace elements are crucial for pigment production,
influencing coral coloration.
Selecting Settings
For best results, maintain optimal salinity, Calcium, and Alkalinity levels
based on your aquarium type and goals. Regular monitoring and element
replenishment are essential due to the artificial reef environment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
-
Q: How often should I measure Calcium levels for dosing?
A: It is recommended to measure Calcium levels weekly to determine the dosages of the Complete Reef Care supplements. -
Q: Can I use the Complete Reef Care program with any type of coral?
A: Yes, the program is suitable for SPS, LPS, Soft Corals, and mixed reefs to support optimal growth and coloration. -
Q: Do I need to adjust dosages based on the size of my aquarium?
A: Yes, dosages should be adjusted based on the size of your aquarium to ensure proper nutrient balance.
Complete Reef Care
The Complete Reef Care is a simple but comprehensive 4-part supplement program
that ensures optimal coral growth and coloration, revolving around a single
weekly measurement of Calcium, which determines the dosages of all 4 parts.
A successful coral reef aquarium is dependent upon maintaining the appropriate
water parameters that provide the stable environment required by the corals.
This is achieved by starting with balanced seawater, such as when using Red
Sea or Coral Pro Salt, and using complete and balanced supplements, that are
formulated to work together for long term use, without changing the ionic
balance of the water.
The Complete Reef Care is the result of years of research into the
physiological demands of SPS, LPS & Soft Corals in the reef aquarium, as well
as practical experience with Red Sea’s Reef Care Program on tens of thousands
of diverse reef tanks worldwide.
This research has shown that there are 36 Major, Minor and Trace elements that
are regularly depleted from the aquarium water and have an active role in
coral growth and coloration, as well as other biological activities of the
reef environment. In reef systems without refugiums, coral growth is the most
dominant biological process that affects the water chemistry, and the 36
elements, including the Alkalinity components, are used up in a relatively
fixed ratio. Since Calcium is the key indicator to coral growth, all the
elements can be supplemented according to a measured uptake of Calcium.
Complete Reef Care Supplements
The Complete Reef Care divides the 36 Major, Minor and Trace elements into
four parts to ensure their stability and bioavailability. The individual
container volumes of the four parts have been set according to the ratio that
they’re used up, so all four containers will finish at the same time.
- Part #1 contains: Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium & Barium.
- Part #2 contains: KH/Alkalinity components.
- Part #3 contains: Potassium, Boron and the halogens Iodine, Bromine and Fluorine.
- Part #4 contains: Iron, Manganese, Cobalt, Copper, Aluminum, Zinc, Chrome, Nickel plus 18 other bioactive trace elements
Complete Reef Care| Dosing ratio| Small| Medium|
Large
---|---|---|---|---
1| Calcium & Magnesium| 1| 500ml| 1000ml| 2000ml
2| KH/Alkalinity & pH stabilizer| 2| 1000ml| 2000ml| 4000ml
3| Iodine & Potassium| 0.5| 250ml| 500ml| 1000ml
4| Iron and Bioactive elements| 0.5| 250ml| 500ml| 1000ml
Coral Growth and Coloration
Although all the elements found in natural seawater have an important role in
providing the optimal water parameters, a few of them have a more significant
role in the overall stability. These elements are the foundation of the reef
environment, and they include the three major elements: Calcium (Ca),
Magnesium (Mg) and Bi-Carbonates (HCO3). These 3 elements have a major effect
on the water chemistry (pH stability, Alkalinity, sea water ionic strength)
and on many of the coral’s biological processes (skeleton formation, ions
exchange, photosynthesis).
The minor and trace elements that are present in the skeleton and soft tissue
of all corals are known as important biocatalysts in the thousands of
metabolic processes in marine organisms, as well as having a direct connection
to specific coral pigments. All these elements must be readily available in
all reef aquariums. However, many of them become toxic in concentrations above
the levels found in natural sea water, and therefore their correct dosage is
crucial to the long-term success of any reef aquarium.
Coral Growth (Skeletogenesis) is the process by which the corals precipitate
the foundation elements together with Strontium and Barium from the
surrounding water to form the building blocks of coral skeletons. Corals build
approximately 97% of their skeleton by combining Ca and CO3 ions from the
water to form Aragonite (CaCO3). The rest of the skeleton is made up from the
other minor and trace elements.
In unbalanced conditions such as low levels of Magnesium and Strontium the
skeleton will develop with a higher proportion of Calcite, making it more
brittle and more susceptible to damage. The foundation elements complement
each other in the formation of coral skeleton, and if not available in the
correct ratios, one of them will quickly become the limiting factor of healthy
coral growth. Corals display their vivid colors due to the production of
pigments (chromoproteins) that protect the delicate inner layers of the coral
soft tissue from intense UV radiation, like the tanning of human skin when
exposed to direct sunlight. The pigments can only be produced by the soft
tissue of the coral if the specific elements required for the bio-chemical
process are available in the correct concentration. Our research has
identified 4 distinct groups of trace elements that have a direct connection
to each of the natural pink, red, green/yellow & blue/purple coral pigments.
However, all the elements are necessary for all mixed reefs and SPS aquariums,
without connection to the colors of the specific corals.
Selecting the best growth and coloration settings for your system
Elevated levels of the foundation elements create a higher saturation state
inside the corals, inducing faster aragonite formation and making this process
much more efficient (less energy required from the coral per gram of
skeleton). Therefore, balanced elevated levels of the foundation elements will
result in accelerated coral growth rates.
In reef aquariums, corals often have higher than natural populations of
Zooxanthellae algae, giving a deep brown tint that obscures the natural vivid
pigments of the corals. Lowering the Zooxanthellae populations by fine control
of algae nutrients (such as with Red Sea’s NO3:PO4-X) will remove the brownish
tint and induce the production of pigments
(chromoproteins), enhancing the coloration of the corals. When aiming to
enhance coral coloration by reducing the levels of algae nutrients, it is
advisable to maintain lower balanced levels of the foundation elements to
prevent causing stress to the corals.
The desired levels of the foundation elements are therefore dependent on your
objectives for your aquarium, and you should choose the salt mix and salinity
that gives them. The Complete Reef Care supplements will then enable you to
maintain these levels by replenishing the elements as they are used up.
Reef Care Recipes®
Our Reef Care Recipes® translate many years of practical experience into a
simple to implement regimen of water management activities, specifically for
the most common types of hobby reef aquariums. Water management refers to all
the water related activities such as water changes, testing and supplementing,
that needs to be done on a regular basis to ensure the success of your reef
aquarium. This is not just limited to maintaining the ideal balance of the
seawater, but also deals with controlling nuisance algae and coral nutrition
for their long-term health and vitality.
For optimal results it is recommended to use the following products in
addition to the Complete Reef Care supplements:
NO3:PO4-X Algae Management Program – Controlled Nitrate & Phosphate
reduction that prevents nuisance algae, providing fine control of
Zooxanthellae populations that significantly affect coral growth rates and
coloration.
Reef Energy® Plus Coral Nutrition – Provides the carbohydrates, vitamins,
amino and fatty acids that fuel all metabolic processes of corals.
Optimal levels of salinity, Calcium, and Alkalinity, according to type of
aquarium and objectives
Unlike the natural reef environment, where there is an immense reservoir of
the elements, the reef aquarium is an artificial environment that is
constantly affected by chemical changes and therefore the water parameters
must be monitored, and elements replenished constantly. Furthermore, the
optimal levels of these elements should be maintained according to the variety
and maturity of the specific coral population.
Aquarium Type| Objective| Salinity| Ca| Alk|
Recommended Salt
---|---|---|---|---|---
Growth| Coloration| PSU| ppm| dKH
Mixed Reef
| Exceptional| Good| 35| 465| 12| Coral Pro
Great| Great| 34| 450| 11.5| Coral Pro
Good| Exceptional| 35| 430| 8| Red Sea
SPS Dominant
| Exceptional| Good| 35| 465| 12| Coral Pro
Great| Great| 35| 430| 8| Red Sea
Good| Exceptional| 33| 410| 7| Red Sea
Frags| Exceptional| Good| 35| 465| 12| Coral Pro
ULNS| Good| Exceptional| 33| 410| 7| Red Sea
Suitable for non-refugium systems only
The 4-parts of the Complete Reef Care supplements have been formulated for
systems where coral calcification is the main biogeochemical engine that
controls the chemistry of the aquarium. A refugium or algae scrubber, with a
large algae population, will significantly increase the consumption of the
Alkalinity components (Part #2) without proportion to calcification, as well
as affecting the consumption and ratio between the trace elements included in
Parts #3 & #4. Check out the benefits of Red Sea’s NO3:PO4-X controlled algae
nutrient control program before adding a refugium to your system.
Should you decide to add a refugium or algae scrubber to your system, you
should use the original 7-part Reef Care Supplement Program and test kits that
provides accurate monitoring and dosing of all Foundation elements and
trace elements according to the measurement of the leading element in each
group. Weekly monitoring of all these elements will help to sustain both coral
calcification and algae growth.
Instructions for dosing Complete Reef Care based on Calcium uptake
- Select the desired levels of salinity, Calcium, and Alkalinity, according to your type of aquarium and growth/coloration objectives from the table below. Before starting to dose the Complete Reef Care supplements, test your aquarium water and adjust as required to achieve the desired parameters.
- To increase the Calcium level, calculate the adjustment dose of Part#1; 1ml of Part #1 will raise the Calcium level of 100 liters / 25 gal by 1.4ppm.
- To increase the KH/Alkalinity level, calculate the adjustment dose of Part#2; 1ml of Part #2 will raise the KH level of 100 liters / 25 gal by 0.1dKH (0.036 meq/l). Note: Red Sea’s Foundation B KH/Alkalinity is the same formula as Complete Reef Care Part #2.
- Set the initial daily dosages for all 4 parts according to your aquarium type growth/coloration objectives according to the following guidelines for an established, moderately stocked tank. For new or heavily stocked tanks you should adjust the initial levels accordingly.
- To prevent the effects of unbalanced levels of the elements the 4 parts should always be added in their numerical order (1st – Part #1, 2nd – Part #2, 3rd – Part #3, 4th – Part #4), allowing 10 minutes between the addition of each.
Aquarium Type| Objective| Initial daily dose (ml) per 100L
/ 25 gal
---|---|---
Growth| Coloration| Part #1| Part #2| Part #3|
Part #4
Mixed Reef
| Exceptional| Good| 5| 10| 2.5| 2.5
Great| Great| 4| 8| 2| 2
Good| Exceptional| 3| 6| 1.5| 1.5
SPS Dominant
| Exceptional| Good| 7| 14| 3.5| 3.5
Great| Great| 6| 12| 3| 3
Good| Exceptional| 3| 6| 1.5| 1.5
Frags| Exceptional| Good| 7| 14| 3.5| 3.5
ULNS| Good| Exceptional| 3| 6| 1.5| 1.5
- Run the aquarium for 3 days and test the Calcium level, at the same time of day, and after making sure that the salinity is at the desired level. Do not make a water change during these 3 days and maintain the salinity by constantly topping up RO water lost due to evaporation.
- Calculate the difference between the current and desired level of Calcium and divide the result by 3 to get the daily increase/decrease.
- If the daily increase/decrease is less than 2 ppm continue with the same daily dose for another 10 days.
- If the Calcium has decreased by more than 2 ppm/day, make an adjusting dose of all 4 parts to raise the calcium and other elements to the desired levels, and increase their daily doses accordingly.
- If the Calcium has increased by more than 2 ppm/day, stop dosing all parts for a few days to allow the calcium and other elements to naturally reduce to the desired levels, and decrease the daily doses accordingly.
- Continue testing the Calcium on a weekly basis and make additional adjustments to the daily doses as appropriate.
- As your corals grow or you add or remove livestock, the uptake of the elements in your aquarium will gradually change. It is recommended to keep a logbook of the weekly measurements and dosages.
- If you miss one or more days of supplementing add the complete amount that you have missed, but do not exceed the maximum recommended daily increase for any of the elements.
- It is recommended to test the KH/Alkalinity every 2 – 3 weeks to ensure that everything is in balance. If the variance is more than 0.5dKH make an adjustment to the daily dose of Part #2.
General instructions for testing and supplementing
- Before carrying out any water testing always check the salinity and adjust as necessary. If you have adjusted the salinity wait 10 minutes for the water parameters to stabilize. (Note: 1 PSU increase in salinity due to evaporation of fresh water will result in an approximate increase of 13ppm Ca)
- Test only with high resolution test kits such as Red Sea’s Calcium Pro Test Kit (resolution of 5 ppm) & Alkalinity Pro Test Kit (resolution of 0.14dKH / 0.05 meq/L).
- Estimate your total volume of water (aquarium & sump less volume of live rocks etc.) to calculate the correct dosage for your system. All Red Sea Reef Care Program supplements have dosing instructions based on treating 100 liters / 25 gallons of water.
- Supplements should be added to the sump. If you do not have a sump, add the supplements slowly to an area with high water flow to prevent direct contact with fish and corals.
- To prevent stress to the corals, the maximum daily increases of each of the elements are as follows: Calcium 20ppm; Alkalinity 1.4 dKH / 0.5 meq/l. larger adjustments should be spread over a few days according to the daily maximum.
- After a water-change, test the levels of Calcium and Alkalinity and adjust as necessary to achieve the desired levels.
- Notes : the following can cause unbalanced levels of the elements.
- New Aragonite substrate – new Aragonite surfaces can increase the non-biological precipitation of Calcium and Carbonates which will lead to their depletion from the water, causing a drop in Calcium and Alkalinity.
- Unbalanced salt mixtures with low Magnesium or high Calcium can lead to Alkalinity drops.
Why use Calcium and not Alkalinity for dosing Complete Reef Care
- Since we have stated that the 36 Major, Minor and Trace elements including the Alkalinity components are used up in a relatively fixed ratio, it may seem logical that the Complete Reef Care supplements can be dosed based on a measurement of the Alkalinity instead of Calcium, however, this does not work.
- Almost all the Calcium and most of the other 36 elements are taken up exclusively by the biogeochemical processes of the corals, and therefore there is a direct relationship between coral growth and the Calcium uptake.
- The Carbonate and Bicarbonate Alkalinity components that are used by the corals to form its skeleton is an important part of the Total Alkalinity of the aquarium water, however, the measured Total Alkalinity also includes the
- Alkalinity of many other components such as Borate, Phosphate, Fluoride, Silicate, Sulfate, Nitrate, and organic compounds. These other components of Total Alkalinity are easily affected by many non-coral related processes, such as water changes, foods, supplements, buildup of organics and byproducts of bacterial activity. Furthermore, there are other biogeochemical processes such as photosynthesis and nitrification that also consume Carbonate
- Alkalinity components. Dosing all 4-parts based on the uptake of Alkalinity, will also dose the Calcium and other elements that were not depleted by calcification. This will lead to higher concentrations of Ca and other trace elements, which will cause precipitation and a drop in Alkalinity that will break the delicate chemical balance of the water. On the other hand, corals have the ability to regulate the Carbonate Alkalinity inside their calcification centers and are able to adapt to slight changes in the Alkalinity of the aquarium water.
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