Red Sea 4297 Foundation Supplements Complete Pack User Manual

: June 6, 2024
: Red Sea

Table of Contents

REEF CARE PROGRAM
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REEF CARE PROGRAM

Foundation Supplements

Red Sea’s Reef Care Program – Recipes

The complete Reef Care program is the result of years of research into the physiological demands of SPS, LPS & Soft Corals in the reef aquarium. Reef Care Recipes® translates the many years of practical experience with Red Sea’s Reef Care Program on tens of thousands of diverse reef tanks worldwide 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 of 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.

In addition to the Foundation™ program, which is fully described below, the complete Reef Care program also includes the following:

Algae Management Program – Controlled nitrate & phosphate reduction that prevents nuisance algae and provides the fine control of Zooxanthellae populations that significantly affect coral growth rates and coloration.
Trace-Colors™ – Provides the essential minor and trace elements that are part of the coral skeleton and soft tissue and are specifically important for SPS corals to display their natural pigments.

Reef Energy® – Provides the carbohydrates, vitamins, amino and fatty acids that fuel all metabolic processes of corals.

For optimal results you should implement the complete program.

When aiming to enhance coral coloration by reducing the levels of algae nutrients, lower balanced levels of the foundation elements should be maintained.

Optimal levels of the Foundation Elements

Unlike the natural reef environment, where there is an immense reservoir of the foundation elements, the reef aquarium is an artificial environment that is constantly affected by chemical changes and therefore the foundation elements must be monitored and replenished constantly. Furthermore, research has shown that the optimal levels of these elements should be maintained according to the variety and maturity of the specific coral population.

Optimal levels of salinity, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium according to type of aquarium

Optimal levels

Note: The alkalinity is a measure of the concentration of all buffering substances such as bicarbonate (HCO3), carbonate (CO3), hydroxide (OH) and borate (BO3). Alkalinity is measured in mille equivalents per liter meq/L or in degrees of Carbonate hardness (dKH = meq/L x 2.8). Avoid using test kits that measure carbonates as this does not measure total alkalinity.

The Foundation™ Supplements

• Foundation™ Calcium+ Contains Calcium, Strontium & Barium in the ratios as found in coral skeleton.
• Foundation™ KH/Alkalinity Contains Bicarbonates.
• Foundation™ Magnesium Contains Magnesium
• Foundation™ ABC+ Contains Calcium, Strontium, Barium, Bicarbonates, Magnesium, Potassium, Boron, Iodine & Bromine formulated in the exact ratio as found in the coral skeleton. This unique powder supplement simplifies the daily dosing of more than just the foundation elements and is recommended for aquariums up to about 300 liters /75 gallons.

The Foundation™ Test Kits

Calcium Pro test kit is an advanced titration test, measuring the level of calcium to a resolution of 5 ppm.
KH Alkalinity Pro test kit is an advanced titration test, measuring the level of buffers to a resolution of 0.05 meq/L (0.14dKH).
Magnesium Pro test kit is an advanced titration test, measuring the level of Magnesium to a resolution of 20 ppm.

Testing and Supplementing

Causes and effects of unbalanced levels of foundation 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 mixture – low magnesium or high calcium can lead to alkalinity drops.
Excessive dosing of calcium or buffer (without dosing magnesium) – Adding too much calcium (to saturation levels) can lead to a sudden drop in alkalinity. Adding too muchbuffer to an aquarium with calcium at saturation levels will cause precipitation, leading to low calcium levels.

The phenomena listed above are typical to many chemically unbalanced marine and reef tanks causing stress to the inhabitants as well as to the aquarist. Balanced supplementation should therefore be implemented to maintain calcium, magnesium and alkalinity at the recommended levels.

General instructions for testing and supplementing:

Before carrying out any water testing always check the salinity and make adjustments as necessary. If you have made adjustments to the water wait 10 minutes for the water parameters to stabilize. (e.g. 1 ppt increase in salinity due to evaporation of fresh water will result in approximate increases of 13ppm Ca and 40ppm Mg)
Test only with high accuracy test kits such as Red Sea’s Foundation™ program (Calcium, Alkalinity & Magnesium) Pro Titration Kits
All of the Red Sea Reef Care Program supplements have dosing charts (on back of product) based on treating 100 liters / 25 gallons of water. Estimate your total volume of water (aquarium & sump less volume of live rocks etc) to calculate the correct dosage for your system.
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 0.5 meq/l (1.4 dkh); Magnesium 10ppm.
Larger adjustments should be spread over a few days according to the daily maximum.
In order to prevent the effects of unbalanced levels of the foundation elements the supplements should be added in the following order allowing 10 minutes between each:
1st – Magnesium
2nd – Alkalinity
3rd – Calcium

Initial adjustment of Foundation Elements to optimal levels

When first using the Foundation™ products or after a water-change, test the levels of the foundation elements and supplement as necessary to achieve the optimal levels.

Weekly dosing – (Marine Fish)

Test the Foundation Elements every week and dose each supplement to replenish back to the optimal levels.

Daily dosing

Ensure that all of the Foundation Elements are at optimal values and run the aquarium for 4 days at a stable salinity (compensate for evaporation daily by adding fresh water) without adding any supplements. At the end of the 4 days, test the Foundation Elements and calculate the “4 day dosage” of each supplement to replenish back to the optimal levels. Add the “4 day dosage” to the system. Divide this “4 day dosage” by 4 and use as the daily dosage for the next week.

After a week of adding the daily dosage, test the Foundation Elements and calculate the “adjusting dosage” of each supplement to replenish back to the optimal levels.

If the adjusting dosage is significantly different from the previous daily dosage amend
(increase/decrease) the daily dosage as appropriate.
If the measured level of a specific element is above the optimal level wait for the excess of the element to be depleted before restarting the daily supplementation with the amended daily dosage.

Continue testing all of the elements every week and make adjustments to the daily dosages as required. 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 log book 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.

Instructions for Foundation™ ABC+

Red Sea’s Foundation™ ABC+ is a uniquely formulated powder supplement containing all of the elements of Foundation™ Calcium+, KH/Alkalinity & Magnesium, plus Red Sea’s Trace-Colors™ Iodine+ & Potassium+ (Potassium, Boron, Iodine & Bromine) formulated in the exact ratio as found in the coral skeleton. Although there are slight differences between the coral species, the mean ratio between these elements is fairly constant. Supplementing all of these elements in a fixed ratio according to the uptake of calcium will ensure an accurate replenishment based on the metabolic demands of the corals.

Foundation™ ABC+ should be dosed on a daily basis according to a measured uptake of calcium.

Over time an imbalance may occur between the foundation elements. If dosing daily, test all of the Foundation Elements weekly and make adjustments with the individual Calcium+, KH/Alkalinity & Magnesium supplements.

Note: Only supplement the elements included in Trace-Colors™ Iodine+ & Potassium+ according to measured uptake of Iodine and Potassium.

Foundation™ ABC+ should be added directly to the sump and not dissolved in top-up water.
Do not use Foundation™ ABC+ to make periodic adjustments to the calcium level.
Do not add more than 60g of Foundation™ ABC+ at one time to any system irrespective of size. Larger doses can be added in 10 minute intervals between spoons to allow the powder to dissolve without causing precipitation.

Making stock solutions from Foundation™ Calcium+, KH/Alkalinity & Magnesium powder supplements

To produce stock solutions, dissolve the powder in RO water as follows:

To produce stock solutions