anyone ever use trace blocks?

[sirfishmaster]

i saw these so called trace blocks in the store, they carry 71 different minerals and such....says one cube per month up too 100 gallons and as small as 20 gallons....it releases slowly into the tank and says its benificiall to reef tanks...anyone use these? i have seen all these different additives to add to the tank, and thought to start out would be a good thing....i have no corals or sps or anything yet, but also said will help promote good coraline growth to.....any opinions?


thanks

[BillyZ]

IMO I would be very leary of something like this. you only need a constant addition of minirals if you've measured a contant decline in those same minerals in your reef. That rate is different for every tank and so I would find it hard to believe something like this could be used without elevating the levels of those minerals TOO high. But thats just a first thought. I've never seen these and this is the first i've heard about them so I could be wrong. Do you have a link for the manufacturer of them or any additional information?

In regards to your individual tank, sirfishmaster, general rule for any additive, is don't add anything you don't test for. And don't presume you need anything without proving you need it by testing. To much of some minerals/elements is worse than not having enough as many become toxic at too high of a concentration. If you currently have no corals then you likely don't need to add anything that isn't replaced by a normal water change. But again, the only way to confirm that assumption is by testing.

I'm really interested in some more info on those trace blocks.

[sirfishmaster]

they are called Marine balance blocks by HBH

HBH Balance Blocks

there really is no info i could find other than the description which is

Balance Blocks and Bricks stabilize pH at 8.2 - 8.3. They slowly dissolve to meet the demands of your water's chemistry to maintain stable conditions. Tests show improved development, health, and vitality of marine organisms when using Balance Blocks and Bricks.

let me know if you find anything

doug

[xxmoorishmanxx]

ive seen and used these before with carying results, havent used one in over a year, i stopped because i fingd better results with frequesnt water changes. Also i was a little concerened with to many minerals being released at one time.
an
anyway i think that they use something like plaster of paris to slow release these minerals into the t

[xxmoorishmanxx]

sorry for my bad typing

varrying result*
Find*
tank*

[Kiko]

The owner of my LFS recommended that I use these Balance Blocks. They advertise that they keep ph stable as well as add trace mimerals. Upon his recommendation, I have been using them in my 55 for about a month now.

[Kiko]

This is what Balance blocks advertise to do:

"Balance Blocks and Bricks stabilize pH at 8.2 - 8.3. They slowly dissolve to meet the demands of your water's chemistry to maintain stable conditions. Tests show improved development, health, and vitality of marine organisms when using Balance Blocks and Bricks."

[BillyZ]

Have you been testing your pH regularly since you've started using them? I would highly suggest daily testing when using something that is in the tank 24 hours a day, until you're 100% confident that it's doing as claimed without doing anything else. And it says right in the blurb you quoted that it does more than just the pH. Does it give anything more specific about which trace elements it adds? The basic rule on adding anything to your tank is Don't add anything you're not testing for. If you don't know what these are adding then you really don't know what to test for.

I just really don't see the need for a disovling pH block though. IMO, something that constantly adjusts pH is really treating a symptom rather than solving a problem. Your tank should easily maintain it's own pH without a lot of variation. If it's not, then there is a cause that you should be addressing rather than simply adjusting the pH on a daily basis (as these blocks do).

JMO

[sirfishmaster]

well these blocks disolve supposedly over a 30 day period, yes it does list out exactly 71 different things it adds in the tank, no it does not give an amount though...says it mimics the natural concentration of the ocean, i have not tried this and understand the importance of testing before adding, just thought it was a good concept and looking for experience with these



doug