Signature Series™: Precision Dosing for Advanced Reefers

Introduction

Every bottle in the Reef Essential® Signature Series™ holds just two things: deionized water and one purified element.

That's the whole idea behind the line.

It's easy to read eleven bottles as an eleven-part routine, where every one gets dosed every day.

That isn't how the line is meant to work.

Our product pages describe each one as a way to correct a specific shortfall your water test has flagged, not as routine blanket dosing.

In this article, we break down what the eleven elements are, what each one does, why the line is built around ICP testing, and how to dose after an ICP test.

What Is Reef Essential® Signature Series™?

Signature Series is a line of eleven single-element supplements: boron, bromine, fluorine, iodine, iron, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, rubidium, strontium and vanadium.

The manufacturer's Aqua Care Guide™ describes it as the line for keepers who want to get the most out of their aquarium by dosing eleven specific elements with regular lab testing.

Because each bottle carries one element and nothing else, a dose moves one number and leaves the others alone.

The Guide files the line under Alternate Dosing Methods, its section on other ways to dose Step 3 – Aragonite Enhancers™ and Step 4 – Bioactive Color Elements™. None of the eleven is calcium, alkalinity or magnesium, so Signature Series doesn't supply those.

If you're still choosing between Quantum's lines, start with Which Quantum Saltwater Line Is Right for You? You can see all eleven products on our Signature Series collection page.

The 11 Signature Series™ Elements and What They Do

The Guide says each product is grouped by where its element sits on the periodic table, to keep the range simple to use.

Here's what the manufacturer says each group does.

Halogens: Iodine, Bromine and Fluorine

Iodine helps provide a natural sunblock against excess UV light and helps keep zooxanthellae from growing too dense. Invertebrates such as crustaceans also use it to build their exoskeletons.

Bromine and fluorine are both present in coral skeleton. They help improve calcification and produce strong aragonite instead of brittle calcite.

Each has a second job. Zooxanthellae need bromine to produce key enzymes. Fluorine helps reduce algae naturally and improves resistance to parasites.

Transition Metals: Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum and Vanadium

The manufacturer says iron, manganese and vanadium are each a key constituent in the formation of chlorophyll in zooxanthellae, the algae living in coral tissue. The manufacturer says this helps improve growth.

All four also aid the growth of macroalgae. That helps reduce unwanted nutrients naturally, while providing oxygen, removing carbon dioxide and improving pH stability.

Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals: Lithium, Rubidium and Strontium

Lithium and rubidium are both found in natural seawater. The manufacturer recommends supplementing them to keep your water as close to natural seawater as possible.

Strontium is present in coral skeleton and helps corals build strong aragonite. The manufacturer says it improves bone density, and coralline algae absorb it too.

Strontium is one of the minor elements, not a trace one. The Guide lists it with barium as a minor component of Step 3, and Aragonite A™ Calcium already carries it.

Metalloid: Boron

Boron is also present in coral skeleton, where it helps improve calcification and produce strong aragonite.

In Step 4, the Guide pairs boron with potassium in Bio-Kalium™.

Why You Dose Signature Series™ to an ICP Test Result

Some of these targets are tiny. On their Signature Series product pages, manganese (which the Guide counts among the trace elements) and vanadium each have a target of 0.001–0.002 ppm, and iron has 0.003–0.005 ppm.

The Guide pairs the line with regular lab testing, and our product pages name the test: ICP testing (inductively coupled plasma).

Our product pages say to dose by your ICP test result, not on a fixed schedule.

The goal isn't to dose all eleven.

The goal is to bring back the elements your test shows running low.

That's the real difference from the Step 4 blends. Bio-Gen™ supplies iodide, bromide and fluoride together, in proportion to the typical uptake ratio, so all three rise when you dose it.

Signature Series Iodine raises iodine and nothing else. For elements held at levels this small, that's trace element dosing one element at a time. For more on the blends, see Step 4 Explained: What Bioactive Color Elements™ Actually Do.

Signature Series™ Targets and Dose Rates

Each product page gives a target range and how much a set dose raises the element in 100 L (26 gal) of water:

• Boron: 4–5 ppm. 2 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.1 ppm.
• Bromine: 60–70 ppm. 2 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 1 ppm.
• Fluorine: 1.0–1.2 ppm. 0.4 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.02 ppm.
• Iodine: 0.03–0.09 ppm. 0.1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.01 ppm.
• Iron: 0.003–0.005 ppm. 0.05 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.0025 ppm.
• Lithium: 0.09–0.11 ppm. 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.01 ppm.
• Manganese: 0.001–0.002 ppm. 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.001 ppm.
• Molybdenum: 0.004–0.006 ppm. 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.001 ppm.
• Rubidium: 0.03–0.05 ppm. 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.01 ppm.
• Strontium: 7.0–9.0 ppm. 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.5 ppm.
• Vanadium: 0.001–0.002 ppm. 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.001 ppm.

Three of these differ from the targets the Guide gives for the blended products.

For Bio-Gen, the iodide target is 0.06–0.09 ppm. For Bio-Metals™, iron is 0.005–0.015 ppm. For Aragonite A, strontium is 6–10 ppm.

Work to the range on the product you're dosing.

How to Dose After an ICP Test

Once your results are back, the routine is short:

1. Compare each result with that element's target range in the list above.
2. Pick out only the elements that are running low. The rest don't need a Signature Series dose.
3. Work out the correction from the dose rate. The free Quantum Aqua dosing app helps calculate your dose from your results.
4. Spread the correction over at least a week. The manufacturer recommends this to improve consistency and reduce sudden change.
5. Keep testing. The Guide pairs this line with regular lab testing, so your next result shows where each element now sits.

Q Tip Break down doses of nutrient removers, major, minor and trace elements to help increase efficiency and decrease parameter swings.

The full routine for every step is in the free Aqua Care Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Signature Series™ in a Fish-Only Tank?

Yes. The manufacturer lists every Signature Series product as suitable for FOWLR (fish only with live rock), LPS, Mixed, NPS and SPS tanks.

Can I Use Signature Series™ With Easy Reefer®?

Yes. The Guide says every reef takes up elements a little differently, so Easy Reefer doses can need a top-up. It says Easy Reefer is compatible with Reef Essential and Signature Series supplements for that reason.

Do I Have to Use a Particular ICP Test?

No. Our product pages say Signature Series can be used after any ICP test you've bought, not just one testing service. The dosing app helps you turn the result into a dose.

How Is Signature Series™ Strontium Different From Aragonite A™ Calcium?

Aragonite A supplies calcium with strontium and barium, dosed at 0.5–1.0 mL/day per 100 L (26 gal) by stocking level. Signature Series Strontium is strontium on its own: 1 mL per 100 L (26 gal) raises it by 0.5 ppm, so you can correct strontium without moving calcium.