There are countless products on the market that claim to improve colour, promote growth and coral health. Some may or may not have a distinct impact on our systems, but rarely make a profound difference. It is our philosophy to keep expensive additives to a minimum and stick to the essentials. Most of the colour in corals is going to come from sufficient nutrient levels, stable water chemistry and exposure to strong light. Micro and trace elements are important, but often can be replenished by regular water changes (with a good quality salt), Ca/Alk additives which contain trace, calcium reactor media, etc. For this reason, the only additives we use on a regular basis, outside of the ‘major three’ (Ca, Mg, carbonate), are: amino acids (Brightwell or Fauna Marin) Iodine (often removed via carbon) and ESV Bionic Nitrate to keep No3 in range. Addition of bacterial strains can be helpful when starting a new system, but nothing beats using healthy live rock from an established reef.