Aquaforest Components Strong ABCK — concentrated trace elements for the Balling method, in 4 × 75 ml and 4 × 250 ml

Components Strong is a set of four concentrated trace-element solutions, offered here in two sizes: 4 × 75 ml and 4 × 250 ml. The recipe is identical in both — only the autonomy changes.

This is not a product you dose into the tank. It goes into the Balling solutions you mix yourself from Aquaforest's dry salts. Aquaforest is explicit about this: Components Strong is used in parallel with Calcium, Magnesium, KH Buffer and Reef Mineral Salt, and it is the use of the full range that guarantees the tank's chemical balance.

The manufacturer also states that the four bottles are sold as a set and cannot be bought separately.

The four components and where each one goes

A Strong — concentrated strontium and barium. Aquaforest presents these as support for the skeletal structure of hard corals, helping them take up calcium. 5 ml per litre of ready calcium chloride solution (US: 19 ml per US gallon).
B Strong — concentrated heavy metals, needed for the proper biological processes of the tank's inhabitants. 5 ml per litre of ready calcium chloride solution (US: 19 ml per US gallon).
C Strong — concentrated iodide and fluoride, which act on calcification and on the intensity of coral colouration. 5 ml per litre of ready sodium bicarbonate solution (US: 19 ml per US gallon).
K Strong — concentrated potassium, essential to the metabolic processes of corals. 5 ml per litre of ready magnesium chloride and mineral salt solution (US: 19 ml per US gallon).

In every case, Aquaforest notes that the amount of trace elements to supply depends on your own tank's demand for magnesium and calcium — your consumption drives it, not a fixed schedule.

Which size to take

The ratio is the same in both sizes: 5 ml per litre of prepared solution. So a 75 ml bottle covers 15 litres of Balling solution, and a 250 ml bottle covers 50 litres — a little over three times more.

4 × 75 ml — to get started, or to measure your real consumption before committing.
4 × 250 ml — for a mature SPS tank, heavy consumption, or several tanks at once.

That coverage figure is our own arithmetic from the official ratio. Aquaforest publishes no service life per bottle — it depends entirely on how much solution you prepare.

What you need alongside it

Components Strong does not work alone — the manufacturer says so itself. You need the Balling salts to pour it into:

Aquaforest Calcium — the solution that receives A Strong and B Strong.
Aquaforest KH Buffer — the bicarbonate solution that receives C Strong.
Aquaforest Reef Mineral Salt — with Magnesium, the solution that receives K Strong.

Would rather not mix your own solutions? Component 1+2+3+ is the ready-to-dose liquid alternative, already enriched with trace elements — in which case you do not need Components Strong at all.

What Aquaforest does not publish

Aquaforest does not publish the detailed list of metals in B Strong, nor the exact concentration of each element. The official page says “concentrated heavy metals” and stops there. If you see a detailed breakdown elsewhere, it did not come from the manufacturer. Write to us if you need the safety data sheet (SDS) for a specific element — we will get it from Aquaforest rather than invent a number.

Why buy it from ReefSolution

In business since 1999, over 118,000 orders processed since 2010.
We stock the whole Aquaforest Balling chain — Calcium, KH Buffer, Magnesium, Reef Mineral Salt and the Components. You can build your complete system in one order, without mixing brands.
Shipping across Canada. Free shipping available depending on order total. Store in Laval if you would rather have us walk you through the setup in person.

Frequently asked questions

My order froze in transit. Can I still use it?

Yes. Aquaforest answers that using a Components Strong that has frozen is generally safe. Freezing may cause slight precipitation or cloudiness in the solution, but this is not harmful. The product stays usable, though the concentration of certain elements may be marginally reduced. Shake well before use and keep an eye on your parameters. Worth knowing in a Canadian January.

Can Components Strong be dosed straight into the aquarium?

No. Its concentration is calibrated for dilution into prepared Balling solutions, not for direct dosing. Aquaforest gives its ratios only per litre of ready solution — never per litre of aquarium water.

Can I buy just the A or just the K?

No. Aquaforest states that Components Strong is sold as a set and that the components cannot be purchased separately.

How is this different from Component 1+2+3+?

Component 1+2+3+ is a set of ready-to-dose liquid solutions (Ca, KH, Mg) already enriched with trace elements. Components Strong contains only the trace elements: it is added to solutions you prepare yourself from dry salts. Two routes to the same result — the first for simplicity, the second for control and cost per litre.