Major Element dosing when using Captiv8

[ReefHog]

@ScottF Are you still doing the Captiv8 program and hows it going? Last month I switched my minor and trace elements to Captiv8 supported with an icp test and recommendation email from Chris. I do icp every 60 days, so I'll see how things look in a few weeks. The "complete" supplements I was using for minor and trace elements were always leaving some high, some low and some in range.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@ScottF Are you still doing the Captiv8 program and hows it going? Last month I switched my minor and trace elements to Captiv8 supported with an icp test and recommendation email from Chris. I do icp every 60 days, so I'll see how things look in a few weeks. The "complete" supplements I was using for minor and trace elements were always leaving some high, some low and some in range.

Let us know if aggressive attention to more trace elements results in a visual improvement to the tank. :)

 

[ScottF]

@ScottF Are you still doing the Captiv8 program and hows it going? Last month I switched my minor and trace elements to Captiv8 supported with an icp test and recommendation email from Chris. I do icp every 60 days, so I'll see how things look in a few weeks. The "complete" supplements I was using for minor and trace elements were always leaving some high, some low and some in range.

I sure am. It's going well. It's super easy. Every month I send an email to Chris Wood with my latest ICP-MS results. He sends back a spreadsheet telling me what I need to dose "Immediately" to bring everything in line with recommendations and what I need to mix into my "Master Dosing Solution" to try to maintain those levels. It only requires a few days of effort every month.

The hardest part for me was figuring out what all I needed to purchase and in what sizes from Captiv8. They have the element pack which is ten 10ml bottles of ten different elements. It's a good place to start, but it doesn't have everything and I needed bigger bottles of several of the elements. I also don't like the little bottles in that pack. They require a lot of pressure to get a drop out and it's easy to squeeze too hard and spray a bunch of something when you are trying to get one drop. Like I said, it's a good starting point, but I prefer to use the 60ml bottles.

It's been a little chaotic the past couple of months though. I had an issue where Phosguard leached a bunch of aluminum into my water and I had to use Metasorb and large water changes to fix that issue. I also changed the lights in my fuge which resulted in a massive increase in chaeto growth.

The result of all of this is that I've been dosing a little Isol8-MT in addition to my master dosing solution while waiting for my next ICP-MS because I've thrown everything out-of-whack.

 

[ScottF]

Let us know if aggressive attention to more trace elements results in a visual improvement to the tank. :)

Full disclosure, I also started dosing kalkwasser around the same time that I started using the Captiv8 Reef Builder products.

Yes. There was a definite visual improvement. Better polyp extension, better coloration and better growth. The corals just looked healthier. The improved growth was probably mostly from the increased pH from the kalkwasser, but I do feel like the Captiv8 program is worth while and it's super easy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Full disclosure, I also started dosing kalkwasser around the same time that I started using the Captiv8 Reef Builder products.

Yes. There was a definite visual improvement. Better polyp extension, better coloration and better growth. The corals just looked healthier. The improved growth was probably mostly from the increased pH from the kalkwasser, but I do feel like the Captiv8 program is worth while and it's super easy.

What were you previously doing for trace elements, if anything?

 

[ScottF]

What were you previously doing for trace elements, if anything?

All for Reef, water changes and a little Brightwell ChaetoGro. Then I swapped out the ChaetoGro with Captiv8 Isol8-MT for a little bit before switching from AFR to kalkwasser and going full mad scientist on the trace elements.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All for Reef, water changes and a little Brightwell ChaetoGro. Then I swapped out the ChaetoGro with Captiv8 Isol8-MT for a little bit before switching from AFR to kalkwasser and going full mad scientist on the trace elements.

Ok, thanks. It’s always good to know what is being compared to what. :)

 

[ScottF]

Ok, thanks. It’s always good to know what is being compared to what. :)

Yeah... I have a bad habit of changing up a few things at once and then I have to make assumptions about what is making things better and what is making things worse.

In this case higher pH from kalkwasser and targeted levels of trace elements certainly made an all around improvement. I personally attribute the bigger, more immediately noticeable improvement to the kalkwasser and the better coloration over the long term to the trace elements.

 

[ReefHog]

Let us know if aggressive attention to more trace elements results in a visual improvement to the tank. :)

I will.

I sure am. It's going well

Good to hear.

The improved growth was probably mostly from the increased pH from the kalkwasser, but I do feel like the Captiv8 program is worth while and it's super easy.

It's been my experience that pH definitely has a positive affect of growth providing other parameters are in range.

 

[IPT]

Going to try some of this. I am doing regular water changes and dosing Tropic Marine A and K and still end up some some elements way low and a few too high. I don't know that I will chase perfection but I will use doing to at least get everything within an acceptable range and hopefully have a master dosing solution that keeps me reasonably close. My primary goal is better color. I have decent growth already. I also emailed Chris my ICP and got a got very detailed response complete with descriptions and the spreadsheet with recommendations and formulas. I was impressed with it all. I also find the supplements more economical that Reefmoonshiners.

It's been a while since the last post so I am posting to see is anyone else has comments or experiences to share.

 

[ScottF]

Going to try some of this. I am doing regular water changes and dosing Tropic Marine A and K and still end up some some elements way low and a few too high. I don't know that I will chase perfection but I will use doing to at least get everything within an acceptable range and hopefully have a master dosing solution that keeps me reasonably close. My primary goal is better color. I have decent growth already. I also emailed Chris my ICP and got a got very detailed response complete with descriptions and the spreadsheet with recommendations and formulas. I was impressed with it all. I also find the supplements more economical that Reefmoonshiners.

It's been a while since the last post so I am posting to see is anyone else has comments or experiences to share.

Chris is the best. Super nice guy. Always willing to answer chemistry questions.

 

[forestsofkelp]

I believe Chris will also mix a master solution for you..I was doing that for a little while

 

[ScottF]

I believe Chris will also mix a master solution for you..I was doing that for a little while

Yeah. There is an option for a custom solution in the store on the captiv8 site. I haven't done that though.