Icp preferred vendors?

[JVU]

To give a concrete example of why I think it is useful in some cases. About 3 months ago I started using Isol8:MT to supplement minor and trace elements. I was having some SPS not doing well. I sent off an ICP test to see how things were going with the new supplement. To my surprise, iodine was crazy high (544 ug/l vs 30-90 target), molybdenum was upper target range, and everything else supposed to be supplemented by it was zero. These are actionable findings that I can’t get without sending an ICP test, and I don’t care if they are off by 20% or whatever.

 

[derek_SR]

To give a concrete example of why I think it is useful in some cases. About 3 months ago I started using Isol8:MT to supplement minor and trace elements. I was having some SPS not doing well. I sent off an ICP test to see how things were going with the new supplement. To my surprise, iodine was crazy high (544 ug/l vs 30-90 target), molybdenum was upper target range, and everything else supposed to be supplemented by it was zero. These are actionable findings that I can’t get without sending an ICP test, and I don’t care if they are off by 20% or whatever.

I have also been dosing Isol8:MT and recently returned a very high Iodine result. Although I have been dosing that product for quite a long time, I recently increased the amount. The other traces are all perfectly normal. I wonder if the iodide level varies by batch?

What's your plan of action? I'm going to decrease the dosing and I guess feed a little less nori and wait for water changes to work their magic. Have you noticed an improvement in your SPS since dosing Isol8?

 

[JVU]

I have also been dosing Isol8:MT and recently returned a very high Iodine result. Although I have been dosing that product for quite a long time, I recently increased the amount. The other traces are all perfectly normal. I wonder if the iodide level varies by batch?

What's your plan of action? I'm going to decrease the dosing and I guess feed a little less nori and wait for water changes to work their magic. Have you noticed an improvement in your SPS since dosing Isol8?

I asked Chris Wood from Captiv8 for advice, and he was great about giving very detailed advice in a very timely manner. He also ran my Triton numbers through his spreadsheet calculator, which is pretty cool.

He recommended to stop dosing Isol8:MT until the iodine level gets back to within 20% of normal, then restart at 1 drop per 100g (I was doing 1 drop per 12.5g) while working out a new approach. He also mentioned he has 2 other products as an alternative- combined Triad and Hexad will give you everything in MT without the iodine, which could then be dosed separately.

I haven’t decided what my new approach will be. I’m pretty disappointed that MT overdosed (for my system) iodine while underdosing almost everything else. Also in the course of discussion with him and reading more about it, it became clear that his MT formulation is for elements needed for photosynthesis specifically, not overall coral coloration/polyp extension/etc. So there are some minor and trace elements it doesn’t contain at all that other options do. And to answer your question- I’m not really happy with my SPS health, coloration, and PE since using it.

Sorry for the thread sidetrack.

 

[Darkxerox]

I asked Chris Wood from Captiv8 for advice, and he was great about giving very detailed advice in a very timely manner. He also ran my Triton numbers through his spreadsheet calculator, which is pretty cool.

He recommended to stop dosing Isol8:MT until the iodine level gets back to within 20% of normal, then restart at 1 drop per 100g (I was doing 1 drop per 12.5g) while working out a new approach. He also mentioned he has 2 other products as an alternative- combined Triad and Hexad will give you everything in MT without the iodine, which could then be dosed separately.

I haven’t decided what my new approach will be. I’m pretty disappointed that MT overdosed (for my system) iodine while underdosing almost everything else. Also in the course of discussion with him and reading more about it, it became clear that his MT formulation is for elements needed for photosynthesis specifically, not overall coral coloration/polyp extension/etc. So there are some minor and trace elements it doesn’t contain at all that other options do. And to answer your question- I’m not really happy with my SPS health, coloration, and PE since using it.

Sorry for the thread sidetrack.

What's in your tank now (might be time for a Tank Journal update ) ? I wonder if his formulations are catered towards less soft coral/gorgonian based vs. more SPS dominated systems and my old but likely not accurate knowledge was that those soft corals needed more iodine.

 

[Alexander1312]

The high iodine issues with IsolMT are a known issue many seem to have if they do not have a strong macroalgae refugium or a maxed-out coral stocked tank. In his recent interviews, Chris recommends going with a quarter or half the dose max; I'm not sure why he has not yet changed his labeled dosing recommendations. Also, it does not, e.g., contain Fluoride and Strontium.

Still, it is an inexpensive and straightforward way of getting essential elements into the tank, if used significantly lower than what the instructions say.

 

[JVU]

The high iodine issues with IsolMT are a known issue many seem to have if they do not have a strong macroalgae refugium or a maxed-out coral stocked tank. In his recent interviews, Chris recommends going with a quarter or half the dose max; I'm not sure why he has not yet changed his labeled dosing recommendations. Also, it does not, e.g., contain Fluoride and Strontium.

Still, it is an inexpensive and straightforward way of getting essential elements into the tank, if used significantly lower than what the instructions say.

The problem is that it’s a very large amount of iodine and not enough of all the other elements (except molybdenum). So using less would be even worse for all the other elements. Also I have a large macro refugium so I don’t buy that part either. When I used Triton Core7 it was pretty much on target for everything, and that was over a wide range of types of coral and stocking levels, so it’s not that it’s impossible to do well.

 

[Alexander1312]

The problem is that it’s a very large amount of iodine and not enough of all the other elements (except molybdenum). So using less would be even worse for all the other elements. Also I have a large macro refugium so I don’t buy that part either. When I used Triton Core7 it was pretty much on target for everything, and that was over a wide range of types of coral and stocking levels, so it’s not that it’s impossible to do well.

Hm, I am not sure why it would be even worse for the other elements since dosing them at lower amounts should not be an issue, but interesting that you had this issue with a large refugium.

Is Triton 7 not a four-part system which cost 160 USD vs the 12.99 Chris charges for his 60 ml ISOLMT?

Kenny seemed to have good success with using this and Jim/Telegraham puts this in his master solution as a base and adds on the individual trace elements. This is an inexpensive way to add traces but more calculation is required.

As most all-in-ones, the compromises do not work for everyone, which is why I switched to balling light + Chris woods custom solution following monthly ICP.

 

[Slingfox]

@JVU @Alexander1312 I mixed up a low iodine version of Iso8-MT according to this recipe: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/isol8-mt-custom-mix-kalkwasser.1037136/

The components aren't too expensive but add in shipping and the cost adds up.

I dilute the concentrated mix in RODI and dose via an auto doser. I have only been using for two weeks and am still waiting for ICP test results.

I have what is likely several years supply of the concentrated mix on hand so if you guys want some I will sell you a 60ml dropper bottle for $10 if you don't want to also make your own 5+ year supply!

For the missing elements I dose strontium via an autodoser and do drops of fluoride by hand. At some point I will likely also put flouride on an auto doser.