Dosing Iodine and Strondium for clam?

rowenaad

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Hi, I have got a small clam last Tuesday and read it requires Iodine and Strondium, so I bought Salifert test kits. The kits arrived today and test result comes back at 0 for both. And my calcium level has dropped dramatically from 440 to 400 since last Friday (i dose calcium chloride daily and calcium has been consistent at ~440 before the clam arrived). I'm using Red Sea Coral Pro salt and the myBatch result doesnt have a iodine figure and no where on their website has they mentioned iodine concentration........should I treat my salt as iodine free?

At this point, should I start dosing the two? Any clam keepers notice a decline in iodine and strondium?
 

jordan10

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Hi, I have got a small clam last Tuesday and read it requires Iodine and Strondium, so I bought Salifert test kits. The kits arrived today and test result comes back at 0 for both. And my calcium level has dropped dramatically from 440 to 400 since last Friday (i dose calcium chloride daily and calcium has been consistent at ~440 before the clam arrived). I'm using Red Sea Coral Pro salt and the myBatch result doesnt have a iodine figure and no where on their website has they mentioned iodine concentration........should I treat my salt as iodine free?

At this point, should I start dosing the two? Any clam keepers notice a decline in iodine and strondium?
I have never tested them but I dose 4 drops of iodine once a week everything I think benefits from that. Strondium never tested or worried about. And I have had my big clam I have had probably 3 years or longer. And I picked up a maxi couple months ago. I got pics in my build thread. I manly worry bout alk and cal. But I am no expert.
 
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rowenaad

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I have never tested them but I dose 4 drops of iodine once a week everything I think benefits from that. Strondium never tested or worried about. And I have had my big clam I have had probably 3 years or longer. And I picked up a maxi couple months ago. I got pics in my build thread. I manly worry bout alk and cal. But I am no expert.
may i ask which product are you using for iodine?
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I do not think there's any evidence that clams need iodine or strontium, but it's a fine experiment to dose them to NSW levels.

It's unlikely you have 0 strontium. Try the kit on some new salt water.

ALL salt mixes contain iodine, but algae can deplete it fairly fast. I'd get a kit before dosing anything but very small doses that may not be useful anyway.
 
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rowenaad

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I do not think there's any evidence that clams need iodine or strontium, but it's a fine experiment to dose them to NSW levels.

It's unlikely you have 0 strontium. Try the kit on some new salt water.

ALL salt mixes contain iodine, but algae can deplete it fairly fast. I'd get a kit before dosing anything but very small doses that may not be useful anyway.
Thanks I'll try them out on fresh fix. I do have some nuisance algae and macroalgae that might be why iodine got wiped out, but im also very surprised strontium tested 0. the test is quite complicated, so I might have just messed it up lolll
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I thought dosing iodine was a waste, that it had to be iodide?

I presume he means dosing iodide.

Iodine is an ambiguous term. It correctly describes the atom I in all forms: molecular iodine (I2), iodide (I-), iodate (IO3-), Lugols (mix of I2 and I-) etc.

It isn't worthless to dose I2, but it is much more complicated than many folks recognize since it is dosing a reactive and largely unnatural form. It will become iodide and iodate eventually, but along the way has other effects, including potentially impacting trace element bioavailability by oxidizing some of them.
 

BanjoBandito

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I presume he means dosing iodide.

Iodine is an ambiguous term. It correctly describes the atom I in all forms: molecular iodine (I2), iodide (I-), iodate (IO3-), Lugols (mix of I2 and I-) etc.

It isn't worthless to dose I2, but it is much more complicated than many folks recognize since it is dosing a reactive and largely unnatural form. It will become iodide and iodate eventually, but along the way has other effects, including potentially impacting trace element bioavailability by oxidizing some of them.
shooting star GIF


MY MAN. Thank you as always for the info Randy! Learn something everyday.
 
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rowenaad

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yea i used iodine as a general term, but when it comes to a specific form for dosing that would be iodide
 

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