Dosing iodine

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Can anybody help me in determining the formula of how much Iodide I would dose to raise my Iodine levels within my system? I have 450 gallons of water and below is the most recent results from an API water test I had done. The first column is my present Iodine levels, the 2nd column is their recommended target level and the last is what's recommended to get to the recommended level.

Iodine

13.83 µg/l

65.17 µg/l

-51.33 µg/l

I have Seachems Reef Iodide and this was off the directions;
Add 1 mL for each 80 L (20 US gallons) daily to raise iodide by 0.10 mg/L

My best guess from looking online as to the symbol that they are using is micro gram per liter and even if that's right I wont do well in trying to figure out conversions/dosing etc- more than likely I will screw something up if not the entire tank.

Any help would be greatly appreciated-!!!!

Thanks

If you are at 0.014 ppm (14 ug/L) and want to raise it to 0.06 ppm (60 ug/L), you would need to add 0.046 ppm.

Thus, if the above sentence about the seachem product is correct (I did not verify it), you would add ~0.5 mL per 20 gallons.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I’d recommend experimenting with an iodide supplement, rather than Lugols.

Randy, I’m in a pinch. My corals have looked terrible for the last 2-3 weeks and I couldn’t figure it out, so I did an ATI test and my iodine was just about 0… two weeks ago.
Anyway I ordered some Red Sea iodine it will be here in two days. I’m going to do a 20% wc with Red Sea coral salt. But I’m hoping there may be something I could pick up at a local store to get me by? I’m feeding my holy grail torch is going to die off any day now.
Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, I’m in a pinch. My corals have looked terrible for the last 2-3 weeks and I couldn’t figure it out, so I did an ATI test and my iodine was just about 0… two weeks ago.
Anyway I ordered some Red Sea iodine it will be here in two days. I’m going to do a 20% wc with Red Sea coral salt. But I’m hoping there may be something I could pick up at a local store to get me by? I’m feeding my holy grail torch is going to die off any day now.
Thanks!

I would not assume iodine is the problem. Some people dose Lugols solution that you can get from many pharmacies, but if you have iodide coming in 2 days, I’d wait.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

I would not assume iodine is the problem. Some people dose Lugols solution that you can get from many pharmacies, but if you have iodide coming in 2 days, I’d wait.

There was nothing else out of spec on the Icp. And I was using a ton of activated carbon a few weeks ago.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There was nothing else out of spec on the Icp. And I was using a ton of activated carbon a few weeks ago.

ICP does not always tell why corals are suffering. Disease, flow, lighting, etc.

Buy in any case, let us know what happens.

 

[areefer01]

ICP does not always tell why corals are suffering. Disease, flow, lighting, etc.

No, they don't. But yet it seems more and more hobbyist take their results as gospel.

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

ICP does not always tell why corals are suffering. Disease, flow, lighting, etc.

Buy in any case, let us know what happens.

So I dosed the iodine and it’s been about 6 days and although some corals are looking better, I don’t believe that’s what is doing it. You may remember my thread I had while dealing with Dino’s. Long story short I was using large amount of GAC ,MB7 and UV sterilizer. When the issues went away the tank flourished for about two week and than it all went south and I started having issues with everything including lps, which hadn’t been an issue before. So I’m thinking maybe this is a microbial thing now since the Icp seemed to look well other than iodine. I started up my mb7 dosing and It’s been 2 days but things are starting to seem better.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So I dosed the iodine and it’s been about 6 days and although some corals are looking better, I don’t believe that’s what is doing it. You may remember my thread I had while dealing with Dino’s. Long story short I was using large amount of GAC ,MB7 and UV sterilizer. When the issues went away the tank flourished for about two week and than it all went south and I started having issues with everything including lps, which hadn’t been an issue before. So I’m thinking maybe this is a microbial thing now since the Icp seemed to look well other than iodine. I started up my mb7 dosing and It’s been 2 days but things are starting to seem better.

OK, keep us updated!

 

[Edgecrusher28]

OK, keep us updated!

Reviving this thread a bit with a fresh question. Regarding soft corals specifically, I was reading through some posts and found an article that mentioned iodine played a role in the ability to create UV protection for (soft/zoa) corals. Apparently Stoney type corals have the ability to absorb some levels of radiation through their calcium carbonate skeleton structures whereas this ability is obviously no available to soft corals. This had me wondering why some of my soft zoa corals looked like absolute death and appeared to be withering away, all while LPS and SPS corals showed no signs of distress.

I sent in my third ICP test for extra confirmation, and the only issue between my RODI water and tank water was slightly low manganese and undetectable levels of iodine. This struck me as odd given I had been dosing iodine lightly over the course of these issues. I am using Lugols which I've seen you say is not the ideal source of iodine; however. It appears through skimming, corals, and an turf scrubber I have a fair amount of iodine consumption which I'm desperately hoping is the missing link with the zoa issues I am having. your thoughts on the role of iodine and soft coral uv protection?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Reviving this thread a bit with a fresh question. Regarding soft corals specifically, I was reading through some posts and found an article that mentioned iodine played a role in the ability to create UV protection for (soft/zoa) corals. Apparently Stoney type corals have the ability to absorb some levels of radiation through their calcium carbonate skeleton structures whereas this ability is obviously no available to soft corals. This had me wondering why some of my soft zoa corals looked like absolute death and appeared to be withering away, all while LPS and SPS corals showed no signs of distress.

I sent in my third ICP test for extra confirmation, and the only issue between my RODI water and tank water was slightly low manganese and undetectable levels of iodine. This struck me as odd given I had been dosing iodine lightly over the course of these issues. I am using Lugols which I've seen you say is not the ideal source of iodine; however. It appears through skimming, corals, and an turf scrubber I have a fair amount of iodine consumption which I'm desperately hoping is the missing link with the zoa issues I am having. your thoughts on the role of iodine and soft coral uv protection?

I have not seen any scientific papers that demonstrate, or even even speculate that soft corals use iodine for the purpose you state, but I may have missed it and would love to see it. Most of what I have seen in this regard is hobbyist speculation that never cites any evidence.

 

[LosReef]

I'm a believer in dosing all trace elements. I use lugols for dip and dose iodine from the Red Sea Trace Elements. I think it's more for coloration than protection.

 

[Edgecrusher28]

I have not seen any scientific papers that demonstrate, or even even speculate that soft corals use iodine for the purpose you state, but I may have missed it and would love to see it. Most of what I have seen in this regard is hobbyist speculation that never cites any evidence.

This is by no means a scholarly article, but the author appears to have some reasonably founded experience in the matter. I'm about 99% sure this was the original article that I had come across that got me thinking and figured I would toss it out for evaluation. Within three to four days after adding the recommended dosage of iodine as given by the ATI/ICP results. I am seeing tangible results in zoa coloration along with trouble colonies opening back up again when all other parameters and lighting remains the same from the time the trouble began up until today.

"Iodine is a critical element for cellular function and the transfer of nutrients within cells. Larger organisms require Iodine for proper thyroid function, production of hormones, and regulating metabolism. Iodine is utilized by corals for the synthesis of pigments, which allow them to adapt to varying light conditions and provide their tissue with protection from UV radiation. Invertebrates with exoskeletons (primarily shrimp and crabs in the aquarium) incorporate iodine in to exoskeletons and require iodine for molting and forming new exoskeletons as they grow" (Acland, 2011).


Acland, D. (2011, May 17). Understanding the role of iodine in a reef aquarium. That Fish Blog. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatf...the-role-of-iodine-in-a-reef-aq/#.Y4ToAnbMK00

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is by no means a scholarly article, but the author appears to have some reasonably founded experience in the matter. I'm about 99% sure this was the original article that I had come across that got me thinking and figured I would toss it out for evaluation. Within three to four days after adding the recommended dosage of iodine as given by the ATI/ICP results. I am seeing tangible results in zoa coloration along with trouble colonies opening back up again when all other parameters and lighting remains the same from the time the trouble began up until today.

"Iodine is a critical element for cellular function and the transfer of nutrients within cells. Larger organisms require Iodine for proper thyroid function, production of hormones, and regulating metabolism. Iodine is utilized by corals for the synthesis of pigments, which allow them to adapt to varying light conditions and provide their tissue with protection from UV radiation. Invertebrates with exoskeletons (primarily shrimp and crabs in the aquarium) incorporate iodine in to exoskeletons and require iodine for molting and forming new exoskeletons as they grow" (Acland, 2011).


Acland, D. (2011, May 17). Understanding the role of iodine in a reef aquarium. That Fish Blog. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatf...the-role-of-iodine-in-a-reef-aq/#.Y4ToAnbMK00

IMO, it is just repeating hobby mythology, right or wrong, and at least some is, IMO, wrong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It's curious that reefers "know" this to be true:

"Iodine is utilized by corals for the synthesis of pigments,"

when searching on the terms

"iodine used to synthesize pigments in corals"

Does not turn up a single mention of this in he first two pages of hits on google scholar.

I'm just not a believer that hobby lore knows more about such mechanistic details of biochemistry than does the scientific community.

 

[Edgecrusher28]

It's curious that reefers "know" this to be true:

"Iodine is utilized by corals for the synthesis of pigments,"

when searching on the terms

"iodine used to synthesize pigments in corals"

Does not turn up a single mention of this in he first two pages of hits on google scholar.

I'm just not a believer that hobby lore knows more about such mechanistic details of biochemistry than does the scientific community.

That is a fair point, but I am no where near well versed enough to support or refute either side of the table here. All I know is, I have had an ongoing issue with around 6 different types of zoa's that were closing up super tight and receding despite my exhaustive efforts. I was beating my head against the wall trying to figure out what I was doing wrong after months of testing, and re-testing, all of which basically showed no underlying issues in the water parameters. In fact, I had no issues with any other LPS and SPS corals in the tank; all of which were flourishing. I then finally gave up and purchased a PAR meter assuming this had to be the issue, but PAR levels were all very reasonable around 150-210 on the ZOAS and 250-310 on the SPS.

At this point, I came to the conclusion that one of my test kits had to be faulty and one of my major water parameters was way off causing the issues; so I sent in an ICP test. As previously stated, the ICP test results matched the parameters I had logged via my home tests with the exception of slightly low Manganese and undetectable Iodine. I dosed .5ml of iodine over three days as recommended and have seen the troubled zoa colonies begin to show immediate improvement. Either this was the most ridiculous coincidental timing or there is some merit to the requirement of iodine for soft corals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That is a fair point, but I am no where near well versed enough to support or refute either side of the table here. All I know is, I have had an ongoing issue with around 6 different types of zoa's that were closing up super tight and receding despite my exhaustive efforts. I was beating my head against the wall trying to figure out what I was doing wrong after months of testing, and re-testing, all of which basically showed no underlying issues in the water parameters. In fact, I had no issues with any other LPS and SPS corals in the tank; all of which were flourishing. I then finally gave up and purchased a PAR meter assuming this had to be the issue, but PAR levels were all very reasonable around 150-210 on the ZOAS and 250-310 on the SPS.

At this point, I came to the conclusion that one of my test kits had to be faulty and one of my major water parameters was way off causing the issues; so I sent in an ICP test. As previously stated, the ICP test results matched the parameters I had logged via my home tests with the exception of slightly low Manganese and undetectable Iodine. I dosed .5ml of iodine over three days as recommended and have seen the troubled zoa colonies begin to show immediate improvement. Either this was the most ridiculous coincidental timing or there is some merit to the requirement of iodine for soft corals.

It certainly may be the case that iodine had a useful effect for you. The effect may be direct (as you and the hobby lore suggest) or indirect (impacting other trace elements or factors chemically or biologically). I do think there's a lot of anecdotal info from hobbyists to suggest it helps zooanthids, at least in some situations, whether that is from them using it, or from an indirect mechanism (say, boosting other organisms, to do something the zooanthids benefit from).

What I do not have reason to believe is the sort of info in the old pet store blog you posted that states mechanistic claims as if they were accepted fact without evidence (and that evidence has still not arisen in the 11 years since that blog was posted).

That all said, I certainly cannot find fault with the idea of providing natural levels of iodine or any element unless and until there is evidence that something else might be even better. I generally advise folks to approach iodine dosing as an experiment in their system, as opposed to an established fact that it must be maintained at some particular level (and chemical form).

 

[Edgecrusher28]

It certainly may be the case that iodine had a useful effect for you. The effect may be direct (as you and the hobby lore suggest) or indirect (impacting other trace elements or factors chemically or biologically). I do think there's a lot of anecdotal info from hobbyists to suggest it helps zooanthids, at least in some situations, whether that is from them using it, or from an indirect mechanism (say, boosting other organisms, to do something the zooanthids benefit from).

What I do not have reason to believe is the sort of info in the old pet store blog you posted that states mechanistic claims as if they were accepted fact without evidence (and that evidence has still not arisen in the 11 years since that blog was posted).

That all said, I certainly cannot find fault with the idea of providing natural levels of iodine or any element unless and until there is evidence that something else might be even better. I generally advise folks to approach iodine dosing as an experiment in their system, as opposed to an established fact that it must be maintained at some particular level (and chemical form).

What do you believe is taking place in the indirect sense in the cases where iodine dosage seems to help suffering soft corals, such as what I have been experiencing? Its an intriguing thought for sure that iodine may just be working in a complementary sense.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What do you believe is taking place in the indirect sense in the cases where iodine dosage seems to help suffering soft corals, such as what I have been experiencing? It’s an intriguing thought for sure that iodine may just be working in a complementary sense.

I don’t know all of the answers, but folks dosing iodine as Lugols are potentially impacting the bioavailability of many trace elements (such as iron) that can react with it and change oxidation state. Even iodide may have such impacts since it is redox active.

The indirect biological impacts are potentially complicated, but the effects of iodine on algae and microbes is relatively unclear. I tested iodide growth effects on chaeto and caulerpa racemosa and did not see a statistically significant effect.

This call for new research reiterates these points:

The Marine Iodine Cycle, Past, Present and Future

The marine iodine cycle has remained enigmatic despite decades of research. As a redox active element that is accumulated by many marine organisms, it exists in multiple oxidation states and phases in the oceans. Abiotic, photochemical and biological processes occurring at the ocean surface, at...

www.frontiersin.org

from it:

The Research Topic will span a wide range of fields, including but not necessarily limited to marine biogeochemistry, air-sea interactions, paleo-oceanography, algal and microbial biochemistry, environmental chemistry, and analytical chemistry. It will address controls on iodine speciation and rates of transformations in the oceans past and present, and predictions of how these may change in the future. Modeling, experimental and field studies will all be considered. Potential subjects could for example include oceanic lifetimes of iodine species, microbiological transformations including the role of nitrifying bacteria, iodine in marine aerosols, use of iodine as a tracer, ocean modeling, and new analytical techniques.