Help! Did I just nuke my tank?!

JamieC · Mar 10, 2022

Ok...Every 3rd or 4th day I dose 4 drops of Lugol's Iodine to 70 gallons of water volume. My zoas have done way better since I started this routine. I have a test kit...which I'm about to use...but generally even with dosing, the Iodine level in the tank is undetectable.

Well...my dropper just malfunctioned and emptied half of the dropper tube into my tank. I'm guessing it was equivalent to 20-22 drops. The bulb portion of the dropper cracked and lost suction causing all of the contents to dump out.

I know Iodine can be lethal in high amounts. Should I do an emergency water change? I'm mixing now.

Did I just nuke my tank?

Spare time · Mar 10, 2022

I would a big water change. You should not be dosing lugol's for iodine. I'm tagging Randy as this is a question for him imo

@Randy Holmes-Farley Any clue if something bad could happen?

JamieC · Mar 10, 2022

Using my Salifert test kit. My Iodide level is .03....which is an acceptable range I think. The Iodate test isn't registering anything.

I'm going to test again in a little bit.

I have salt mixing. Gonna be a bit before its ready.

Spare time · Mar 10, 2022

JamieC said:
Using my Salifert test kit. My Iodide level is .03....which is an acceptable range I think. The Iodate test isn't registering anything.

I'm going to test again in a little bit.

I have salt mixing. Gonna be a bit before its ready.

Ok sounds good. It might be fine. I'm just worried about that specific form of iodine which is why I'm looking to have randy pitch in.

gbroadbridge · Mar 10, 2022

JamieC said:
Using my Salifert test kit. My Iodide level is .03....which is an acceptable range I think. The Iodate test isn't registering anything.

I'm going to test again in a little bit.

I have salt mixing. Gonna be a bit before its ready.

Water change can't hurt in the mean time.

Courtney Aldrich · Mar 10, 2022

I would add dechlorinator (sodium thiosulfate, maybe an equivalent number of drops) that will reduce the iodine (I2) to iodide (I-), which is less toxic and can be removed with activated carbon (ref: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.102...er used was,compounds such as hydrogen iodide.).

Harold999 · Mar 10, 2022

JamieC said:
Using my Salifert test kit. My Iodide level is .03....which is an acceptable range I think. The Iodate test isn't registering anything.

I'm going to test again in a little bit.

I have salt mixing. Gonna be a bit before its ready.

Salifert are normally good test kits, but the iodine one confused me. Even with heavy iodine supplemetation (in some test water) it did nothing. I won't trust it.

The Colombo testkit i now use looks better.

JamieC · Mar 10, 2022

I tested again and the second time realized that I read the test wrong the first time. You are supposed to look through the vial from the side to match color with the chart...not from the top. My Iodide level was actually .1ish. I just did a 25% water change....ughh.