ICP results - High Iodine

[Bent17]

Hi all - Just got back my ICP test and over all I am very happy. I noticed that my iodine is quite high.. I am using RedSea 4part.. Should I Break the ratio so I reduce the amount?

This is the ICP

https://lab.faunamarin.de/en/share/analysis/236340

 

[smitten with ocean life]

@Randy Holmes-Farley ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t think it’s high enough to be a concern. It can come from a number of sources, not just the Red Sea product, such as algae fed to tangs.

But in case it is still rising, I would reduce the additions.

 

[Bent17]

If there is anyone here with 4part experience any idea what can be done?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If there is anyone here with 4part experience any idea what can be done?

Switch to a different product, remove other sources, grow macroalgae (the main consumer of iodine in a reef tank) or use less or none of the iodine containing part of that system.

 

[obanarama]

If there is anyone here with 4part experience any idea what can be done?

I'm using Red Sea 4-part and having very high iodine numbers (just got my ICP test back today). 400.7 µg/L. Seems crazy high, right?

Note that we've also been having to dose a crazy high amount of Calcium/Mag (40ml/day) and Alk (80ml/day) to keep our parameters stable (yes, we had precipitation but believe we've got that resolved as of about a month ago) so I guess it might make sense that because of the ratio system in the ReefBeat app that we'd be dosing way too much iodine as well. However, in our ICP test potassium is 403.7 mg/l, which is also in part-3, and is right where it should be.

So I'm thinking I'll break the ratio and I'll turn off the part-3 head (iodine and potassium) dosing altogether for about a month, then send in another ICP test. Corals look good and happy - though this is a fairly new tank at nine months, and this is my first go-round with reefing. Unless any humans think I'm being dumb (likely!) and should add carbon or do something else more drastic?

Also, I'm not sure we're going to stay with this 4 part stuff. We'll see.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

one of the fundamental problems with fixed alk and trace element mixes is that they vary independently, leading to over or under doses. If you have significant calcium carbonate precipitation, which will not consume iodide, then dosing the whole mix will result in it being high.

In my case, where I use AFR but also have a big sink for trace elements that do not relate to alk demand (such as a lot of macroalgae), then some things get used faster than AFR will add them back, and I dose additional amounts of them (iron, manganese, and iodide, for example)