lugols and carbon

cyclops23 · Sep 26, 2006

i've been adding 1 drop of lugols to my tank once a week. i know this isn't near whats reccommended for my water capacity(around 85g), but i don't want to overdo it. especially since i use IO salt, which is high in iodine in the first place. is it true that carbon takes iodine out? i don't have a iodine test kit(heard they aren't very reliable), but i really don't want to overdose. maybe it's just me, but i swear everytime i add the lugols, the color on my zoa's and softies seems to intensify. should i keep adding the lugols? or am i setting myself up for disaster?

jessiesgrrl · Sep 26, 2006

Hmmm... My personal rule is that I don't add anything to my tank that I don't test for, even under recommended limits (This even without the salt).

Mainly I feel this way because the recommended doasages can't account for the rate at which my tank uses it up due to current inhabitant use?

So, if I don't have enough guys who use up iodine, even at low regular addition, I can build up a toxicity over time.

I hope that makes sense... I'd be afraid to tell you yay or nay not knowing what is living in your tank? Are your shrimp irritated and shedding often? However that only works with a good stable calcium level as a red flag, as low calciumlevels can keep them from shedding even when irritated.

Even a sorta unreliable test kit (And by unreliable I assume you mean +/- a bit of actual) will be able to show you ober the course of a week how fast your tank is actually using the iodine...

As for zoa/palys looking better, honestly I have no clue. Maybe some of the other guys here can take a guess?

JMHO

Laurie

cyclops23 · Sep 26, 2006

i think i'm imagining they look better, who knows? any way, i have 6 frags of zoa's(all around 8 polpys), thats about it. i'm going to stop dosing loguls so often. my peppermint seems to be doing ok. but i did lose some shrimp a couple weeks ago. i dont remember if they died when i started using it, but it was around the same time.

jessiesgrrl · Sep 26, 2006

I do like lugols for healing properties in general, and killing pests, but I don't use it as an additive very often. Only when my iodine dips- and that is once in a blue moon really.

Sorry to be the beaer of bad news if I was

Laurie

cyclops23 · Sep 27, 2006

you didn't bear any bad news, you told me what i needed to know. thanks!

Pufferpunk · Sep 27, 2006

If you're worried about what essencial elements carbon might remove, use Purigen. It's much better, is good for 3 months & rechargable after that.

geoxman · Sep 28, 2006

You need to get a test kit and see where your levels are and how much iodide they are using. I like the Seachem test kit and I have also used Salifert. I like to keep my levels at 0.08mg/l. My system requires 10ml about 3 times per week of the Seachem Reef Iodide to keep it at that level. I also have a very large amount of polyps and that is why I said to test and see what your system uses. Your system may not require near what mine does. JMHO and this works for me.

I also do not use carbon or purigen, I stopped using both well over a year ago and have not looked back! Good luck!

Pufferpunk · Sep 28, 2006

With the leathers & other creatures that may start chemical warfare in my tank, I'm not taking any chances!

geoxman · Sep 30, 2006

Not to put a downer on your theory/idea but I have a 9in 2 year old yellow Figi leather and I could care less if it ticked yellow spew into my tank.
I do not have any SPS and that would be the only chemical warfare I would be worried about with the leathers. As far as zoos go the color and health have been much better since I stopped using Purigen/carbon.
If you have SPS or LPS then you might consider using these products, but if you dont then you are wasting money that is better spent on frags. JMHO

I also have a different situation than most-I have no clear sides to my tank. So water clarity through the glass/acrylic is last on my list-which these products might help in the short run. BOL

geoxman · Sep 30, 2006

cyclops-PM me if your frags did not arrive?? RC is down.
PL

jessiesgrrl · Sep 30, 2006

Pufferpunk said:
With the leathers & other creatures that may start chemical warfare in my tank, I'm not taking any chances!

Hate to be the bearer of bad news here either, but if they are in the tank with other corals, they are already releasing into the water...

Laurie

Pufferpunk · Sep 30, 2006

Yes, I do have many LPS in my tank too.

cyclops23 · Oct 2, 2006

geoxman, the rock arrived yesterday. unfortunately, due to me needing new duct tape(some that's actually sticky) the bag fell in the tank and the zoo's got absolutely no acclimation. they have not opened yet, and in general do not look very happy. i think they will make it, though. zoo's are tough. awesome packing job, BTW!