reef tanks and iodine

[Kiwi reefer]

Hi Everyone

I've just completed my first ICP test on my reef tank and its come back showing i have low Iodine in my tank

Finding Iodine supplments isnt hard what is hard is trying to find a way of knowing how much is in my tank

From the reasearch ive done the only real proven way to know how much iodine is in your tank is to do another ICP test, Cool but that can takes weeks to get done here in NZ

So my questions are:

Is there an auccrate, relaiable and repeatable test i can do for iodine?

What are the warning signs that ive used to much? as lets face it only bad things happen fast if reef tanks

 

[Kiwi reefer]

Just a few other things to add to help you guys give me auccrate advice

I'm looking at dosing Brightwells Iodine

Starting with a half dose as ive seen to many videos latly of people having tank crashs due to this additive

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not convinced iodine dosing is useful. I dosed it for years and then stopped and saw no apparent change. Many others have done this as well. Few organisms we keep have a demonstrated need for iodine in the scientific literature.

However, there are folks convinced it is useful, so I'd suggest dosing it as an experiment and see if it is useful, rather than something that must be done.

Iodide depletes rapidly (days), and having a test kit is likely the best way to gauge how long it takes to deplete. With an ICP test, you can certainly dose a first dose, but then the question is how frequently after that.

Dosing a NSW level once a week or less is likely OK, but again, a good kit would be better.

I discuss iodine in these articles:


Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iodine in Marine Aquaria: Part I ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iodine In Reef Tanks 2: Effects On Macroalgae Growth ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[SPS2020]

I am just beginning to dose Iodine (Red Sea) as it was very low in all of my ICP tests. Also, I am using the Red Sea Iodine Pro test kit. The color change was very apparent after dosing. I'm mainly dosing for the potential of increased red coloration in Acropora. Based upon Randy's response, it will be interesting to see if any positive change will be noticed.

 

[Duffer]

Randy,
Good advise. My last icp test shown low trace elements and iodine. I was not a believer in trace elements but after this test i started to manually dose both and i have to say my corals have never looked better and growth is amazing. I'm a firm believer in this now. Of course i have been in this for a month now and over the weekend i did another icp test to make sure of things

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am just beginning to dose Iodine (Red Sea) as it was very low in all of my ICP tests. Also, I am using the Red Sea Iodine Pro test kit. The color change was very apparent after dosing. I'm mainly dosing for the potential of increased red coloration in Acropora. Based upon Randy's response, it will be interesting to see if any positive change will be noticed.

Definitely report back if you see a clear color change in corals or anything else.

Very few people make only one change at a time and wait long enough to know if what they did actually was responsible for observed differences.

 

[SPS2020]

Definitely report back if you see a clear color change in corals or anything else.

Very few people make only one change at a time and wait long enough to know if what they did actually was responsible for observed differences.

Indeed...one change at at time requires utmost patience.

 

[JNalley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I was under the impression that crustaceans needed iodine as part of their molting, is this not the case?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I was under the impression that crustaceans needed iodine as part of their molting, is this not the case?

It's a widely held notion in the aquarium hobby, but the evidence that invertebrates need iodine in the water is not clear.

The evidence seems to stem from the observation that when dosing some types of iodine, some inverts will be spurred to molt. Whether that is because they like the iodine, or are trying to get rid of it is another question.

 

[X-37B]

I have dosed iodine, its in the EZ trace I run, since day one in my systems.
I cant comment on color as my color is good.
I did send out an ICP test first of the year.
I only dose 6ml of EZ a day in my 120.
ICP test came back .049ppm for iodine.

 

[Kiwi reefer]

@Randy Holmes-Farley appreachate the advise thank you

Also to everyone else who posted there inputs thanks as well its good knowedge

Thanks!

 

[akaimal]

Iodine is consumed heavily by zoanthids. I know a person who took out a huge zoa colony and iodine spiked.

 

[rtparty]

Do you happen to know the concentration in the Brightwell Iodine?

I dose Seachem Iodide daily. 5-6 drops (in a 150 gallon, pretty heavily stocked tank) a day seems to keep me where I want to be running the Reef Moonshiners method.

Can I prove iodine helps? No. Do I believe it makes the tissue on my SPS thicker and healthier? Absolutely.

My experience tells me dosing a little is better than not.

 

[Spare time]

I think the salifert test is fine but it can be difficult to read.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Iodine is consumed heavily by zoanthids. I know a person who took out a huge zoa colony and iodine spiked.

Algae consumes it too, but at least those I tested apparently do not require it to grow well. I think that consumption and benefit can be different. If, for example, it is used to make anti-herbivore compounds, that may not be a benefit in a reef tank.

That said, it may be that some corals benefit from it in the water. it just think that folks need to point to actual beneficial observations, such as rtparty made, rather than simple consumption to show that it is useful to dose it.

 

[Siberwulf]

Well this seems like a pertinent thread! I'm noticing my zoas are still shrinking, and coraline, and my ICP test came back with 9ug/L Iodine.

All the other parameters seem to be in line and I'm wondering if this is my problem.

Triton Lab Showroom - Explore this water test results and click on the image above.

Someone wants to show you the water test results and shared this link to the evaluation. Click on the image above to explore the water test results.

www.triton-lab.de

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well this seems like a pertinent thread! I'm noticing my zoas are still shrinking, and coraline, and my ICP test came back with 9ug/L Iodine.

All the other parameters seem to be in line and I'm wondering if this is my problem.

Triton Lab Showroom - Explore this water test results and click on the image above.

Someone wants to show you the water test results and shared this link to the evaluation. Click on the image above to explore the water test results.

www.triton-lab.de

It would be an interesting experiment to dose and see. From a learning standpoint, it would be clearest if it was just an iodide supplement (not Lugols Iodine or a mix of different trace elements).

 

[Siberwulf]

It would be an interesting experiment to dose and see. From a learning standpoint, it would be clearest if it was just an iodide supplement (not Lugols Iodine or a mix of different trace elements).

It looks like the Brightwell Iodion is pure.

This probably means a test kit is going to be needed (along the lines of "don't dose what you can't test")

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It looks like the Brightwell Iodion is pure.

This probably means a test kit is going to be needed (along the lines of "don't dose what you can't test")

I do not know what exactly is in the product, and it may be fine for dosing, but not (IMO) for interpreting the results in terms of what is doing what.

"The nature of iodide sources used makes Iodion more effective than standard iodide-solutions."

 

[Siberwulf]

I do not know what exactly is in the product, and it may be fine for dosing, but not (IMO) for interpreting the results in terms of what is doing what.

"The nature of iodide sources used makes Iodion more effective than standard iodide-solutions."

My google may suck, but finding some pure Iodine is...tricky. I see some that are Potassium Iodide AND Iodine, but just not pure Iodine. Any recommendations?