SUPER high Iodine in ICP results

[Bryman]

I can also say that I have a similar experience. My Triton ICP test results from about 2 months ago showed an level of 3069 µg/l of I. Everything else was close ideal except Lithium, which was 1186 µg/l. I tested today with the Salifert Iodine test, which includes Iodide only and Iodate/Iodine. When I test Iodide, I get 0. When I test Iodate/Iodine, it's off the charts. I double checked both tests to make sure. And keep in mind I have done at least a 100% water change since the ICP test in hopes to get it down, with 0 TDS RO/DI and Red Sea regular salt. I use ESV 2 part plus ESV Mg for dosing, and dose nothing else. Is this really possible that I have 0 iodide and insanely high iodate/iodine? I read this note in the instructions:
Note:
Use of so-called time released iodine supplements or supplements containing organically bound/complexed iodine species will give false results.

The presence of strong reducing substances such as ascorbic acid will also give false value. Some supplements do not contain ascorbic acid. Dechlorinators are also strong reducing substances.

I wonder if Red Sea Salt or the ESV 3 part contain these types of iodine "species" and are giving me false iodate / iodine results? Also maybe the same for Triton ICP tests? I think I will try testing my salt next....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry this is a bit late, but I also had another ICP test done by the guys at ICP-Analysis.com. I took the sample about two weeks after the sample above was taken and had been dosing about 25ml of Triton Core7 4-part daily.

The iodine levels were not super-elevated in this test. So, I will pull water again today and send to Triton and ICP-Analysis tomorrow to see what they say and compare.

Let me know if there is anything strange you see.

I missed this post...


While I don't believe some of their results are accurate (gallium, for instance), I don't see any chemicals that are a problem from being too high.

If you are using a buffer with borate in it, I'd stop.

Sulfate is on the low side. might be from your salt mix, but if you are using a DIY two part and are ignoring the magnesium directions, then I'd begin using the magnesium part as directed, maybe using pure Epsom salt for a while.

The iodine was probably a test error before.

You might benefit from a trace element supplement, but it is hard to know for sure since we do not know what levels are needed.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wonder if Red Sea Salt or the ESV 3 part contain these types of iodine "species" and are giving me false iodate / iodine results? Also maybe the same for Triton ICP tests? I think I will try testing my salt next....

False results, in the context of the Salifert kit, does not mean reading none when some is there. At least for the organic forms, it means not reading them at all.

I think the likely explanation is faulty ICP testing results.

 

[Bryman]

False results, in the context of the Salifert kit, does not mean reading none when some is there. At least for the organic forms, it means not reading them at all.

I think the likely explanation is faulty ICP testing results.

Maybe, however the iodate Salifert test is a two step process that confirms my level is high. The instructions say after the first part:

Now look from the side od the test vial. If the color is dark yellow, green or blue or even has several blue colored particles in it then this suggests that the iodate concentration is far higher than 0.2ppm and a precipitate can form in the next step. This might result in the next step in an almost colorless solution with tiny blue particles.

My tests turn dark green/blue at this point and in the next step I get clear liquid with blue particles. So I think my iodate/iodine is legitimately high.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Maybe, however the iodate Salifert test is a two step process that confirms my level is high. The instructions say after the first part:

Now look from the side od the test vial. If the color is dark yellow, green or blue or even has several blue colored particles in it then this suggests that the iodate concentration is far higher than 0.2ppm and a precipitate can form in the next step. This might result in the next step in an almost colorless solution with tiny blue particles.

My tests turn dark green/blue at this point and in the next step I get clear liquid with blue particles. So I think my iodate/iodine is legitimately high.

Sorry, I thought we were talking about a high ICP result that did not show up on a Salifert kit. I see it shows for iodine/iodate but not iodide.

Are you using ozone?

 

[Cory]

Sorry, I thought we were talking about a high ICP result that did not show up on a Salifert kit. I see it shows for iodine/iodate but not iodide.

Are you using ozone?

Would.ozone do something? Ive got an icp coming soon and use ozone.

 

[Bryman]

Sorry, I thought we were talking about a high ICP result that did not show up on a Salifert kit. I see it shows for iodine/iodate but not iodide.

Are you using ozone?

No, not using ozone. I run a pretty simple system with about 120G overall system size. I do have a large refugium full of chaeto, approximately 20 gallons in size, and a large skimmer. No dosing except the ESV Ca/Alk/Mg. I typically do weekly 10G water changes with Red Sea blue bucket made with 0 TDS RODI water. My NO3 and PO4 typically run 0 or very close. T5 for lighting.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Would.ozone do something? Ive got an icp coming soon and use ozone.

Ozone leaves highly oxidizing species in the water, and those may look chemically/oxidatively like I2/iodate when they are not I2 or iodate (chemicals like hypobromate). When Habib Sekha (owner of Salifert) has been asked similar questions in the past, he often responded first by asking if ozone was being used for this reason.

 

[Bryman]

Just tested my Red Sea Blue Bucket saltwater in my mixing tank with Salifert tests. It came out to 0.01 Iodide, <0.03 Iodate/Iodine. So it isn't my salt mix, which I believe now indicates my ESV 3 part is the cause of off the chart Iodate/Iodine on Salifert and extremely high Triton ICP Iodine results. Can anyone using ESV 3 part confirm this?

 

[greg 45]

Just tested my Red Sea Blue Bucket saltwater in my mixing tank with Salifert tests. It came out to 0.01 Iodide, <0.03 Iodate/Iodine. So it isn't my salt mix, which I believe now indicates my ESV 3 part is the cause of off the chart Iodate/Iodine on Salifert and extremely high Triton ICP Iodine results. Can anyone using ESV 3 part confirm this?

If you think there is a issue with ESV you can contact them during the week Bob can answer any of your questions.
On the other side of the coin my iodine is always low when I send in a test . I added extra iodine on a sample I sent in still read low.
The other thing I notice and Randy might help explain , if you do a test with any kit it only hold a color for a period of time , then shows no iodine in either the test or the sample you compare it to. I have used many different kits for iodine and find them all useless. I do trust LaMotte but there kit doesn't read low enough , lesson learned .

 

[Bryman]

I doubt the iodine/iodate is actually that high. More likely they are false readings on my Salifert tests caused by bound/complexed or time-released Iodine/Iodate in the ESV chemicals. I may contact them to find out for sure. Tank is doing quite well so I'm not going to take any drastic actions.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I doubt the iodine/iodate is actually that high. More likely they are false readings on my Salifert tests caused by bound/complexed or time-released Iodine/Iodate in the ESV chemicals. I may contact them to find out for sure. Tank is doing quite well so I'm not going to take any drastic actions.

Which 3 part by ESV?

It is extraordinarily unlikely they have timed release iodide in any product. Only company I know with such a product is Seachem, and it doesn't show as a false positive, its a false negative since it doesn't show.

 

[Bryman]

Which 3 part by ESV?

It is extraordinarily unlikely they have timed release iodide in any product. Only company I know with such a product is Seachem, and it doesn't show as a false positive, its a false negative since it doesn't show.

ESV B-ionic. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/esv-b-ionic-calcium-buffer-system.html.

I also use the ESV B-ionic Mg.

 

[Bryman]

One more thing I was dosing for about a year - ESV B-Ionic transition elements. I stopped though after I got the Triton results with the elevated lithium and Iodine. Since then I've done at least 100% or more of water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Those first two ESV products are not a source of high iodate or I2 unless they were made wrong. I’m not sure how much of what is in the second product, but iodine is not a transition element.

 

[Cory]

Would perhaps some cells of phyto or bacteria contain enough iodine to skew results?

Maybe they died in shipping and released their insides.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Would perhaps some cells of phyto or bacteria contain enough iodine to skew results?

Maybe they died in shipping and released their insides.

Maybe. It would take a lot, and things like iron are not even detectable.

 

[reef_ranch]

@Terence, did you ever figure out the cause of your high iodine readings? I just got back another Triton test showing a high level.

 

[VR28man]

(posting in the right thread this time )

Did anybody figure out what happened in situations like this? Is there a reason why an ICP test might have large false iodine readings?

I had similar results from a just completed @ATI North America ICP test. 1569 µg/l iodine. I am willing to believe this, but I see no reason why my iodine would be this high. I double checked with a salifert iodate test, I found iodate 0.03 ppm.



Possible relevant info:
I dose ATI essentials at a rate to keep my kh around 8.2. Beyond alkalinity, Ca, and Mg, I believe ATI essentials adds other trace elements to keep a certain level of trace element balance. That of course does not include such a high level of iodine.

I don't dose iodine; I put in a few capfuls of 2LF's iodine months ago. The tank two months ago had a crash (ATI essentials or anything was not dosed when I was gone for two weeks. 5.6 dkh, most SPS dead, massive red algae bloom. And a happily growing Favites pentagona war coral. ;Bored ), though I think the tank is now stable and under control (8dkh, 500Ca?! and 1408Mg).

Eta: ati icp results:

 

[VR28man]

I had my iodine test high on my last icp test due to feeding Zooplan and Nutrigorg daily. I reduced the amount I feed now and increased my water changes to 30% every two weeks, and it successfully keeps the levels under control.

-Leland

@Leland Foley - just curious, why do you think zooplan and nutrigorg led to high iodine levels?

Thanks!