Ultra high iodine....cause???

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 30, 2017

I've had a few posts from folks with super high iodine. 2 ppm +

I really haven't seen many in between the levels that most folks have (0.2 ppm or less), and these.

Obviously, you folks have seen it too, but how frequently, and have you noticed any correlation between these levels and particular husbandry practices?

Are you confident there's no possibility of a test error impacting iodine in such a way? Not a typo??

Without knowing the chemical form (iodide, iodate, organic forms, etc.), its hard to track down the source. or even be sure what to do about it

Example:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/super-high-iodine-in-icp-results.328066/

Breadman03 · Sep 30, 2017

You have a little more experience than I do ;), but I would start by looking for correlations. In @Terence 's result, the iodine correlates with high results on magnesium, boron, and lithium. There are low results on bromine and phosphorus.

On my tank, my iodine came back with zero, but high magnesium at 1605 and very high lithium with a reading of 1711. I believe those high readings are from using Tech M for bryposis, which has now been somewhat moderated through water changes with Salinity salt.

Gareth elliott · Nov 30, 2018

My Most recent icp results.

Not dosing and using automatic water changes. Months ago i was using ati essentials.

Salt mix - was DD h2ocean, mixed about 15g so far of live aquaria salt mix.

Using aquamax rox .08 carbon media

Fuge of chaeto, there was an outbreak of ulva.

I was lowering the alkalinity with sea chem acid buffer of new salt water. Could this contain an iodine compound?

I very infrequently use phosguard, maybe a few table spoons a year. If test an excess, use and discard.

Foods are
hikari coral gumbo
Lrs small
Frozen diced scallops
Live Brine shrimp

Ro/di tested fine, no iodine

VR28man · Jan 4, 2019

I had similar results from a just completed ATI ICP test. (More info and salifert comparison to follow tonight)

Did anybody figure out what happened?

rushbattle · Jan 4, 2019

These have to be testing error. The peak for I must be difficult to interpret for some reason.

Jamie7907 · Jan 4, 2019

@Randy Holmes-Farley could these high results not be error in ICP testing methodologies and/or results? I am sure you have more experience than I with ICP testing and saltwater is not what I typically test, however halogens in general do not test well and results are often questionable at the levels we are testing for.

SavvyReefing · Mar 9, 2019

Hi all,

Just want to contribute to the above discussion with screenshots of our latest ICP Triton test with an “unexplained” drastic increase in iodine concentrations. This is in a 120g mixed reef using Red Sea Blue bucket since June 2018 supplementing with Red Sea Trace Colors and BRS 2-part. The first two ICP tests the iodine was being supplemented via Red Sea Trace Colors weekly addition, with a correction dose and increase in weekly dose to account for the rise in Iodine from Sept 2018 to Jan 2019 (0-> 24ug/L). At that point, Triton ICP test recommended daily dosing of Iodine to supplement the tank. We used the Brightwell Aquatics Iodion product at a dose of 3.8 mL per WEEK (of note the packaging recommends 5 mL/50 gallons every 2-3 days; so drastically below labeling) and continued our same trace color dosing. We sent in a repeat ICP this week and much to our surprise our Iodine is now 547 ug/L! All other parameters on the entire ICP panel are near perfect.

Doing some back of the napkin math per the labeling on the bottle with a deviation of .487ppm from the set point and each mL raising 0.8ppm/gallon… in a 120 g tank this would equate to a 73 mL overdose of the BA Iodion product. In the 9 weeks we’ve only dosed a total of 34 mL of the Brightwell product.

At this point we have tested our source water and salt mix with a Salifert test and got OK concentrations on each of those (0.06-0.08 ppm). The tank water tested with the Salifert kit does read high, although with the test limitations it is unable to provide an actual value (just >0.09 ppm). Granted, it is very easy to say that we simply overshot the needs of the tank but while all other element consumptions have increased (we have increased our trace color dosing over time based on calcium consumption with intact parameters; can provide the entire ICP testing for anyone who is curious). It's hard to imagine that our iodine consumption stayed the same or decreased while everything else increase. The numbers, actual vs recommended dosing and tank effects don't correlate. We are noticing no ill effects in the tank.. coral and fish colors are great, no invertebrate losses (in fact our trochea snails are reproducing). Other things that may effect Iodine concentrations are stable across all ICP tests – chaeto growth is rapid, aggressive protein skimming continues. Has anyone had any experience with Brightwell Aquatics Iodion product interfering with Iodine test results (Salifert or Triton ICP)? Is this a result of a possible slow-release formulation of Iodine in the product that is not biologically available to the corals/fish but accounted for in testing? Anyone else ran into similar? @Randy Holmes-Farley any thoughts?

09/26/2018

1/7/2019

3/10/2019

JoshB94 · Dec 8, 2019

@SavvyReefing I just got my first ICP test results, so no baseline but am having similar results of dosing Brightwell Iodion. Trying to find the exact number but it shows 199+ with 60 recommended. I'm very concerned, and have followed very similar to your dosing - about half or a third of the recommended dosage. I wonder if their concentration is too high in the bottle?

NanoDJS · Dec 8, 2019

This is super interesting , I need to find out what ya'll are doing , I have to chuck iodide in on the reg to keep up with my zoas / and lps . I literally dose every 2 days 10 ml and have never had levels like that. ** edit ** are you guys dosing anything that has Iodine in it not iodide ????? I have seen some products that do have iodine.

JoshB94 · Dec 8, 2019

NanoDJS said:
This is super interesting , I need to find out what ya'll are doing , I have to chuck iodide in on the reg to keep up with my zoas / and lps . I literally dose every 2 days 10 ml and have never had levels like that. ** edit ** are you guys dosing anything that has Iodine in it not iodide ????? I have seen some products that do have iodine.

I started trace elements the day after I sampled the water, as to not influence my tank (about 5 months old) but knew they would be low (which they were but not horribly) I only dose alk/calc/mag and aminos- which I am going go read up on next to see but I can only assume it's from the iodine dose itself. I started with about 20ml the first two weeks, now more like 5ml a week if that. I have a lot of LPS and a decent amount of zoas, probably 300+ total polyps.

NanoDJS · Dec 8, 2019

I know its super concentrated , but yeah that seems off by alot. My reg dose one I use seachem iodide its super stable. I have used the brightwell to quick bump iodide. It is STRONG

Dr. Dendrostein · Dec 8, 2019

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I've had a few posts from folks with super high iodine. 2 ppm +

I really haven't seen many in between the levels that most folks have (0.2 ppm or less), and these.

Obviously, you folks have seen it too, but how frequently, and have you noticed any correlation between these levels and particular husbandry practices?

Are you confident there's no possibility of a test error impacting iodine in such a way? Not a typo??

Without knowing the chemical form (iodide, iodate, organic forms, etc.), its hard to track down the source. or even be sure what to do about it

Example:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/super-high-iodine-in-icp-results.328066/

When I recieved my first ICP test, Iodine thru the roof, I know exactly the culprit, foods we we're feeding, we'd buy fresh whole shrimp, whole squid , we feed seafoods high in iodine. Tuna also, we are trying to raise NPS softies, and looking at them at the time no issues.
Backwoods Lab, no moonshine, just NPS softies

Reefahholic · Dec 9, 2019

Sounds like an error to me Randy. Shouldn't iodine levels this high cause some big issues in the tank? How are the corals looking in these tanks? Very interesting to say the least. I suspect the machines have a difficult time testing for some of these elements.

VR28man · Dec 9, 2019

Dr. Dendrostein said:
When I recieved my first ICP test, Iodine thru the roof, I know exactly the culprit, foods we we're feeding, we'd buy fresh whole shrimp, whole squid , we feed seafoods high in iodine. Tuna also, we are trying to raise NPS softies, and looking at them at the time no issues.
Backwoods Lab, no moonshine, just NPS softies

Backwoods moonshine lab in CA.........???!!!!!! :O :O

seriously, i saw your thread, will read through it with lots of interest.......

Dr. Dendrostein · Dec 9, 2019

VR28man said:
Backwoods moonshine lab in CA.........???!!!!!! :O :O

seriously, i saw your thread, will read through it with lots of interest.......

No,no,no, it's Backwoods Lab, NOOOO MOONSHINE,..........Hahaha
ATF might raid my softies. .......Hahaha

Luckyduck · Jul 29, 2020

SavvyReefing said:
Hi all,

Just want to contribute to the above discussion with screenshots of our latest ICP Triton test with an “unexplained” drastic increase in iodine concentrations. This is in a 120g mixed reef using Red Sea Blue bucket since June 2018 supplementing with Red Sea Trace Colors and BRS 2-part. The first two ICP tests the iodine was being supplemented via Red Sea Trace Colors weekly addition, with a correction dose and increase in weekly dose to account for the rise in Iodine from Sept 2018 to Jan 2019 (0-> 24ug/L). At that point, Triton ICP test recommended daily dosing of Iodine to supplement the tank. We used the Brightwell Aquatics Iodion product at a dose of 3.8 mL per WEEK (of note the packaging recommends 5 mL/50 gallons every 2-3 days; so drastically below labeling) and continued our same trace color dosing. We sent in a repeat ICP this week and much to our surprise our Iodine is now 547 ug/L! All other parameters on the entire ICP panel are near perfect.

Doing some back of the napkin math per the labeling on the bottle with a deviation of .487ppm from the set point and each mL raising 0.8ppm/gallon… in a 120 g tank this would equate to a 73 mL overdose of the BA Iodion product. In the 9 weeks we’ve only dosed a total of 34 mL of the Brightwell product.

At this point we have tested our source water and salt mix with a Salifert test and got OK concentrations on each of those (0.06-0.08 ppm). The tank water tested with the Salifert kit does read high, although with the test limitations it is unable to provide an actual value (just >0.09 ppm). Granted, it is very easy to say that we simply overshot the needs of the tank but while all other element consumptions have increased (we have increased our trace color dosing over time based on calcium consumption with intact parameters; can provide the entire ICP testing for anyone who is curious). It's hard to imagine that our iodine consumption stayed the same or decreased while everything else increase. The numbers, actual vs recommended dosing and tank effects don't correlate. We are noticing no ill effects in the tank.. coral and fish colors are great, no invertebrate losses (in fact our trochea snails are reproducing). Other things that may effect Iodine concentrations are stable across all ICP tests – chaeto growth is rapid, aggressive protein skimming continues. Has anyone had any experience with Brightwell Aquatics Iodion product interfering with Iodine test results (Salifert or Triton ICP)? Is this a result of a possible slow-release formulation of Iodine in the product that is not biologically available to the corals/fish but accounted for in testing? Anyone else ran into similar? @Randy Holmes-Farley any thoughts?

09/26/2018

1/7/2019

3/10/2019

Ah ha yes! There we go. Check these pictures out! I use BA Iodion and just dosed it today actually. Just started regularly using it as I realized how important it is to many marine animals. I have been doing 1ml in my 20 gallon Nano every 2-3 days. Shortly after dosing today I tested for it and look what happened to my test vial color! I'm gonna do the test again tomorrow to see if it happens again but I freaked thinking I just have Iodine levels off the chart. Everything is fine though. Snails fine, fish fine, Corals all good, cept one. My Bubble Gum Digi which always has fully extended polyps was retracted for the day. But I have also been using Microbacter Clean and Razor Marine which I know can sometimes effect corals though I have been using it for 2 weeks. Also I have a Bonsai Digi right next to the Bubble Gum and it's just fine/fully extended. Regardless are my Iodine levels that high the test can't read them or is the BA Iodion messing with my test results?
** Also keep in mind I have preformed this test 5 times before and have come up with 0.06 (light Orange) with the tank water. I was not at that time regularly dosing BA Iodion though. I did an ICP test just yesterday and will report the results when I receive them. I have done them in the past and Iodine has been low which led me to start dosing regularly.