Iodine? Do or Don't

[Anonymous]

I dose approximately 2 cc of iodine into my 55 gal reef twice a week. The mushrooms and other soft corals are doing great. Due to lighting inefficiency, I don't keep any hard corals. Is the iodine really necessary? I also dose kalk (1/2 gallon - twice weekly) and I use the SeaChem Big Three (Reef Plus, Complete, and Calcium) 2 cc twice weekly. I was just wondering if the extra iodine is needed or not....

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, the NSW level for total iodine is 0.06ppm.

The only organisms that have a need for iodine are some types of macro algae. No where within the biology of corals has iodine been found to have any requirement. That doesn't mean that it might not, but with all indicators so far it points to the fact you are wasting you time adding iodine. Also make sure the test kit that you are using measures total iodine, iodate and iodide, rather than simple iodide. Iodate is the more stable form of iodine in seawater, so you can actually have very high levels of total iodine, but only measure "NSW" for iodide.

Don't just add it blatantly either, if you do use it use a test kit to get a measure for how much you add, and how much you should be adding. Just tipping any additive into a system without knowning exactly how much is needed is asking for trouble. High iodine levels will cause adverse reactions, it is toxic when too high.

Hope this is of some assistance.

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DBW
OZ REEF Marine Park
<A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>

 

[Anonymous]

DBW,
when buying a test kit for this.
A- do you buy one for Iodide?

B- do you buy one for Iodine?

c- both kits test for the same thing

I notice the salifer kit is for iodine and the red sea if for iodide...is there a brand you recommend??

TIA

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks - sounds like I've been wasting my time and my money ...

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http://www.xmission.com/~mikeb/heil.html

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Atinic1,
I think a lot depends on how often you do water changes, as iodine is in your salt mix. I have xenia's in my tank and the current thought is that they require iodine. so I test for iodine levels about once a month, occasionally I will add some if the levels fall below .4. Salt water has about .6 but I do a 10% water change approx once a month and that usually keeps the levels up. I don't like to add anything to my tank I don't have to.

I'm not sure this is much help, its just what I do.
Happy reefin!
Ellen

[This message has been edited by etracy (edited 14 October 1999).]

 

[Anonymous]

Mark,

I don't actually recommend that you test for iodine in any form, as I see it as a waste of time and money adding it. If you must though, then get a kit that measures total iodine, not just iodide. It is the total concentration that you should be regulating (for reasons I pointed out). As to which brand no idea as I only purchased one (Seachem) and that was before I knew enough to know better, and I also don't have the exposure to the large range you guys do. If I recall correctly the Seachem only measures iodide only, not total iodine.

Hope this is of some assistance.

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DBW
OZ REEF Marine Park
<A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>

 

[Anonymous]

DBW: I was told on #reefs that iodine is needed after crabs and shrimps molt as they use it up during that process. True? If so, how much should be added?
--"skimmate" on #reefs

 

[Anonymous]

Cybernaut,

I may be wrong (DBW, correct me if I am please

) but it has only been shown that crabs and shrimps leave traces of iodine in their molts. There are several theories on this one, but the one I hear the most is:

They leave the iodine behind in the molt because it is useless to them.

I have even heard that they leave it behind in the molt because it is toxic to them, and they need to get rid of it. This theory arises from the fact that (i believe) they molt more regularly in a tank with more iodine concentrations.

just my $0.02

vigg aka

g
o
b
y


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[Anonymous]

From the information I have seen presented from some of the notables in the hobby (that I trust), there is no valid reason to add iodine in any form to a reef aquarium. In many incidences, such additions will probably do more harm than good, in particular our beloved cleaner shrimp. I do not dose Iodine for any reason.

Cybernaut: Just remember that #reefs is a forum mostly used by hobbyists. While most of the time there is good information readily availible there, it is as prone to mythinformation as any other forum. Many times it depends who is around or not.


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Dan
Minotaur15 on #reefs
Reef Obsessed Surfer

 

[Anonymous]

As has been pointed out already, iodine is not required by crustaceans to molt. This was the "idea" a few years ago. I suspect that it came from the fact crustaceans would molt shortly after additions of iodine begin, or more regularly when they do. The molts also have an elevate level of iodine in them. So if you put those two together without further information then it seems like they need it to molt. But this is not the case. You would also get exactly the same observed results if iodine was toxic to them, and they used the molting process as a way to remove excess from their body. If you read up on the biology of crustaceans you will also find no mention of iodine in any way that is important to their bodily functions. That is the current theory anyway, and makes sense with the current information available.

And as Dan pointed out, every information source has it faults and is prone to the same problems that any other one does. Information also dates as more information is attained etc.

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DBW
OZ REEF Marine Park
<A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>

 

[Anonymous]

I just found this interesting piece of info on iodine on the web. Anyone care to comment?

Another bleaching factor is temperature. Often if the temp gets too
hot corals will bleach. The solution is to lower the tank temp to the
accepted range of 75-80F and keep it CONSTANT.

Iodine is an overall factor and couples with lighting and
temperature. Corals need I2 and mushrooms and other soft corals need
it even more. I2 helps with the conversion of C02 to usable O2 in the
zooanthelle.

And finally I am of the opinion that you may not be able to save
them. Translucent white means they have lost all the zooanthelle and
thus have none to start the replenishment.

What I recommend if they are still attached to the rocks (still a
small bit of hope) is that you start adding iodine more regularly. And
move them out from under the overhang. KEEP them on the floor for a
week. Then move them up a few inches. Keep them there 2 weeks. Move up
a few inches. Repeat until they fall off the rocks OR they start to
look good again.

Good luck.


--

JEFF PFOHL
E-MAIL: [email protected]
PHONE : (904) 644-1598 work
(904) 224-0707 home
(904) 644-9848 fax
http://nucalf.physics.fsu.edu/pfohl

The url is:
http://nucalf.physics.fsu.edu/pfohl/Fish/Reefs/Corals/bleaching

 

[Anonymous]

Ken- go back to that URL and check the date-

Date: Sun, 28 Mar 93 15:46:30 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria

That info is 6 1/2 years old, right around the time that people were still praising wet/dry's

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-Kevin T, Your Friendly Neighborhood Op
( Chucker's views are not necessarily those of reefs.org... or maybe they are )

 

[Anonymous]

It might be true that it is 6 years old, but I haven't been able to find anything else on the nets that refutes his statement that iodine helps in the conversion of c02 to 02 in zooanthelle. Care to point me to some more recent definitive links?

Ken

 

[Anonymous]

You would be much better off looking in a biochemistry or biology of algae textbook (might be something online, but could spend hours looking for it rather than walking into a library and pull a book off the shelf that will have that information). Look up things to do with photosynthesis, the biological pathways etc. I suspect you will find that iodine has no part to play in this process (if I remember I will check through the texts I have at home myself to confirm this).

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DBW
OZ REEF Marine Park
<A HREF="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</A>

 

[Anonymous]

That information is outdated, period. A good indication of that is the temperature comment. Reading Dr. Shimek's article in the library pertaining to temperatures in the reef convinces me of that. The difference between this 'information' and something relevant is the absence of facts.

I mean absolutely no offence to anyone.

This is a downfall (well, not really) of the internet -- anyone can post an opinion without backup, and leave it to rot on servers for extended periods of time.

I'd personally like to hear Rob Toonen's thoughts on iodine addition.

Nano.

BTW, I add iodine, but very, very little. My personal observation is that the Xenia will coordinate it's pumping with iodine additions...