Question for old timers on Iodide & Strontium

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I was just reading through Delbeek & Sprung The Reef Aquarium Vol I and I found recommendations on trace element supplementation. Specifically, the authors recommend Calcium, Strontium, and Iodide supplements. Given that Vol I was written in 1994 I wondered about the adivce. Did you long-time reefers supplement in the 90's, and are you still doing it?
From what I've read here at RDO, it seems most folks supplement calcium. I think that's a given. But for the other substances, it seems folks rely on frequent water changes.
Is the supplement adivce outdated?
Thanks.

 

[bowfront]

I used to suppliment with all that you mention plus Iron in the early 90's. Actually I continued with this array until 3 or 4 years ago (old habits die hard). Iron was the first to go and Strontium and Iodide soon followed. These days I just dose limewater with a kalk reactor. Actually I've had considerably fewer bouts with problem algea since cutting down the arsenal.

 

[SPC]

I am not a long time reefer Moe but my feelings are that if I can't test for it, I don't dose it. The way I see it is that Iodide may be an important additive, but how does one know the correct amount to add.
Steve

 

[ReefLion]

I think the trend has moved away from dosing trace elements. As someone said above, if you can't test for it, it could be bad. Many trace elements are toxic in non-trace amounts, and without any ability to measure their concentrations we run a big risk in adding them.

For example, it used to be thought that shrimp required iodine supplements in order to molt properly. That made some sense, because they molted more often with iodine. The problem was that they also molted regularly without it. There is now speculation that iodine is poisonous to shrimp, but that they can get rid of it by fixing it in their skeletons. They must molt more frequently than usual, though, to get rid of the excessive iodine. I don't know the whole story there, but I've never dosed iodine and my shrimp are fine.

I try to just replenish through water changes, and I think many people rely on calcium reactors to release NSW levels of trace elements in aragonite.

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

Well thanks for the input folks.

 

[ReefBum1]

imo, you wouldn't need to dose strontium and iodine if you used a calcium reactor

 

[Anonymous]

i can't justify the expense on my 55.