Anyone dosing Iodine?

[pschom]

If I'm doing weekly WC of 20% in a bc29 would the tank benefit from iodine once a week, or there's no point? Thx

[1fishmonger]

No point. Water changes solve many issues with dosing etc.

[pschom]

Ok. That's what I hear consistently. Thx

[reefer916]

Depends on your coral load. If it's loaded top to bottom with various corals dosing a little won't hurt, but downside with Iodine is you can't really test for it. I dose my tank weekly, but about half the recommended dose on the bottle. I do notice a difference and there are many experienced reefers dosing the stuff. A good indicator of possibly needing to dose is if all of your other trace elements are depleting between water changes. If your tank has a low coral load than I wouldn't worry about dosing it.

[wombat]

There is no point in trying to test for iodide/iodine/iodate in a reef aquarium. It's not a very accurate test and unnecessary anyway. You can pretty safely assume that it is much lower than NSW in any tank that doesn't have it supplemented. It tends to vanish in reef aquariums.

 

The dogmatic "if you can't test for it, you shan't add it!" that gets crammed down new hobbyists' throats in every new reefkeeper forum across the internet is, plain and simple, silly paranoia.

 

There is nothing wrong with carefully adding very small amounts of iodide and iodine in the form of Lugol's solution without the benefit of a test kit around to measure it. The funny thing is that by doing so you are likely getting your tank water chemistry closer to that of natural sea water than if you did nothing at all!

 

Ultimately the decision is up to you whether or not to add it. Is it a necessity? Absolutely not. Might you experience better growth or coloration from your corals by adding it? Maybe...careful dosing and then observing your animals is the key. I do a drop of Lugol's per day per 100 gallons.

 

Good article on the subject by Craig Bingman.

http://classic-web.archive.org/web/2003062...bio/default.asp

 

And some more by Randy Holmes Farley:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/3/chemistry

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/4/chemistry

[naturalwonders]

I second this. Consistant water change will do miracles .

No point. Water changes solve many issues with dosing etc.

[Nano sapiens]

Adding additional Iodine can be beneficial in certain scenrios. As mentioned, if you have a high bioload adding a small amount in between WCs can be good. I have found additional iodine to help corals recover from a bleaching event and it seems to improve the appearance and color of some corals (especially Shrooms).

 

I dose a drop a day of Kent Iodine in a 12g.

[sweet<3]

+1 to what wombat said. I found that iodine has improved the color and growth in my corals-growth especially with the softies. Just start off slow and be careful not to rush/overdose.

[Rabidgerbil38]

In a low nutrient system trace elements can deplete rapidly. If you notice colors fading out try water changing more often, if color return then you may want to consider dosing or just water changing more often. iodine is tricky because its hard to test, but I do add a drop of lugols mid-week with amino acids and other trace elements just because I don't like having to water change every week..

[steviejitsu]

I think iodine in my tank is necessary. My corals were suffering and I had no idea why. I dosed iodine, and they all started to grow. I was trying to extra WCs, change filters, feed them more, feed them less, move them around. But, with 2 drops of lugols iodine. They started to get back to shape.

[tako]

anyone with macros dosing it? I'm starting to accumulate more macros and read that red ones consume it.

[reefer916]

Where were you guys a few years ago, when a few of the guys on here pounced on me for recommending to a reefer to dose Iodine. They bugged me so much that I stopped dosing and lost almost my whole zoa collection within a few months. That was the last time I listened to anyone to making changes, when things are going well in my tank.

 

This is what it looked like when I dosed Iodine and they all disappeared a few months later, except for a few and nothing changed but the dosing. Can't really blame anyone, but myself because I listened to the advice. The hardest to lose was my two colonies of Aztec Sundials that we grew out from 4 polyps and my son named.. Never got the zoa bug again.. Had to get into a chalice and fuzzy stick addiction to offset the pain:) I still dose Iodine and my corals love it and no I do not test for it nor will I. Just watch my corals and as long as the polyp extension and colors look good it's fine.

[blasterman]

While iodine levels in SPS dominated tanks remain controversial, I totally agree with Reefer916 in that dosing iodine produces increased growth in softies. Actually, it can produce drastically increased growth provided there are sufficient nutrients to go along with the iodine. Been there - done that.

 

Awesome tank shot as well.

[wombat]

anyone with macros dosing it? I'm starting to accumulate more macros and read that red ones consume it.

 

Yes. Try dosing iron/manganese solutions as well. Two Little Fishies makes a good one. As with anything that is impossible to test for (on a hobbyist budget) your dosing should rely on your observations of your animals.

[bensanders]

As with anything that is impossible to test for (on a hobbyist budget) your dosing should rely on your observations of your animals.

 

Very well said. I stopped dosing Iodine in my 10g after people kept telling me "you should never dose for things you aren't testing". Seemed ridiculous since I was getting such great growth from all my softies and SPS alike. No wonder my zoas stopped exploding with growth....

[pschom]

Great info! I added 1 dose of lugols. I don't know if it was the led (just added) but I feel like the color in everything is getting better. I also dipped some zoas that were a problem in the lugols and they are looking great. Already noticed growth on those as well. Thanks again.

[reefer916]

While iodine levels in SPS dominated tanks remain controversial, I totally agree with Reefer916 in that dosing iodine produces increased growth in softies. Actually, it can produce drastically increased growth provided there are sufficient nutrients to go along with the iodine. Been there - done that.

 

Awesome tank shot as well.

 

Thanks blasterman.. Yeah, we miss the zoa garden but now have a decent collection of sps and chalices. Looking at the pic still gets to me though:) Just started dosing potassium today, so we'll see how that one goes for the sps...hmm Should I test for it:)

[glennr1978]

I dose 1 drop of lugols in my 40g every other day. I also run an ULNS w/ a vastly oversized skimmer. It definitely helps in my tank, particularly w/ corals that are blue.

[wombat]

Thanks blasterman.. Yeah, we miss the zoa garden but now have a decent collection of sps and chalices. Looking at the pic still gets to me though:) Just started dosing potassium today, so we'll see how that one goes for the sps...hmm Should I test for it:)

 

Potassium is something I would test for if you plan on adding it. I honestly can't say what might result if it's overdosed, but it is simple enough to test for and should be fairly stable in your tank. When we've tested for it in the past it stays absolutely rock solid and has never needed to be supplemented.

 

Some report that it may decline in some of the zeovit/ULNS systems, but in a simple reef setup it is unlikely you need to add it at all once it is at the proper level (~400ppm, +/- 20 ppm is probably fine). If you have a salt mix that is low in potassium, it may be necessary to boost it, but to my knowledge most are perfectly fine in this regard.

 

You could always just add 20-40ppm and watch what happens.

 

A suitable source for it that's cheap is potassium chloride sold as a food supplement. Here is one I have used:

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Potassium-C...r-8oz-227-g/777

[reefer916]

Potassium is something I would test for if you plan on adding it. I honestly can't say what might result if it's overdosed, but it is simple enough to test for and should be fairly stable in your tank. When we've tested for it in the past it stays absolutely rock solid and has never needed to be supplemented.

 

Some report that it may decline in some of the zeovit/ULNS systems, but in a simple reef setup it is unlikely you need to add it at all once it is at the proper level (~400ppm, +/- 20 ppm is probably fine). If you have a salt mix that is low in potassium, it may be necessary to boost it, but to my knowledge most are perfectly fine in this regard.

 

You could always just add 20-40ppm and watch what happens.

 

A suitable source for it that's cheap is potassium chloride sold as a food supplement. Here is one I have used:

http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Potassium-C...r-8oz-227-g/777

 

Thanks Wombat,

 

Yeah, I was at the LFS yesterday and didn't feel like spending $40 on a ELOS Potassium test kit:) Spent $200 on some nice sps frags instead from Mark Poletti:) Damn addicting hobby. Had a nice conversation with Mark and he doesn't test regularly, but he's been doing this for well over a decade. He's brought in some nice pieces like the Jedi Mind Trick and some of the Tyree LE corals. Many of the experienced reefers don't test besides Alk and Salinity for the most part. They could tell if somethings off by looking at their corals.

 

I dosed the recommended 5ml for 50 gallons of Brightwells Potassium last night and within 15 minutes I noticed a difference in my sps's polyp extension. I also have 30 gallons of fresh Reef Crystals mixed water on hand at all times, just in case I do something stupid:) I'll breakdown and get a test kit soon:)

[wombat]

Thanks Wombat,

 

Yeah, I was at the LFS yesterday and didn't feel like spending $40 on a ELOS Potassium test kit:) Spent $200 on some nice sps frags instead from Mark Poletti:) Damn addicting hobby. Had a nice conversation with Mark and he doesn't test regularly, but he's been doing this for well over a decade. He's brought in some nice pieces like the Jedi Mind Trick and some of the Tyree LE corals. Many of the experienced reefers don't test besides Alk and Salinity for the most part. They could tell if somethings off by looking at their corals.

 

I dosed the recommended 5ml for 50 gallons of Brightwells Potassium last night and within 15 minutes I noticed a difference in my sps's polyp extension. I also have 30 gallons of fresh Reef Crystals mixed water on hand at all times, just in case I do something stupid:) I'll breakdown and get a test kit soon:)

 

Small world, Mark has given me some frags too and I consider him a friend. Good guy and awesome tank. I trust his judgement when it comes to SPS as he is one of those "masters".

 

Save yourself the bucks and pick up some KCl from the health or vitamin store next time you run out of the bottled stuff. I can get you dosing calculations to match what you're doing now.

[reefer916]

Small world, Mark has given me some frags too and I consider him a friend. Good guy and awesome tank. I trust his judgement when it comes to SPS as he is one of those "masters".

 

Save yourself the bucks and pick up some KCl from the health or vitamin store next time you run out of the bottled stuff. I can get you dosing calculations to match what you're doing now.

 

It is a small world:) I live and work about 10 minutes from Your Reef, so I see John a couple times a week. It was the first time I met Mark, but chatted with him on the forums before. He cracks me up because he looks forward to the adrenaline rushes of tank crashes and problems. He said that after awhile it gets boring when everythings always going right..lol I told him that next time he wants a adrenaline rush to give me a call and I'll take some of the corals off his hands.

 

Thanks, I'll pick up some KCI next time I need some potassium and shoot you a pm for some dosing calcs.

 

Thanks again,

Chris

[blasterman]

Just to add to the Iodine controversy, I'd started adding a drop of lugols to my 15gal tank every three days, and there's been a distinct improvement in large palys in a short time. A few local reefers struggling with PD growth keyed me onto this.

 

However, what's really gone nuts is Acan growth. Not sure if Gabe is hanging around but lugols is like steroids for Acans.

[pschom]

What happens if you add too much lugols? I've been putting a couple drops a week with the water changes. I know that's not too much. Just curious.

[tako]

I've heard it can be bad for inverts like shrimp and crabs. Forcing them to molt and possibly kill them. I don't know too much about this subject, but I believe the other problem is that the different forms of iodine (iodine, iodide, iodate) have different toxicity levels.

 

Another question for everyone: is concentrated lugol's the best for a nano-reef, or is one of the diluted iodine/iodide formulations by Kent, Seachem, TLF, etc. better?