Iodine Solution

[fish_head]

Hi,

I've heard you can dose an iodine solution to enhance the growth/colour of some corals and such.

There is a bottle of iodine solution at the pharmacy which also contains ethanol. Is this suitable for use in a reef?

thanks

[kevinpratt823]

I wouldn't use that. It prob cost just as much as a commercial reef supplement, like Kent or something.

[Aviad B.Z.]

Iodine is important to the corals, but using it without monitoring it is risky, O.D.ing your tank is very easy.

[fish_head]

how exactly do you monitor it?

[mfinn]

You do not need to dose iodine. Regular water changes will bring back enough iodine to not need to dose.
You can do more harm than good.

[Allmost]

the only case I find u need to dose Iodine is if you are full of SPS corals, in which case I dose 0.1 ml per week and it florishes up my blue Acros. 0.1 ml mix of iodine, bromide, floride and K+ actually, so much less.

there is organic and inorganic Iodine, which are toxic at higher levels, so testing for Iodine is really tricky (and not accurate)

water changes are enough.

[Aviad B.Z.]

Originally Posted by mfinn

You do not need to dose iodine. Regular water changes will bring back enough iodine to not need to dose.
You can do more harm than good.

come on, how did you get to that conclusion??
you don't even know what kind of system the guy has, consumption rates, and so.
Iodine consumption varies and is specific for each tank,
my tank uptake is ~0.06-0.08ppm a week.
NO WATER CHANGE can bring back thoes amounts.
there are Iodine test kits, I uses RedSea's.
I managed to get to both ends of the scale(Iodine deficiency and poisoning).
In my oppinion, each and every element added to your tank shuold be monitored!

you should see the colores of my corals now.
but I'll have to agree with the last sentence:
"You can do more harm than good."
so be carefull

===========
by the way, that's my tank.

[mfinn]

The test kits that are sold in the hobby are very inacurate and should not be trusted.
I get my info from people like Boomer.
If you really want to know, ask in the Chemistry forum and get someone's opinion like Boomers.

[Uncle Salty 05]

This discussion really belongs in the chemistry forum.
I have read many articles by Randy and others stating that iodine supplementation is not necessary.
I keep Lugol's Solution around but just to use for a dip.

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Aviad B.Z.

come on, how did you get to that conclusion??
you don't even know what kind of system the guy has, consumption rates, and so.
Iodine consumption varies and is specific for each tank,
my tank uptake is ~0.06-0.08ppm a week.
NO WATER CHANGE can bring back thoes amounts.
there are Iodine test kits, I uses RedSea's.
I managed to get to both ends of the scale(Iodine deficiency and poisoning).
In my oppinion, each and every element added to your tank shuold be monitored!

you should see the colores of my corals now.
but I'll have to agree with the last sentence:
"You can do more harm than good."
so be carefull

===========
by the way, that's my tank.

any pics ?

you say we should see your corals colors now, what corals do you mean ? SPS ? what color ?


do you test all Iodine or organic only or inorganic ?

[Aviad B.Z.]

I added a link to my post
SPS and LPS.
Inorganic as much as I know.(RedSea's kit)
the kit is not that tricky.

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Aviad B.Z.

I added a link to my post
SPS and LPS.
Inorganic as much as I know.(RedSea's kit)
the kit is not that tricky.

and what are the color changes ?

do you notice blueer colors ?

greener ?

[Aviad B.Z.]

pinkish and blue.
you can see it on acroporas, seriatoporas, euphilyas.
(that despite a jump in NO3, which changed a couple of SPS to brown, the ones above kept the blue\pink shades)

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Aviad B.Z.

pinkish and blue.
you can see it on acroporas, seriatoporas, euphilyas.
(that despite a jump in NO3, which changed a couple of SPS to brown, the ones above kept the blue\pink shades)

that's the problem with Iodine, it can exist in many many different forms, it can be inorganic as Iodide (I- or I2) or as Iodate Io3-
or attached to carbon as CH3I !

and they change within these, different animals change the structure of it so it can interchange between each !

now Iodine test kits usually test for only I-, so if you see a low reading, it is most likely that the Iodine is in form of IO3 !

here is more on it :
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...l2003/chem.htm

Randy explains it more there.


in general, best way is to look at SPS like u do. if they get a shade of purple/blue, then ure at good level, if fade then ure low and if you see tint of green on any yellow or white SPS, then overdose.

this is why ppl dont test and dose, cause it wont make sense ! salifert is making a new tet kit though to measure all I in system, not sure if its out yet.

[Aviad B.Z.]

so what's your point?
It's easy to OD the tank, and I highly recomand to monitor Iodine levels.
I'll get back to you with an answer about the way the test kit works.
but from my experience, RS test kit are highly Accurate, and I dose by it for more than a while now- no poisoning and great colores.

[Allmost]

Originally Posted by Aviad B.Z.

so what's your point?
It's easy to OD the tank, and I highly recomand to monitor Iodine levels.

my point is that there is no possible way to monitor total I in system using Hobby grade test kits.

you are welcome to keep tricking yourself though

I dont like to argue about accuracy of hobby grade test kits, as randy does explain enough on his articles.