Soft corals and Iodine dosing

[kmu]

Hi guys,

Several weeks ago I bought a yellow leather coral (don't know exactly which name is it) and it isn't doing good, it hasn't expanded the polyps at all since I got it.

My 400g has several leathers on it thriving, still now where near to filling out the tank its relatively new around 6 months old. The lighting is AI Hydras mounted 14" from the water level.

Well I talked to someone yesterday and he suggested I dose Iodine because soft corals depend on it to grow and the usually deplete it from the system, my tank is huge and the leather coral density is on the low side compared to the total water volume.

Is Iodine really this important or was I misinformed?


http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/k-mus/Mobile%20Uploads/SAM_0635_zpsucpfu218.jpg (http://s812.photobucket.com/user/k-mus/media/Mobile%20Uploads/SAM_0635_zpsucpfu218.jpg.html)
Can someone ID this yellow leather?


http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/k-mus/Mobile%20Uploads/20140611_140653_zpsfnndhqat.jpg (http://s812.photobucket.com/user/k-mus/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140611_140653_zpsfnndhqat.jpg.html)


http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/zz50/k-mus/Mobile%20Uploads/20140531_191609_zpsftak4dbm.jpg (http://s812.photobucket.com/user/k-mus/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140531_191609_zpsftak4dbm.jpg.html)

[adddo]

First, really nice tank!

Second, yes they require iodine, but if you do regular waterchanges with a good brand of salt that should be enough, and your tank is quite large and there isnt that many corals in it yet so shouldnt be an issue now.

Looks like a sarcopython elegans (?)

[Pife]

Nice looking tank. If you decide to dose it I would get a test kit first.

[kmu]

First, really nice tank!

Second, yes they require iodine, but if you do regular waterchanges with a good brand of salt that should be enough, and your tank is quite large and there isnt that many corals in it yet so shouldnt be an issue now.

Looks like a sarcopython elegans (?)

I do 50g water changes about once every 6 weeks, once it becomes loaded I will shorten up the timeframe between water changes


Nice looking tank. If you decide to dose it I would get a test kit first.

This is the main reason I wanted to avoid dosing Iodine, I really don't want to start testing for Iodine.

I do not like to test for anything in my tank, I just let the corals tell me how the water is, everything is doing great except for that yellow coral…

[bull shark]

Can someone ID this yellow leather?

Yellow Fiji Leather Coral or Sarcophyton elegans Coral.

More frequent and smaller water changes obviate the need for adding trace elements.

[kmu]

Last night I decided to move the yellow leather higher on the rock structure similar in height to where a huge brown/green similar looking leather is that is thriving with the lights.

The yellow leather was 42" from my hydras set at 50%, now its around 28" will see if it likes more light!!!

[cloak]

IME those yellow leathers seem to prefer a lot of light, and a lot of flow. Moving it was definitely a good idea.

[kmu]

IME those yellow leathers seem to prefer a lot of light, and a lot of flow. Moving it was definitely a good idea.


THX will keep you guys updated

[vanz]

Update? Did the high light and more flow help it?