For Softies-Iodine or Not?

[Uncle99]

Some hobbists say dosing reef safe iodine is needed in an all softies tank.
So I have, 30, leathers, brains open and closed, hammers,torches,blasto,trumpets for corals +...anenome and its clown pair, Royal gramma, 3 cheomis for fish + fire shrimp.

Can anyone shed light on this softies/iodine thing for me.

Is it because it's not required as some exists in your salt and weekly water changes would suffice Or Does it get used up by the higher coral load on the system?

Anyone dose iodine and what does it do for corals?

[nereefpat]

Corals use iodine as a trace element. Salt mixes do contain iodine.

Some corals, like leathers, use more of it.

They do make test kits for iodine. If you suspect the tank is low on iodine, test for it. Then supplement with Kent iodide, or similar.

Hope that helps.

[Uncle99]

Thank you nereefpat, that does help.
I have the test and the additive, so I will use to bring up this trace element to levels consistent with what the manufacture states is the component in salt water.
We have quite a few leathers so if fact may be low.
Appreciated...

[outy]

You don't need that junk, good water goes much longer then any sales hype crap.

I have a lobo over 30 years old that doesn't need anything but clean water. my LPS grows like weeds and I only had problems using that.

Most people over do it.

[Uncle99]

And there is the question......some say yes, some say no....
Hum.....

[Dmorty217]

Regular Water changes will make dosing iodine pointless. If you don't do water changes then it will be beneficial to add

[Subsea]

And there is the question......some say yes, some say no....
Hum.....

Uncle,
As in everything, there is balance. Iodine, when overdone, can be antiseptic and has been used by advanced hobbiest in that manner. Hydrogen peroxide is another example of how something can be used to selectively sterilize a section of rock or to go all out and to selectively kill most all inverts and algae but the coral with a 10% bath of hydrogen peroxide with tank water for < 10 minutes.

Iodine is uptaken by all shellfish/ crustaceans which would include pods. I use iodine coupled with iron to redden up and grow decorative macro algae’s like Bortacladia and Halymenia digitata.

[Uncle99]

Thank you this makes complete sense to me, however, I have 6 leathers and 3 gorgonians, 5 brains....and many others.....so lots of soft corals.
My concern is that this load would use it up faster than replenished in the water change.
When I first tested after a 15% change the iodide was 0.
After dosing 5ml day 1 and day 3...the test now shows .03 which is bottom end range.
Seachem says ( of course) that iodide is required for inverts and softs.

Is there anyone out there that regularly doses iodide in their softies tank in the .03-.06 range and could you see any benefit? Could the benefit be less chance of bacterial infection?

[Uncle99]

Thanks Subsea....I posted above just before yours.
Yup, the inverts yes, but is there any truth that leathers, gorgonians, and brains also take up the iodide?

[Subsea]

Thanks Subsea....I posted above just before yours.
Yup, the inverts yes, but is there any truth that leathers, gorgonians, and brains also take up the iodide?


Be certain, everything that grows uses trace nutrients. For instance, the addition of chelates zinc around 200 year old pecan trees released nutrients that were locked up in the soil on my homesite in DeRidder, La. The next year, that tree produced > 300 lbs of quality pecans.

While I have not googled it, you should. There will be much scientific literature to describe the fact that all corals uptake all nutrients. Again, it is a “Question of Balance”.

IMO, with your heavy bioload, you might have to replace 100% of water several times during the week. If water change was the only source of iodine makeup in your tank, then iodine gets expensive. I prefer one drop of concentrate per every 25G twice a week.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

There's not much room for debate here.

Corals need iodine. Test for it, then dose to the natural seawater level if your tank is low. Rinse, wash, repeat.

IME most tanks don't need it (thanks to low bioloads for corals that use a lot of it) but yours is a typical example of one that might. Softies can grow incredibly fast when conditions are right and they're not nutrient limited.

[Uncle99]

Excellent!
Thank you all for your input.....now maintaining iodide at .03
Cheers