Seachem Test kit for PO4 and iodine

[Kewlworm]

I am thinking of getting them both and maybe ALK. I have Salifert now, but running out and want to try out the cheaper ones and compare. How are they? Are they easy to read?

Thanks!
Gary

[StrategicReef]

The phosphate kit is super easy to read. One drop of one and two drop of bottle two. Takes 10 seconds.

The iodide kit is more painful. It does seem to tell the depletion and allow me to replenish iodide correctly. I think this kit measures total iodine+iodide. (the terms used interchangably through out the kit) I dose with seachem potassium iodide.

Mine was reading almost 0, I replenished it to 0.10 ppm and it registered right away.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've not used either of those two tests for a long time, so I'm sure they are different now.

FWIW, I do not recommend that folks test for or supplement iodine. there are many reasons for this, no the least of which are the complications and difficulties in actually interpreting what iodine test kit numbers mean, but in general, iodine dosing does not seem to be necessary or useful for the organisms that most reefers maintain.

These articles have more on iodine:

Iodine in Marine Aquaria: Part I
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm

Iodine in Reef Tanks 2: Effects on Macroalgae Growth
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2003/chem.htm

[Bugger]

I've read that iodine prevent bleaching but perhaps your right Randy and its not nessacary. Doesen't it also help grow coraline algea?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've seen no evidence that supplemental iodine in a reef aquarium does either of those things. I haven't dosed any for many years, and have plenty of coralline and no bleached corals.

[StrategicReef]

I read that article and I think I understand little of it, but what I know is I can dose some, very little like 1ml, and then I can see the tank deplete it, so it is using it.

I thought potassium iodide is pretty safe to use because it isn't the same as dosing iodine. I guess we just don't know what it does though.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, algae very rapidly takes up iodine and converts it into organoiodine compounds. That, however, is not a benefit to anything in the aquarium, including the algae, as far as I can tell.

If I were to dose iodine, I would choose to dose an iodide salt (sodium or potassium, as you do).