Good iodine test kit

[jasonrusso]

It's there a good iodine test kit? I have the Seachem and it either reads zero or dangerous. The reference shows as zero also.

All the reviews I read are pretty poor. Does anyone actually successfully test for iodine?

 

[Phycodurus]

i have a red sea test kit and a salifert test kit for iodine. i feel like i'm always getting a 0.00 ppm reading from both.

i have the red sea iodine additive, and always dose at approximately half-strength at what i believe my tank needs, and i still don't seem to register any measurable value. <scratches head>

 

[Mykawl]

I’m suspicious if iodine is necessary seeing how it can be removed from carbon and skimming, maybe just do a little less of those 2. I can’t imagine all successful reefers are dosing iodine. Id think normal water changes should be able to keep you in line, just seems like an unnecessary expense.
Would love to hear if others disagree though

 

[Mykawl]

I know that’s not what you asked but it’s what I felt inspired to say lol any specific reason you’re wanting to test iodine, zoas not opening?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m suspicious if iodine is necessary seeing how it can be removed from carbon and skimming, maybe just do a little less of those 2. I can’t imagine all successful reefers are dosing iodine. Id think normal water changes should be able to keep you in line, just seems like an unnecessary expense.
Would love to hear if others disagree though

They aren't. Many of us dosed it for years, then stopped and saw no apparent difference.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

i have a red sea test kit and a salifert test kit for iodine. i feel like i'm always getting a 0.00 ppm reading from both.

i have the red sea iodine additive, and always dose at approximately half-strength at what i believe my tank needs, and i still don't seem to register any measurable value. <scratches head>

It depletes very fast. It can go from NSW levels to none detectable in a couple of days.

Also, you may not be using the kit right, or it may not work even when used right. lol

 

[jasonrusso]

I know that’s not what you asked but it’s what I felt inspired to say lol any specific reason you’re wanting to test iodine, zoas not opening?

I have a porcupine puffer that isn't doing too well. I read several places that puffers need iodine, but I feed the best foods (should have enough iodine) and keep the water as good as possible with a messy fowler tank. I'm grasping at straws trying to find something because I don't want to lose him. If you've ever had one, you would understand that they are different.

Fwiw, I did order a Salifert kit just to see if it reads differently. The seachem test can't be right and I can't repeat the results in back to back tests.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All vertebrates including fish need iodine for thyroid hormone. But they get it from foods. I’d be surprised if they need it in the water, but I suppose it is possible. Marine fish foods have way more iodine in them than seawater does.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

What are the effects of OD iodine? What should we look out for?

 

[Wicky48]

I’m suspicious if iodine is necessary seeing how it can be removed from carbon and skimming, maybe just do a little less of those 2. I can’t imagine all successful reefers are dosing iodine. Id think normal water changes should be able to keep you in line, just seems like an unnecessary expense.
Would love to hear if others disagree though

Iodide is important for coral growth.It detoxifies excess oxygen produced by zooxanthellae. A lot of times your corals closing up is due to them trying to shield the zooxanthellae from light. Iodide ions bond with oxygen to create non-toxic iodate. Essentially a water change will bring new iodide into your system which may last for a day. Iodide, or Lugal's can be dosed on a regular basis. There are also ICP tests you send away that can tell you specific levels. I do agree with the fact over the shelf products have such a small change in color they are fairly useless though.

 

[Wicky48]

On another note I have also found the dosing of flourine, another type of iodine which is abundant in the oceans has helped and increased the growth of a few of my corals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm personally not convinced it is useful and don't believe the claims many additive companies make about it. Iodine is mostly consumed by algae, but they also grow fine without it, at least chaeto and caulerpa racemosa.

I dosed it for many years, then stopped and saw no difference. Many experienced reefers had a similar experience.

FWIW, aside from certain specific organisms that have a use that I detail in my iodine articles, the need or use for iodine in most organisms we keep is not supported by the scientific literature.

There are a variety of forms of iodine that people dose. While I do not recommend it, many people dose Lugol's (a mix of I2 and I-), which is going to have effects unrelated to the iodine content, and may impact the bioavailability of many trace elements that it can potentially oxidize into different chemical forms.

I discuss iodine in detail here:

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iodine in Marine Aquaria: Part I ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iodine In Reef Tanks 2: Effects On Macroalgae Growth ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

On another note I have also found the dosing of flourine, another type of iodine which is abundant in the oceans has helped and increased the growth of a few of my corals.

I presume you mean "another type of halogen". Fluoride is not a type of iodine and is less like iodine chemically than is chloride.

 

[Themastaa]

I'm personally not convinced it is useful and don't believe the claims many additive companies make about it. Iodine is mostly consumed by algae, but they also grow fine without it, at least chaeto and caulerpa racemosa.

I dosed it for many years, then stopped and saw no difference. Many experienced reefers had a similar experience.

FWIW, aside from certain specific organisms that have a use that I detail in my iodine articles, the need or use for iodine in most organisms we keep is not supported by the scientific literature.

There are a variety of forms of iodine that people dose. While I do not recommend it, many people dose Lugol's (a mix of I2 and I-), which is going to have effects unrelated to the iodine content, and may impact the bioavailability of many trace elements that it can potentially oxidize into different chemical forms.

I discuss iodine in detail here:

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iodine in Marine Aquaria: Part I ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iodine In Reef Tanks 2: Effects On Macroalgae Growth ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Saved me time and money thank you sir

 

[chaostactics]

Great write up thank you.

 

[DeputyDog95]

Can you use Salifert's Iodine test kit to test for Iodine when dosing Red Sea's Trace Colors Iodine? If so, which of the two Salifert's test procedures should you use?

Red Sea Trace Colors A I Iodine+ | the coloration program.

Red Sea's Color coloration Program - IODINE+ TRACE COLORS A - Iodine/Halogen complex that promote the pink colors in corals. Coral Colors A Supplement is part of the complete range of complementary major, minor and trace element complexes which together provide the needs of corals.

www.redseafish.com

https://www.jlaquatics.com/media/bss/productattachment/iodinetest_instructions.pdf

The reason I ask is that I'm coming up pretty zero using both methods in their instructions. Considering the volume of water changes I've done since I lost power during the recent hurricane, I have a hard time believing I'm deficient in Iodine..