Iodine in saltwater tank?

[endlessrealm]

My saltwater tank is 4 months old. I have corals, fish, inverts. I tested for everything but iodine. I have a carbon reactor thats been running lately. And my cleaner shrimp died this morning. Did my carbon reactor remoce iodine for my shrimp and killed him?

Phosphate: 0.05.
Alk:7.5
Temp:77F
Nitrate:10
Calcium:450
Magnesium:1350

Salinity is 1.025


Do i need to dose iodine? Is ipdine important for corals? Am i being a bad owner for running a carbon reactor that removes it?

 

[Rmckoy]

I’m a 4 month old system I believe iodine ( iodide ) would be maintained with water changes .

it would depend on the salt mix along with the frequency of water changes

 

[endlessrealm]

I’m a 4 month old system I believe iodine ( iodide ) would be maintained with water changes .

it would depend on the salt mix along with the frequency of water changes

I run carbon reactor. Wouldnt that remove it?

 

[Rmckoy]

I run carbon reactor. Wouldnt that remove it?

Which is essentially carbon tumbling in a gfo reactor ?
I don’t believe so

 

[Uncle99]

Lack of iodine would not kill your shrimp.
I do maintain iodine through an iodide supplement to 0.03-0.06ppm as a matter of practice, but, don’t no what it’s usefulness is in reef aquaria.

Your Alk seems on the lower side for my liking at 7.5dkh.
While OK, you have no room for any further drop, so that can be risky.

And just for the record, did your shrimp die, or are you seeing his molt. They will molt an identical copy, then hide for days in the rocks until it hardens.

 

[Rmckoy]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
What would contribute to iodine being low or used ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Algae is likely the biggest user in most tanks. Many organisms take it up, but I think it is not proven that most benefit from dosing it. My tank did not seemingly benefit, but it's a fine experiment, IMO.

Carbon does not likely remove much from seawater. That's a misinterpretation of a different experiment and result: iodine number as a way to measure GAC surface area that some folks mistakenly assumed meant it bund the forms in seawater.

 

[endlessrealm]

Lack of iodine would not kill your shrimp.
I do maintain iodine through an iodide supplement to 0.03-0.06ppm as a matter of practice, but, don’t no what it’s usefulness is in reef aquaria.

Your Alk seems on the lower side for my liking at 7.5dkh.
While OK, you have no room for any further drop, so that can be risky.

And just for the record, did your shrimp die, or are you seeing his molt. They will molt an identical copy, then hide for days in the rocks until it hardens.

Im not sure how 7.5 alk is risky. As long as the number stable. I dont see how can that be an issue? At least thats what people told me anyway.

My tropic marin salt mixes low 7s

 

[Rmckoy]

Im not sure how 7.5 alk is risky. As long as the number stable. I dont see how can that be an issue? At least thats what people told me anyway.

My tropic marin salt mixes low 7s

7.5 dkh is not risky at all .
it’s on the lower end of the acceptable range but also consider it to be natural sea level . And exactly where mine has been for years .
if it’s not broken . Don’t fix it

 

[endlessrealm]

7.5 dkh is not risky at all .
it’s on the lower end of the acceptable range but also consider it to be natural sea level . And exactly where mine has been for years .
if it’s not broken . Don’t fix it

It was 6.9 2 days ago. I had to raise it with red sea alk riser. I do it every now and then to keep the number stable.

 

[14 foot reef]

It was 6.9 2 days ago. I had to raise it with red sea alk riser. I do it every now and then to keep the number stable.

Exactly what @Uncle99 said, you are on the low side with not much room for error. So you raised it, he didn't say it was wrong or the problem. Shooting for 8.5 allows drift in either direction without worry of going to far high or low.

He's just suggesting in this forum as a safer range, it might be better to be a little higher.

Also as @Uncle99 it could just be his molt. be patient, your tank is very young, its probably not settled in and stable yet.

You perimeters seam good except the ALK being on the lower side of safe. I would not change anything at this point, I would sit back keep hands out of the tank and watch. Test as often and you can and document everything.

Please add size of system, filtration, lighting, and maintenance schedule that you follow so the forum can better assist you.

Also a nice pic with White lights on NOT BLUE lights so we can see the stage of your reef.

Good luck keep up the good work !!!

 

[Rmckoy]

For Alk to be at nsw levels you need to be on top of measuring Alk frequently . And dose according to daily consumption

calculate what your system uses daily by testing on day 1
And again day 5
Calculate what needs to be dosed to bring it back to your starting level and divide by 5
That’s your daily dose amount

this is always subject to change as corals grow or coralline algae grows more

 

[Rmckoy]

Reef Chemistry Calculator

I like using this calculator
It’s easy ,

 

[Uncle99]

Im not sure how 7.5 alk is risky. As long as the number stable. I dont see how can that be an issue? At least thats what people told me anyway.

My tropic marin salt mixes low 7s

If your right on top of your Alk and your in stable mode, not risky. But if for some reason you fall below 7, that’s going to be an issue if not caught soon.
If your Alk is higher, you buy yourself more “wiggle” room in both directions. Of course we don’t want that number moving, it’s just a bit of insurance IMM.

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

FWIW low iodine will absolutely affect any specimen that rely on molting its fundamental in the new shell growth. The first sign I had low iodine levels was a pair of cleaners kicking it both in the same week. Second was unusual dulling of color on the montipora. Pretty much came to terms that something with IORC has changed but sense I have four new buckets it was cheaper to supplement the tank with lugols to make up the differance. Havn't added new cleaners due to a flame hawk addition and only really bought them to keep my achilles company. Two weeks after supplementing I saw a great improvement with the montis.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW low iodine will absolutely affect any specimen that rely on molting its fundamental in the new shell growth. The first sign I had low iodine levels was a pair of cleaners kicking it both in the same week. Second was unusual dulling of color on the montipora. Pretty much came to terms that something with IORC has changed but sense I have four new buckets it was cheaper to supplement the tank with lugols to make up the differance. Havn't added new cleaners due to a flame hawk addition and only really bought them to keep my achilles company. Two weeks after supplementing I saw a great improvement with the montis.

I don't agree that shrimp have any demonstrated need for iodine, but I know many people believe this to be true.

 

[FIN&BONEZ]

I don't agree that shrimp have any demonstrated need for iodine, but I know many people believe this to be true.

I was under the impression that iodine played a huge roll in all living organisms, albeit for different reasons depending on the specimen. Thought I read some time ago that in shrimp it helps keep them bacteria free after the molt as well as helping the hardening process of the new growth.

 

[SPS2020]

Which is essentially carbon tumbling in a gfo reactor ?
I don’t believe so

You do NOT want to tumble carbon!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was under the impression that iodine played a huge roll in all living organisms, albeit for different reasons depending on the specimen. Thought I read some time ago that in shrimp it helps keep them bacteria free after the molt as well as helping the hardening process of the new growth.

These ideas are repeated often, but there’s no known need for iodine in many organisms, including shrimp.

 

[Bacon and Eggs]

Humans use iodine in the thyroid during hormone synthesis. We are pretty different from inverts though. I am unfamiliar with shrimp physiology.