Reef Chemicals- Add what ?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 15, 2023

EricR said:
Recently started Iodide out of desperation for inexplicable zoa downturn and ICP showing extremely low Iodine but expecting this to be a short lived experiment.

Any change noted yet?

Spicy Reef · May 15, 2023

20% monthly water changes (RC), I dose limewater/kalkwasser(Mrs. wages pickling lime) and Mag.

EricR · May 15, 2023

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Any change noted yet?

Optimistically, I'd say "maybe" based on:
-- zoas had been all completely closed, shrinking/receding, for a solid 3 months
-- was convinced they'd eventually just melt/evaporate (but just speculating here)
-- the polyps are small now but actually open most of the time at 1 month mark on iodide dosing

I'm dosing 2 mL of Seachem Iodide every other day into 40 gallon tank which is half the recommended "beginner dose" suggested.
*based on calculations, that's more than I should need but my ICP showed Iodine levels low so not sure exactly how Iodide converts/translates to Iodine, plus I've read it depletes rapidly anyway so no idea where I'm at with residual levels

Plan to keep dosing Iodide for now and do another ICP test in a month or so.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 15, 2023

EricR said:
Optimistically, I'd say "maybe" based on:
-- zoas had been all completely closed, shrinking/receding, for a solid 3 months
-- was convinced they'd eventually just melt/evaporate (but just speculating here)
-- the polyps are small now but actually open most of the time at 1 month mark on iodide dosing

I'm dosing 2 mL of Seachem Iodide every other day into 40 gallon tank which is half the recommended "beginner dose" suggested.
*based on calculations, that's more than I should need but my ICP showed Iodine levels low so not sure exactly how Iodide converts/translates to Iodine, plus I've read it depletes rapidly anyway so no idea where I'm at with residual levels

Plan to keep dosing Iodide for now and do another ICP test in a month or so.

A single ICP cannot tell you how much you need each day, nor can Seachem dosing instructions, but if it seems helpful, Seachem is unlikely to recommend too large of an overdose or we would have more complaints about that.

CoachRichardson · May 15, 2023

All for Reef
Red Sea AB+
Dinkins Phyto
a drop of Iodine a couple times a month.
I'll run a little bit of carbon in my filter sock.
That's it, trying to stay away from anything more and trying to keep it as simple as possible. All corals are growing and fish seem happy.
Mainly LPS and softies. I have a couple of anacropora and see montis but that's as complicated as it gets right now.

Evil1 · May 15, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
There are sales through BRS, aquariums specialty and others where we see 50 or more bottles of additives on sale. We and new reefers often ask, " Do I need all these" ?
We all know for the most part with coral, we need calcium, alk buffer, calcium supplement, as well as trace elements and aminos. Some of us as myself resort to use of kalkwasser.
Some utilize carbon dosing for reduction of nitrate and phosphate and addition of amino acid for protein for coral.

We see many here who resort to chemical everything. . . . . Adding melafix, paraguard, liquid vibrant, coralline grow and may others.

What do you use and why do you use it?

I add alk and CA as needed,, daily small dose of trace elements and Aminos every other day and currently iron, vanadium, cobalt based on recent ICP test and occasional Manganese for my gonioporas.

TM AFR, RedSea AB+ & TM Bacto Balance. 10% weekly water change with coral pro salt …….That’s it! Parameters where I need them. Water crystal clear. Corals and fish thriving.