Table salt for iodine

[Reesj]

Hi.
Will I be able to put a pinch of table salt with my next water change batch to give a punch of Iodine ? I think I might need a bit of kick for goniopora and was wondering if there would be any things seriously bad about adding about 1g of table salt.

 

[mcdrichj]

I would just get an additive. How would you know how much you are adding? This is just the tip of the iceberg too.

 

[PatW]

I think able salt has a chemical in it to aid in “pouring”. You can buy an iodine supplement for reef tanks. Why take the chance for a few $?

 

[Rlreefing]

Mate, unfortunately this hobby has some added costs especially with reefs and corals. Please for the health of your system do not try and take cheap routs with additives. There are many different companies in various price ranges that provide additives that have been widely accepted by reef keepers around the world. Table salt may have other contaminates that could harm the system.

 

[UCF Alum]

Hi.
Will I be able to put a pinch of table salt with my next water change batch to give a punch of Iodine ? I think I might need a bit of kick for goniopora and was wondering if there would be any things seriously bad about adding about 1g of table salt.

Don’t add anything you can’t test for.
How do you know you’re low on iodine?

 

[Florida Sunshine]

I would only do it if Randy Homes Farley said it was ok.
He has diy recipes for a lot of stuff and see if he has one for iodine. If not, then I would buy the iodine supplement.

 

[beaslbob]

I hear it's the wrong form of iodine.

 

[Reesj]

In Sri Lanka it is impossible to find the aditives. I have to order online from Aliexpress and wait about a month to receive those.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is not the best plan because there is so little iodide in it, you'd need to add large amounts of it over time, boosting salinity and messing up the ionic balance of sodium and chloride relative to all other ions.

My Mortons says it has 68 micrograms of iodine per 1.5 grams of product. That's 0.068 milligrams per 1.5 grams of salt.

If you want to add the NSW level (0.06 mg/L) of iodine to 1 L of tank water, you'd need to add 0.06 mg of iodine. So you'd need to add about 1.3 grams of salt every time.

Since seawater only contains 35 grams of salt per liter, you'd be boosting the salinity by 4% with each addition.

 

[Reesj]

It is not the best plan because there is so little iodide in it, you'd need to add large amounts of it over time, boosting salinity and messing up the ionic balance of sodium and chloride relative to all other ions.

My Mortons says it has 68 micrograms of iodine per 1.5 grams of product. That's 0.068 milligrams per 1.5 grams of salt.

If you want to add the NSW level (0.06 mg/L) of iodine to 1 L of tank water, you'd need to add 0.06 mg of iodine. So you'd need to add about 1.3 grams of salt every time.

Since seawater only contains 35 grams of salt per liter, you'd be boosting the salinity by 4% with each addition.

Thanks. I was hoping to add it with the next water change, so solves the salinity problem. But I thought the table salt will contain a lot mroe iodine concentrantion. It seems I would need to add a lot more than a pinch for a 200L system and in doing so can throw other trace elements off.

 

[Terry Mattson]

I use Brightwell iodine as my zoas would barely open. I have over 100 zoas in the tank. I test using red sea iodine test kit. Raised iodine to. 05 ppm and the zoas all opened with in 24 hours. Additionally, they are now spreading. I add two drops a week to keep iodine at .06 ppm.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks. I was hoping to add it with the next water change, so solves the salinity problem. But I thought the table salt will contain a lot mroe iodine concentrantion. It seems I would need to add a lot more than a pinch for a 200L system and in doing so can throw other trace elements off.

Right, it will throw the salt mix off.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use Brightwell iodine as my zoas would barely open. I have over 100 zoas in the tank. I test using red sea iodine test kit. Raised iodine to. 05 ppm and the zoas all opened with in 24 hours. Additionally, they are now spreading. I add two drops a week to keep iodine at .06 ppm.

Glad it seems helpful to you. i never noticed an effect of iodine supplementation on zooanthids or anything else.

 

[Terry Mattson]

Glad it seems helpful to you. i never noticed an effect of iodine supplementation on zooanthids or anything else.

I struggled with zoas for like 3 plus months. Tried everything you can emagine. There is a thread with all the details under my name. ZOAS NOT OPENING SOLVED. I think. My tank is filled with lps, mushrooms, zoas, goniopora, and palys. My lfs suggested iodine. It measured very low with a red sea iodine test kit. So during the day I dosed about 6 drops then added two more. Next morning all of them were opened. My palys doubled in size in one month. I do small daily water changes. Dose with kalkwisser by the hour. Test every weekend and make small calcium and alk adjustments when needed. I have learned alot from your post. Chemistry. Very helpful information. Have much respect for you .... btw got a c- in chemistry in college. Lowest grade. Lol.