How important is to add iodine

[Luis]

I have added iodine once every week the last 8 years and everything has been great but lately there's some people saying that is not necessary, I don't know where they read that information but I know iodine is very important for corals specially for xenias and other invertebrates like anemones, experts say is good to add trace elements between water changes (Delbeck, Sprung, Nielsen, fossa...)

I know anemones don't survive more than a couple years in captivity because of the lack of trace elements among other causes.

My main concern is that all this people are spreading the word saying "Don't add trace elements" and some people are following the "advise". Others say: "don't add it unless you can test it" but you can not test iodine because there some many forms (or something like that) and the results are misleading.

What do you think about the use of trace elements?

thanks

 

[Len]

I used to add iodine but have long since stopped. I've seen no difference in growth or appearance. Note: I do use b-ionic which includes iodine and other elements in correct proportion to NSW. I don't particularly like adding individual trace elements for the reason you mentioned: because you can't test most of them.

FWIW, Anemones can last indefinitely in captivity with or without trace elements. I've known many species and specimens that have been kept by friends for more then a decade.

 

[Anonymous]

>...I don't know where they read that information but I know iodine is very important for corals specially for xenias and other invertebrates like anemones, experts say is good to add trace elements between water changes (Delbeck, Sprung, Nielsen, fossa...)

Did these experts explicitly say that iodine is necessary for Xenia?

Mine lived for about 6 years with very infrequently water change (about once or twice per year, 30%) and I only dose kalk or calcium reactor. Granted that there is trace amount of iodine in the reactor medium, there is almost no iodine source. They got riped out a few months ago in a temporary tank for about 3 months.

 

[brandon4291]

I was also adding it for years in my pico reefs but haven't in the last two. The iodine gets into the system via frozen feed and the synthetic foods we use. I haven't ever tested for it, but since I keep xenia and all soft corals (that can fit) just fine, I'd have to assume that the iodine base is covered based on the water changes and feed additions. I figure if it's one less additive I'm buying, that works for me. I still get great polyp expansion without it so I quit using it. It was my opinion that red algae issues subsided for me when I quit using it. I wish I would have tested this thought further, however, because my picos were quite old at the time and the red algae could have been caused by other OT factors.

Anecdotally, pico reefs are an excellent testing ground for micro and macro nutrient experiments. The ratio of sequestering animals per unit of water is greatly exaggerated, so I believe firmly in the no-IA new bandwagon because if it was a matter of life and death I wouldn't be able to keep softs as well as they are currently existing in the pico reef environment (knockin on wood)

 

[trigger0214]

I stopped adding iodine and I seem to get less nuicance alage. Just a personal observation...every is fine/better.

 

[rayjay]

Dr Randy Holmes-Farley sees no need for adding iodine or any of it's forms under normal circumstances.
I haven't used it in my 12+ yrs and my xenia makes me a lot of money in all the years I've been growing it.
My shrimp molt just fine without the additions.

 

[Anonymous]

I stopped adding iodine and I seem to get less nuicance alage. Just a personal observation...every is fine/better.

That was my observation as well so put me in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" column

 

[Anonymous]

I think iodine is important if you ave a large shrimp/crab load. you'll notice "clipped" antennae when iodine gets low or is not supplemented.

In my experience, shrooms and softies seem to like it when I dose iodine, and everthing else seems to be unaffected, so I dose it. (Kent marine)

But, my plan is to use off-the-shelf drug store iodine instead of the "aquarium" variety.

 

[Unarce]

I found that iodine greatly increases the color of my corals j/k