Dosing iodine to aid molting?

[Dave Legacy]

I have heard of idoine being dosed into tanks to aid with molting in crustaceans. Is this something that one should do with stomatopods as well? I'm going to want to embark on another stomatopod, but I fear of having molting complications and losing another mantis.

Any insight?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

 

[Gonodactylus]

I know of no data on iodine and molting in stomatopods. With a varied diet of raw shrimp, mollusks, etc., there should be no reason to mess around with an additive that can be toxic.

Roy

 

[musty baby]

From this very site, found at:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php



"I do not presently dose iodine to my aquarium, and do not recommend that others necessarily do so either. Iodine dosing is much more complicated than dosing other ions due to its substantial number of different naturally existing forms, the number of different forms that aquarists actually dose, the fact that all of these forms can interconvert in reef aquaria, and the fact that the available test kits detect only a subset of the total forms present. This complexity, coupled with the fact that no commonly kept reef aquarium species are known to require significant iodine, suggests that dosing is unnecessary and problematic."

With the little I've read, and anyone feel free to chime in, adequate levels of iodine are maintained through the regular water changes you should already be doing.

 

[musty baby]

...hope I'm not breaking any rules posting that...

 

[Thurge]

I dosed Iodine ONCE (according to the directions) long ago. Short version is stuff started dying the next day. Never dosed again and haven't had any problems with molting in my charges.

 

[RicksReefs]

to much iodine can actually force a molt as it can be an irritant and the only way to remove it is to molt. a forced molt can lead to bent and/or missing antennae and legs in crustaceans.

 

[Dave Legacy]

Excellent information. Thanks!