iodine and trace elements myth or fact?

[spamreefnew]

i have been having an ongoing problem with my mushroom corals(of all things) they have been bleaching one by one over the last year. and over this time i have made several trips to several LFS to get my water tested. i have also been testing it myself. none of us can find anything wrong??? all the LFS's keep telling me to add "trace elements" and or "iodine". but everyone here and in books says..."never add what you cant test for" and thats always been my motto also. but i am now wondering if my skimmer that was rated for a 120gallon on a 45 gallon tank has skimmed out all of the trace and/or iodine ? and the skimmer started making less foam about a year ago as well. once again ALL water tests come back A1 and lightbulbs are always fresh. and other corals doing great.

 

[beadlocked450r]

I have an 8 week old 180g with several hermits,snails,sally light foot crab,16 damsels,yellow tang,coral banded,manderine and a mushroom I got by acdent when I got some shells for my hermits,and I have been adding iodine for both the shrimp and the shroom and everything is great!the shroom is growing like a weed and has great color!its also first thing other then fish I've had

 

[drainbamage101]

I actually don't believe in the whole "don't add what you can't test for" idea-your corals and animals are a constant test kit, observing them is often sufficient to understand what's going on in your tank, and many times much better than a titration reaction that gives you a value to test against NSW where these animals live in an environment VERY different than an aquairum.

That said, what tests have they done, what values have they given? Lets start with the simple things to check on.

Secondly, where is this mushroom sitting in the tank, with what lighting on it, and with what flow amounts around and nearby it?

Thirdly, given that information, how many times have you tried moving it to a different environment in the tank, and then observed how it fares for a period of time after that?

Also, what other corals in the tank?

Iodine is a very risky item to add, which is why most manufacturers have switched to producing Iodide supplements, not iodine.

 

[spamreefnew]

1. everything ,,,copper=o calcium=400 alk=8dkh mag=1300 sg= 1.0265 ph=8.3 ammonia=o nitrite=0 nitrate= 5-10 ppm (depending on the day and lfs)
2. the mushrooms are scattered all over the tank,they get effected at random
3.same as above
4. branching hammer,green toadstool leather,gsp,cabbage leather,alantic nem,paylays,tulip nems,and one tiny sps frag . the corals are the same that have been in there for years(before this started)

as i said i dont like adding things BUT i did add a capfull of "essential elements" yesterday, and this morning i could swear that one of the shrooms has got some color specks showing up???

 

[outy]

bleaching out is usually a hot spot under hqi lighting and or just to bright of light for to long.

certain additives can help combat bleaching but its a bandaid patch attempt

the only thing I would add to my water is essential elements and iodine, i did this like you haveing some SPS bleaching knowing its lights but yet trying to minimize effects. lowered 1 piece and color came back fairly quickly. Like you i swear color popped a little brigter by the next day.

dont over do it, if anything add half what they say. if you change water like we all should trace elements shouldnt be needed

 

[neoalchemist74]

Don't add iodide/iodine unless you are testing for it. It is highly toxic at very low levels. If you do regular water changes then you probably have enough iodine. Look closely for preditory nudibanchs; look like slugs likely very close or the same color as your mushrooms.

 

[drainbamage101]

iodine is highly toxic, even at low levels. Iodide is not the same beast as iodine, and very possibly is what you need to add.

However, you seem to have somewhat higher levels of nitrates for a reef, so what are your phosphates, and what is your iodide level? Those tests are available, so try and find results on them. Also, what's the temperature running through your tank? And how often water changes and what % when you do, with what sort of saltwater (NSW or what brand mix with what water source?)

 

[spamreefnew]

oidide huh?

 

[drainbamage101]

oidide huh?

:hmm5: huh?

 

[greenbean36191]

With iodine and other trace elements in a reef tank the old mantra of "don't dose what you don't test for" is pretty good advice for several reasons. First is that animals, including most corals and shrimp, mostly get their necessary trace elements from their food, not the water. Second is that a lot of the trace elements, including iodine, aren't known to be necessary for the health of corals or shrimp in the first place. Third, most trace elements are toxic at elevated concentrations. And finally, the concentrations of most trace elements in most reef tanks is already higher than in natural seawater due to high amounts in salt mixes and foods.

Bottom line is that you're much more likely to harm your corals by dosing iodine and other trace elements than it is that they will suffer without those additions.

 

[Reef obcession]

your killing me with that avator :inlove:

 

[ecupcar]

No Kiddin... what was this thread about?

 

[mscarpena]

While I agree witht he above 2 posts I can stay on track.....I think. I agree that you should not add things you do not test for however I have been adding 2 things for 7-8 years that I do not test for that I believe are essential. One is Tech I(iodine supplement) and the Strontium and Moly additive both by Kent Marine. I think soft corals absolutely do need iodine and LPS need Strontium. I would categorize these as trace elements. With that being said you do need to be careful with what you are adding because as others have said too much can and will kill your reef inhabitants. Tech I states that you can not over dose it however I would not push it. I add one capful(5mils) of each one per week with my water changes.

 

[spamreefnew]

+1 on that avatar!!! well come to find out my mag. was low (1050) so i have been bringing that up,,and i also raised my lights a foot, i will add "essential elements" every week and let you know what happens....p.s. who the heck is that greenbeen??????????????

 

[Agu]

Granted I have nano tanks so it changes the equation. Back when I had larger tanks I dosed and tested for all kinds of stuff. It got pretty expensive. Now I just do water changes and maybe an extra one if things don't look right.

Point being imho too many people are dosing and testing (with questionable chemicals and test kits btw) with mediocre results. In my experience water changes are easier and cheaper unless you have a huge tank.

 

[neoalchemist74]

granted i have nano tanks so it changes the equation. Back when i had larger tanks i dosed and tested for all kinds of stuff. It got pretty expensive. Now i just do water changes and maybe an extra one if things don't look right.

Point being imho too many people are dosing and testing (with questionable chemicals and test kits btw) with mediocre results. In my experience water changes are easier and cheaper unless you have a huge tank.

+1

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

if we can tear ourselves from the avatar!

if we can tear ourselves from the avatar!

try feeding the corallimorphs some food.
Get some dissolved organics in the water. Skip the iodine.

Of course, any Acropora might suffer if you scuz up the water too much....
but your shrooms will love it.

 

[spamreefnew]

have been feeding zooplex and phytoplex for 2 weeks now