Iodine

Dman

New member
Tired of paying through the nose for commercially prepared iodine, I've been told I can use pharmacuetical grade iodine. This is all fine and well, 'cept I have no idea what or how to use it.
Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
What are you using Iodine for? Would Lugol's Solution work? (Kent makes one, not very expensive if you don't use too much, and I'm sure you can get it cheaper elsewhere if you do need a lot). I've dosed in my reefs before-- seems to help soft-coral growth, but I don't use any in the clown systems--I let water changes take care of that if there is even a need for it. Hoff seems to like Iodine, but I couln't find where he said exactly why...

Matt
 
I don't measure or dose Iodine, but I am a water changing fool. I figure that takes care of a lot of trace elements, such as iodine.
 
Iodine or Iodide? Last I checked Iodine was toxic...

I haven't felt "pinched" by the price of products like Seachem's Reef Iodide, but I'm only dosing it to < 100 gallons of water. FWIW, using the test reveals that the stuff does get removed pretty quickly from my main tanks..of course all the macros, xenia and other softies are surely to blame. I'm not sure I ever tested the Iodide content of freshly mixed reef crystals, but my TANKS routinely test out at 0.00 ppm iodide, despite weekly 25% water changes, so I suspect the levels in new water may not be sufficient.

Kathy, what about Hoff's observation that iodide helps prevent misbarring in clownfish?

Matt
 
I don't know. I don't dose it, yet have little misbarring. In fact the missbarring I do have can be explained by nutrition issues in the first week of life: power outage darkness, running out of rotifers, etc. I can't tell yet if my latest batch will be very misbarred. There are some now, but they are only a month old, and may still fill in.

There are so many things that can vary from batch to batch, it is unclear to me if Hoff's husbandry skills improved coincident to his dosing of iodide.

It is my understanding that iodine and iodide convert back and forth in equilibrium. Both are toxic if in high enough concentration. In the pharmacology world where I come from, dose is all important. The difference between curing and killing.
 
Thanks all, it was Lugol's that was mentioned to me once.
Here's why. I ran across an online article done by a couple of blokes' in the UK that were experimenting on their B&W occelaris breeding program with Iodine. Their findings, although not scientific, more observational than measurable found that the fry meta'd on average a day earlier and barred up alot faster. Of course the link is dead and all electronic communication with them has gone unanswered. Never the less, my own experience has shown this to be true and I now use Iodine on all my fish, regardless.
 
Back
Top