I was reading the other night that crabs and shrimp need Iodine to aid in the molting process. We've never been able to keep snails alive and have barely kept any hermit crabs alive and our one and only shrimp (fire shrimp) died. Can someone shed some light on this subject for me? Thanks!
Iodine
- Thread starter tbagnall
- Start date
WickedReefer
New member
for what I know and read about iodine is that it helps crustaceans (shrimps, crabs, etc.) molt in which helps them grow. The downside of this is that you don't want them to molt no more than like once a month. For corals, iodine helps them grow and helps them from being exposed to intense light (like a sunscreen). as for your snails, crabs, and shrimp dying. have you checked certain perameters such as nitrate, ammonia, temp., and salinity??? they can be a bit sentive to extreme changes too due to these. also if you happen to have fish such as copperband butterflies or triggers in the tank they may be a problem too. if you're looking to use a iodine supplement, in my opinion I use Tech I by Kent due to its time release. also if you have xenia, they love the heck out of it and grow tremendous.
scubalauren
New member
Maybe lack of food. Did you try sinking shrimp pellets for the hermits and shrimp? Was there enough algea for the snails? I don't add iodine to my tank and my shrimp and lobster molt like normal. Does anyone know if Iodine is in the salt mix (Instant Ocean) already? Seems I read something on that once.
Mariner
New member
Crustaceans do need small amounts of iodine, and it is found in fairly large amounts in the tissues of xenia. That said, I doubt that you need to add it. Most salt mixes have more than enough. I used to dose iodine, but I haven't for years and can't tell the difference -- one tank full of xenia and another with about 50 crabs in it! I've become reluctant to dose anything that I can't test my water for to see what the levels are.
In your case, I'd suspect something IN your water that's not supposed to be rather than something NOT IN your water. As wickedreefer said, any of your basic paramaters being off could be a problem, as could low calcium and/or alkalinity. If something like copper was ever used in your tank, that also could be the cause.
HTH,
Mariner
In your case, I'd suspect something IN your water that's not supposed to be rather than something NOT IN your water. As wickedreefer said, any of your basic paramaters being off could be a problem, as could low calcium and/or alkalinity. If something like copper was ever used in your tank, that also could be the cause.
HTH,
Mariner
Tomoko Schum
New member
It's hard to say if iodine caused your tank inhabitants to grow or the tank finally matured enough and created a good condition for things to grow right around the same time.
My understanding and experience resembles Mariner's very much.
FYI: Here are couple of links to Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley's articles on iodine:
Iodine in Marine Aquaria: Part I
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm
Iodine in Reef Tanks 2: Effects on Macroalgae Growth
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...l2003/chem.htm
Tomoko
My understanding and experience resembles Mariner's very much.
FYI: Here are couple of links to Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley's articles on iodine:
Iodine in Marine Aquaria: Part I
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm
Iodine in Reef Tanks 2: Effects on Macroalgae Growth
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...l2003/chem.htm
Tomoko
Tomoko Schum
New member
I dose for maintaining alkalinity but not for pH. pH can fluctuate with the effect of CO2 caused by fish and macroalgae respiration at night or the house hold CO2 level. If you dose to raise pH, you tend to overshoot the alkalinity level. You end up yo-yoing by hunting for the center (desired) value.
Do you have corals in the tank where you have crabs and snails? If you do, how are they doing? They are all sensitive to copper as Mariner pointed out. Do you have any brass fittings somewhere on your water line? Snails are also sensitive to high phosphate and/or nitrogen levels.
Tomoko
Do you have corals in the tank where you have crabs and snails? If you do, how are they doing? They are all sensitive to copper as Mariner pointed out. Do you have any brass fittings somewhere on your water line? Snails are also sensitive to high phosphate and/or nitrogen levels.
Tomoko
Tomoko, we don't have any snails at this point, because they've all died within a few weeks of purchase. Some corals are in the tank and seem to be doing ok. All of our water in the tank has come from John at Coral Reef Acquatics at this point so there shouldn't be any copper and there are no brass fittings.
The CO2 is another issue, however. We keep a fan blowing on the top of the tank whenever the lights are on and balance the light during the daytime with a light in the refugium (sp?) at night to try to balance the PH somewhat. We also keep a window open slightly most of the time to try to promote the escape of the CO2 and inflow of O2 out of an into the house. We also have a power head in the tank to promote CO2 escape from the water surface.
Speaking of corals, we have a UV filter which we aren't using now, but did use previous to adding the corals. Will the UV filter hurt the green soft corals. We have a small amount of hair algae, I'd like to nip in the bud.
Thanks!
The CO2 is another issue, however. We keep a fan blowing on the top of the tank whenever the lights are on and balance the light during the daytime with a light in the refugium (sp?) at night to try to balance the PH somewhat. We also keep a window open slightly most of the time to try to promote the escape of the CO2 and inflow of O2 out of an into the house. We also have a power head in the tank to promote CO2 escape from the water surface.
Speaking of corals, we have a UV filter which we aren't using now, but did use previous to adding the corals. Will the UV filter hurt the green soft corals. We have a small amount of hair algae, I'd like to nip in the bud.
Thanks!
atlantisaquari
New member
my personal experience with iodide is that pretty much every tank i have tested for iodide showed about half (or less) normal sea levels of iodide. all of these tanks were being dosed esv's 2 part which has a little iodide in it. so on tanks such as these, probably half recommended iodide dose would be safe. but dosing consistently and testing regularly would be helpful. seachem has a iodide test kit but it does require that you have access to ro/di water.
Tomoko Schum
New member
Iodine supplementation is rather a controvertial topic. People don't seem to agree if it is good or bad.
I did not see any change in my tank when I started the use of iodine and when I quit using it eventually.
Here's what Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley said about Seachem's iodine test:
"The Seachem iodine kit detects only iodide (I-) and molecular iodine (I2). It is unlikely that there will be much I2 in an aquarium as it quickly breaks down into other products59 [to be described in a later article that will include a discussion on using products that contain I2, such as Lugols solution]. A potential drawback to this kit is that it doesn't detect iodate. So if your tank water matches normal seawater in quantity and speciation of iodine, then it will look artificially low (say, about 0.01 or 0.02 ppm). I would also not advise using this kit if you are adding an iodine supplement that contains considerable amounts of iodate, molecular iodine (that may break down into products that include iodate and iodide)59, or organic iodine forms. There is also the concern that supplemental iodide, and those forms of iodine coming in with marine foods, may end up partially as iodate. Consequently, this kit may substantially underestimate the total amount of iodine present. I fell into that trap years ago in dosing iodate to my tank, and a significant concentration built up before I specifically tested for it.
I did not see any change in my tank when I started the use of iodine and when I quit using it eventually.
Here's what Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley said about Seachem's iodine test:
"The Seachem iodine kit detects only iodide (I-) and molecular iodine (I2). It is unlikely that there will be much I2 in an aquarium as it quickly breaks down into other products59 [to be described in a later article that will include a discussion on using products that contain I2, such as Lugols solution]. A potential drawback to this kit is that it doesn't detect iodate. So if your tank water matches normal seawater in quantity and speciation of iodine, then it will look artificially low (say, about 0.01 or 0.02 ppm). I would also not advise using this kit if you are adding an iodine supplement that contains considerable amounts of iodate, molecular iodine (that may break down into products that include iodate and iodide)59, or organic iodine forms. There is also the concern that supplemental iodide, and those forms of iodine coming in with marine foods, may end up partially as iodate. Consequently, this kit may substantially underestimate the total amount of iodine present. I fell into that trap years ago in dosing iodate to my tank, and a significant concentration built up before I specifically tested for it.
