What does lugols (iodine dip) do exactly?

[smartang22]

I recently found out that my zoas have a fungus growing in between them. I am going to take them off of the rock I epoxied them to and scrub (gently) with a toothbrush. After that I was told to do a freshwater dip or a lugols dip. Well, I know lugols is iodine and I know that reef inhabitants need iodine, but why dip it? What exactly does it do for/to the zoanthids? Do I really need to do that?

Also, does the freshwater dip eliminate the fungus from the frag and kind of wash it clean? How long is too long for a freshwater dip or an iodine dip?

Thanks!

 

[Bebo77]

in high levels it kills critters.. ie flatworms etc...

 

[DetectiveTofu]

It is kind of like an antibiotic dip from what I've heard

 

[rsw686]

I've dipped my torch coral in an iodine dip when part of it died to brown slime diease. The other section wasn't looking good and after I dipped its come back and looks great now. I just poured some iodine into saltwater I took from the tank.