Dosing Iodine?

[Fmxmatt]

What are the benefits of dosing Iodine? I'm finding mixed information around the net saying its good for fish's slime coats, and other info saying it'll cause problems for inverts.

Its not something that seems to be widely spoken about, and seems near impossible to find a test kit for it in any stores.

Cheers

[wilson]

ive read that it can kill shrimps

[puttputt]

Try HFF, seen Iodine test kits often.

Benefits are unproven, and results subjective. IMO regular water changes should be all you need.

[puttputt]

Damn refresh button.

[wasp]

A few years ago I tried iodine dosing, it is very hard to keep the right level because it is quickly taken out of the water by various processes and reverts to forms that are not readily available to fish, corals and inverts.

After several months of dosing, testing, and making sure i didn't overdose, i couldn't see any benefit to the tank at all, so when the bottle ran out I didn't get a new one.

However iodine is a requirement in trace amounts, a COMPLETE lack can be harmful, but as Puttputt says, water changes are enough to ensure ther needed trace amount will be present. Also Wilson is correct, an overdose can be harmful and even kill. The risk of overdose is a possibility because iodine changes form in the tank and when combined with other elements is not detected by an iodine test kit. Therefore a lot more can be in the tank than we are aware of if we have been dosing it, and if conditions become right could convert back to a form the could be harmful in too high amounts.

Having said all that, there is a Zeovit formulation containing iodine that I dose and it does have a positive effect, but I'm not sure if it's the iodine or the other ingredients.

In general though, my own opinion is the money for a bottle of iodine could be better spent on something else.