Adding Iodine?

[gozetec02]

I have a Peppermint shrimp and it is suggested that iodine be added to the aquarium for proper molting. Does this hold true for all shrimps and crabs. What kind of iodine could i add. I suppose you can't use the medical variety, or can you?

Also some Corals and some Anemones require this.

 

[XXFirefighter]

no it's different...
The iodine I use is clear...
They need it to molt..
my cleaner didn't molt for 2 months, I added it and 3 days later he molted..

 

[austinsdad]

Some say water changes provide those things sufficiently. Others have said since there is no good iodine test, they have overdosed and had big trouble before. What kind, I don't know.

 

[GrndHog]

In your case (20gal), a half a cap twice a week would be sufficient. I use Seachem Iodide
I've read that its hard to test for because its absorbed by the tank very quickly

 

[Jason]

You have a 20 long, don't add anything and they'll molt just fine. Just do the regular 10% WC once a week and that's all you need for that shrimp to molt.

 

[XXFirefighter]

I don't do weekly water changes.. and run SeaGel I think it's called.. So I just add it between water changes, I do bi-weekly changes so the off week is when I add my "stuff"

 

[kwan]

I used to add iodine, but stopped after hearing all the bad stories about the dangers. So I stopped adding iodine about 7 months ago and my shrimps still molts every 2 to 3 weeks.

 

[Bang Guy]

Crustaceans do not require Iodine to molt. Iodine is in fact very toxic to crustaceans. They have a way of eliminating Iodine from their body though. They can store it in their exoskeleton and molt it away. Unfortunately they can only molt so often because it consumes a lot of their energy. Iodine levels above NSW levels will cause them to molt excessively and will eventually kill them.

So, if you don't want your Shrimp to live a full life you should dose Iodine to speed up its death along with most of the other crustaceans in your system.

 

[MadManMac]

Actually, all living creatures need iodine to live, and crustaceans do need aditional iodine to molt, it is more a question of how much. Many Soft corals also need iodine to grow. The question is really not do you need to dose iodine, as much as do I have enough things that need iodine to supplement the iodine I do have.

Also, not all Iodine is clear, that actually means there is very little iodine in the mix because no matter how you make it, iodine is red. I use Lugol's solution which is that deep dark iodine we all know, and it only takes 1 or 2 drops for my 60 gallon reef. I also add this every other week and test using the Salifert test kit. The kit seems to be fine and I have very healthy and bright shrimp and corals.

 

[Bang Guy]

Actually, all living creatures need iodine to live, and crustaceans do need aditional iodine to molt

Yes, but above NSW levels is toxic to crustaceans. Most organisms obtain what little Iodine they require from their food, not from the water column.

No, they do not require additional Iodine to molt. The typical reef tank already has excess Iodine and adding more is putting your crustaceans in jeopardy.

 

[MadManMac]

Like I said, they do require iodine to molt, additional would depend on the amount that is taken out of the system versus what is put back in to it. I have quite a few shrimp and crabs, and a lot of soft corals that do pull it out of the water column, so occasionally I need to add some to get back to NSW levels. I agree that extra iodine is bad, but the need to add it depends on what is using it. I also believe that some of the iodine is pulled out by skimming which over time could reduce the levels so far that it does cause a problem. I do agree, that for the most part it is not needed, but I would say that it depends on what you have in the tank, as it does with anything you dose.

 

[Bang Guy]

This artical may be of interest to you. ---> http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm

Randy is a research scientist and knows how to really dig for information. This is his quote regarding Shrimp requiring Iodine "I could find no scientific studies that showed that shrimp need iodine from the water column".

It is one of many on the subject and they all tend to agree with a couple of critical points:

1 - Excess Iodine is bad (above NSW).
2 - Hobbiests do not have access to Iodine test kits that are accurate enough (+/- 0.5ppm where NSW levels are around 0.06ppm - 0.12 ppm)
3 - Animals get Iodine from food not the water column.
4 - Skimmers don't remove significant amounts of Iodine.
5 - Adding Lugols to the water is a bad thing.

 

[MadManMac]

Randy is a research scientist and knows how to really dig for information. This is his quote regarding Shrimp requiring Iodine "I could find no scientific studies that showed that shrimp need iodine from the water column".

That is a good article, but you need to remember to give a whole quote, not just the part that supports what you are saying.

The actual quote was" I could find no scientific studies that showed that shrimp need iodine from the water column, but neither could I find any that demonstrates that they do not."

Makes a difference doesn't it?

 

[Bang Guy]

No, the point is that there is nothing supporting your claim that Shrimp require Iodine to molt and I have a LOT of experience with them showing that they do not.

I did not take Randy's quote out of context. The vast majority of hobbiests do not add Iodine to their water and it doesn't stop their shrimp from molting. They just keep on molting. I scrub my water with a lot of algae mostly for nutrient export but after my algae was analysed it's clear that it also exports a lot of Iodine.

I have kept Lysmata Shrimp for over 25 years, bred them, raised Lysmata larvae to adulthood, the full range. Adding extra Iodine to the water column typically shortens their lifespan to 2 or 3 years in my experience. I also used to believe the myth that they need extra Iodine to molt, I have proven to my own satisfaction that this is not the case. When raising Lysmata larvae the difficulty is keeping the Iodine OUT of the water column.

So, Yep, I respect your opinion and it's a valid opinion, I just resolutely disagree with it.

Peace.

 

[MadManMac]

For those of you wondering when Bang Guy and I would start throwing punches, sorry we are just having a good debate. We touched base offline, and it is clear we are both trying to get to the same point and just have different view points. In reality, with the information I have read I am rethinking the addition of Iodine and will probably go for a while without adding any to see if things stay the same.

For everone out there that takes offense at some push back to their opinions, let it go this is the place to learn, sometimes heated, but always civil.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

J

 

[stusclan]

Great debate. Regardless, I don't add anything chemical to my tank, and my peppermint shrimp molt just fine - so does my sally lightfoot crab.

Happy Holidays all!

 

[Bang Guy]

If you're going to back off Iodine I would suggest doing it gradually. It might not make any difference at all, but doing things slowly has always paid off for me.