Iodine, Strontium dosing question.

[keswick]

When and under what conditions should one dose Iodine and Strontium?

My LFS said that Iodine is good for Softies attaching to its host substrate...what do you think?

What is Strontium for?

[mbbuna]

JMO,if you do regular water changes with a good salt mix you don't need to add any of that stuff

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, it is not apparent that supplemental iodine is beneficial to any organisms that we keep. Not shrimp, not soft corals, etc. I dosed it for years, and then stopped a few years ago for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was problems measuring it and lack of any information suggesting that the organisms that I keep benefit from it.

I tested what I thought was the most likely candidate for benefitting, macroalgae, and it didn't make a big difference. These articles cover those thoughts for 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

Strontium requirements are equally elusive. In my aquarium, it does not seem to become depleted, and measuring is quite difficult. There is no evidence int he scientific literature that most organisms need it. I do not ever dose it. This article covers my thoughts on it:

Strontium and the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2003/chem.htm

Magnesium and Strontium in Limewater
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/chem.htm

[keswick]

Thank you!

Those articles are really good....makes sense to me not to dose either!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.