Iodide, Iodate/Iodine..I need a lot of help!

[jasonkozey]

I've have run into a lot of confusion on this topic and I was looking for some advice

I'm using the Salifert test kit for Iodine. According to the results my Iodide has been way too high for the last 3 months ~0.1. I realize iodine actually turns into iodide (i think) so when you are adding iodine basically its iodide. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. My Iodine is generaly low when I measure it unless its shortly after I dose. Which again I haven't done in a long time but this makes sense based on the above theory.

I'm running into a lot of problems with my reef over the last 5 months and I dont' know why. I have a good setup and all perameters are perfect. I lost all my mushrooms for some reason. They just shrivel up from day one and eventually die. My colt is good my leathers are good, and all fish are healthy. Any advice questions would be helpful as I hope to create a lot of discussion about this. In short here is what I do.

70g tank, 30g sump with lights on for night to help ph swing,125lbs Live rock in tank, 30lbs in sump. 2-250MH, skimmer not the best but it works. I use a 5 stage RO unit and I still added Ultimite to my water when I make it since I don't have a DI catridge.

Alk 9.6 dKh
Calcium 400mg/l
Strontium 10
Iodide 0.1 <-way too high
Iodate/Iodine 0.02
Phosphates <0.25mg/L
Nitrate cycle all ok
Temp 79F

I usually add 3tsps Liquid reactor to my 30g sump plus any evap water every second day. This keeps things ok. I feed with DT's every second day. I use Coral Vite Once a week. If any trace elements get low I touch them up as needed. I do regular 20% water changes. I let the salt mix for about 2 days before I use it, and I heat it up before I add it to the sump slowly throught the day. Any advice or suggestions on ANYTHING would help since I'm close to shutting down the reef if I can't figure it out.

Thanks,
Jason Kozey

[Rentaltux]

What is your lighting schedule? I could be way off here but with 2-250 MH lights in a 70 I don't think it would take to long to over do it. I know my mushrooms weren't doing well in my 90 with 440W VHO'S till I shaded them abit, within a day they started to expand. Like I said I could be off but this is my experience. It might be worth a shot.

R

[jasonkozey]

Actually I noticed I made a mistake, I have a 250mh on one side and a 150mh on the other, I've moved the mushrooms all over the place with no improvement. I did try the corner with a bit of shade and no improvement. I also forgot to mention this was more than just mushrooms, my 5 small xenia colonies just started to shrivel up one day then died after having them about 4months. I also got my copper measured and its 0 so its not copper.

[scary gary]

What other corals are you keeping? Has anything been touching the mushrooms? Are you using any carbon? My mushrooms do better in my 65 gal. fish tank with 110 watt power compacts and high nitrates,than in my reef with 250 m.h.and 2 96 watt p.c. and no nitrates.

[jasonkozey]

Nope nothing is near the mushrooms pretty much non agressive corals. I really think there is a bigger issue than just the mushrooms not being happy. I'm using Kent Carbon in my sump. I'm using the suggested dose but off the top of my head can't remember how much. Also to my understanding carbon just makes the water clear. Again correct me if I'm wrong. As far as lighting goes I know MH are strong for mushrooms but they are great for xenia which died too. Also the mushrooms that just died (my latest murder) I bought from Rick which he had near the top of his tank under 250w MH. I placed my near the middle of the tank under a 150w. In his tank they were huge. They never did open in my tank.

Keep the ideas coming. Sooner or later someting has gotta work.

J

[scary gary]

Carbon helps to clear some of the chemicals differant corals can release in warfare. Some guys will not mix soft and hard corals for this reason . Others say it's o.k. as long as your running enough carbon. I use a fair amount of carbon and replace it often.

[jasonkozey]

OK I'm going to add more carbon. Although my tank is pretty empty right now so I doubt thats it. Currently, 1 large colt coral (very healthy) 1 large leather mushroom (very healthy) 1 colony of pipe organ coral (not so healthy) small kenyi tree. (healthy)

[scary gary]

The Kenya tree could be the problem. My Marine Atlas says that the Kenya and disc anemones, otherwise known as mushrooms should not be kept together and that Kenya trees do better kept alone or a good distance from other corals. Is the pipe organ closest to the Kenya?

[jasonkozey]

The Kenyi tree is only about 3 inch's tall and doesn't fully open either, he started growing out from under my mushroom leather. Every coral is at least 6" from the other. The pipe organ is now where near any other coral

Also does anyone out there use this Iodine kit? Does it seem to work good for you? What Iodine supplment is used? How much and often do you add it?

[scary gary]

When they say shoud not be kept together, they mean in the same tank. I never test for iodine,hardly ever for calcium, never for magnesium. I only add iodine and magnesium about once a month. If you are doing regular water changes all of these things will be in the new water anyways. I would pull the Kenya tree and see what happens. You need a lot of corals to be useing up the iodine in your water. I kept lots of mushrooms, a colt, a large toadstool, finger leather and ricordia in my tank for a couple of years with only adding trace elements now and then. I sometimes think we add and tinker to much with our systems.

[jasonkozey]

Well I don't have any mushrooms now so I guess I'm ok. I also have a colony of button polpys that haven't opened in about a year. Any ideas on that guy? I think I agree. Other than kalk. I think I'm going to cut down on doing things to the tank and let it do its thing for a while.

Kenya tree affect any of the other corals I have? Would you suggest taking it out?

[scary gary]

Don't know for sure but I was going to get one about 6 months ago and then read the info from the marine atlas and decided to not chance it. I know it's hard to remove something from our tanks that seems o.k. I lost most of my fish once because I took a chance on leaving a medusa worm in my tank. I now try to error on the side of caution. It's your choice.