Does Xenia need Iodine/Iodide?

[kathywithbirds]

Hi
Researching Xenia. Does anyone have any that they're dosing with Iodine or Iodide? There's all kinds of disagreement on which one to give.

I've been reading that some people think iodine/ide isn't necessary, but they also just happen to be providing some sort of seaweed or macroalgae to their fish that contains enough to provide Iodine/ide to the tank and don't realize that they ARE dosing that way.

Any thoughts?

[DaveK]

I have found Xenia to be a coral that succeeds or fails for reasons that are not entirely clear.

Like you I have read other opinions about the use of iodine with Xenia. I've tried both ways and didn't see any real difference. I also believe that it's possible to over dose iodine and in extreme cases that can kill corals.

Another factor would be the salt you are using, some are higher in iodine that others.

Personally I would not use iodine, unless I had a problem after putting the coral in. The I would get an iodine test kit, and test water first before adding anything. Never take the iodine level above what is found in natural SW.

Don't be afraid to try other brands of salt.

[mps9506]

I agree 100% with Dave.

[CATALYST]

I got two tiny pink pulsing xenia scraped off the glass from my local fish store. I got them to attach to a rock and they have over tripled in size in the last month. The only supplement I add to the water is Vitamin C about once a week and some Selcon in with the cyclopeeze and plankton. I use Oceanic salt.

[mps9506]

Just FYI, xenia has an extremely reduced gut, and probably does not eat anything, if anything and espcially not the size of cyclopeeze, but I would say nutrient absorbation and light would be the primary energy sources for xenia.

[cheeks69]

It's very difficult to measure accurately your Iodine levels and because it can be toxic if overdosed I wouldn't dose it. I've had Xenia before and never added Iodine and it grew at a rediculous pace, eventually I removed it all from my tank.

Randy Holmes-Farley recommends dosing Iodide instead of Iodine which is much easier to test for.

Finally, for those interested in dosing iodine, I suggest that iodide is the most appropriate form for dosing. Iodide is more readily used by some organisms than is iodate, and it is detected by both currently available iodine test kits (Seachem and Salifert).

[kathywithbirds]

Thanks for the info!!

[DrHank]

Xenia is like tank weed. It either does well or doesn't. I have heard that it can help in reducing phosphates (that may be more myth than fact). But it is neat and easy.

[framerguy]

Randy Holmes-Farley recommends dosing Iodide instead of Iodine which is much easier to test for.

I agree with RH-F. It's my understanding (somebody correct me if I've been misinformed) that Iodide is a more usable product for the animals and is the actual end product of iodine after processing in the aquarium. I use Seachem Iodide, before using it my iodine/ide levels were -.02, since I've started using it my levels stay between .03-.06 (.06=NSW) As for its benefit for Xenia, I didn't notice any difference in it's growth before or since using Iodide.

[DrHank]

Kathy in a tank your size I wouldn't worry too much about supplementing this or that. The most important thing is going to be routine scheduled water changes. You can micromanage a tank to death or just stick to a good maintenance schedule and watch things work. Many times less is best.

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by DrHank

Kathy in a tank your size I wouldn't worry too much about supplementing this or that. The most important thing is going to be routine scheduled water changes. You can micromanage a tank to death or just stick to a good maintenance schedule and watch things work. Many times less is best.

Thats the best info you can get. Doing regular water changes is key to keeping water quality at it's optimal best. If done regularly, soft corals will thrive.

[BoomerD]

If you do regular 10% or more water changes, your salt mix should provide all the iodine your xenia will ever need. As has been mentioned above, Iodine is very tough to measure, and the line between "just enough" and deadly toxic" is VERY fine...Most supplements tell you to add "xyz number of drops per gallon every day. Unless your tank has a high iodine load, the addition of the supplement daily could easily and quickly push your tank over that line. Another mis-conception about iodine is that it is needed to help shrimps molt. In actuality, too much iodine forces them to molt to get rid of the too-high levels in their systems.
Just do weekly 10% or more water changes, and you shouldn't have to supplement anything except perhaps calcium and alkalinity buffers, and again, ONLY when you test to be sure what your tank levels are, so you can know how much the tank needs.

[kathywithbirds]

thanks, guys!! I'm a long way off from corals yet, but I'm printing all this out and putting it in my Tank stuff" folder!