How much Iodide in an invert tank?

[Wycco]

I know there is a lot of debate over whether iodide is necessary in the water for shrimp to get their necessary iodine. Some say it is a waste they get iodine from their food - others say it made a huge difference to their success raising shrimp.

Everywhere seems to suggest "a few drops a week" or "a small amount" a month without specifying what a "few drops" or a "small amount" is in any scientific terms.



Regardless of whether iodide is NEEDED or not- I picked myself up a bottle. $6 for over 200ml... if I'm just adding a ml or two a week- it'll last me years (that's another question- does it keep)?

It's worth $6 rather than gamble "is it necessary for them to breed and prosper".




Anyhow- I'm guessing about 1ml every week with the water change in a 55gallon? Salt water calls for 5ml for 50 gallons- but I doubt I need anything close to that much in freshwater!

This is for a planted community tank. Just ghosts for now- but I do plan on getting cherries, blue/black caridina species and some amano soon.

Eventually they'll have their own tank- but for now they'll live in the community tank and shrimplets will have to try and dodge fishes bellies.


For those of you who subscribe to the "Iodide in the water helps" philosophy- how much iodide do you add?

 

[Wycco]

No-one adds Iodide for their shrimpies on here?

 

[DarrylR]

I don't.

 

[bettabrat]

Um no I would not add any personally

 

[Nue]

Neither do i. Actually never heard of adding iodine unless its shrimp im eating.

 

[jamesstill84]

I've never added it in any of my invert tanks. My breed like rabbits without adding anything.

 

[jpappy789]

I've heard of it, but never spoken to a shrimp-keeper who actually has. Generally, it seems to be more of SW thing...

Sorry I'm no help.

 

[gwynne]

I add it to mine. Kent iodide. I do like a drop a day, actually. I have been battling with shrimp mysteriously dying. Once I started using the iodide, all deaths stopped.
If I forget to do it for a couple weeks *which I did last month* shrimp die again.
=\
The only thing I can figure is that possibly there is something missing from the water here, since I am on Minneapolis city water, possibly the water treatment facility takes some needed chemical/mineral/whatever out.

As a side note I just bought the tap water wannabe r/o thing you attach to your sink off dr. fosters and it works really well. Went from 8.4PH to 6.5. I add back in a little kent r/o right and bring it up to 7 before putting it into my tank. In the process of switching out the water slowly over a period of days.

 

[Wycco]

Good to hear it works for you and I'm not crazy.

When I was researching raising shrimp I saw lots of comments about mysterious deaths and iodide making the shrimp live longer and stopped the mysterious deaths. I had a couple deaths (out of 22) within the first 3 weeks nothing major... started using the iodide- no deaths since.

Still can't say whether the iodide is stopping the shrimp death or not- could be a coincidence- my weakest shrimp already dead. etc... I certainly wasn't having mass die-offs before hand.

I've also read people claiming adding iodide really increased the rate of egg production and eggs hatching successfully.


I suspect whether it is really needed or not may be down to two things- whether the shrimp are getting enough iodine from their food- and what minerals are naturally available in the water. This might explain why some people need it to keep shrimp healthy and others don't.

 

[gwynne]

Yeah. For weeks I begged for help on the forums and no one seemed to know how to stop the deaths. I felt so helpless, I just didn't know what was causing it. Most people will say you don't need to use it, but I will never not use it now, unless I stop keeping shrimp. If the remaining 11-14 or so that I have now die off over time, I probably will not restock them. It's not a species only tank, and it's really difficult finding safe tank mates that aren't your boring run of the mill small fish ala neons/guppies/swords/platies/mollies. I just don't like those fish. And endlers I'm not too fond of either because they look like re-colored neons to me lol. Though I must say we got some gold tetras in at work this week and they look GORGEOUS. I would have bought them all right there on the spot except that my tank already has 6 dario dario and I wasn't really into mixing south american fish with indian fish. Though the indian puffer we got in is a cutie.. but I can't get him because of the shrimp, gah.