Iodide/Iodate Cycle. Specualtion.

[dannybradley]

This popped into my head Saturday and I'm trying to ferret it out. I'd appreciate any help. All of this may be wrong, so go at it with an open mind.

A coral converts sodium iodide (NaI) to sodium iodate (NaIO3) to relieve itself of excess oxygen gas produced by zooxanthellae. Where I'm getting lost is the conversion back to NaI in a alkaline environment, as I'm not a chemist.

Anyway, this is what I've come up with.

NaIO3 -> NaI + O3

The ozone (O3) is what I'm hung up on. Is that what happens and does the O3 just oxidizes something?

 

[ouling]

There is no ozone. If the equation actually exist then it will go like this.

(2) NaIO3>> (2) NaI (3) O2

I havn't taken one couse in biology since 9th grade and don't know how the respiration of corals works; I never trust Wiki so I don't bother looking there neither.

But if it does happen as you say then this is my answer:

I'm not sure if sodium Iodide actually exist as aqueous in water rather than I2 being a free floating cation or more likely being potassium iodate- postassium is more likely to give away it's outer valence electron to due to it's large atomic size. Iodine is present in most additives and salt in the form of potassium iodate, because this is strong electrolite (maybe a weak one) both K+ and I- becomes free floating in water, there is no way I- would bond with natrium if it dissociates with K+.

 

[dannybradley]

That helps explain why everyone seems to use KI as opposed to NaI.

From what I've read NaI and KI all have very similiar applications. NaI, however seems to be more water soluble than KI.

The complexity of what goes on in a reef tank astounds me more everyday. I'm trying to get beyond the industry standard of 'Pour X in Y times a week and watch your corals thrive!'

 

[ouling]

Well good luck! You need to have some experience on doing this however and know more than just the chemistry involved, becaues you're not just correcting water problems, you actually correcting the problems so your coral can grow. Biology is a big part of this and you must think of the livestock first before you apply physical chemistry. The application is harder than how it appears in theory. I can work out the calcium concentration of water all day and know exactly how much it would take to raise it to my desired place but never knew that you should only dose so much in 1 day so your coral don't die. Just like I have someone a few days ago that ran out of NaOH and decided to make some from sodium and water. Well that went very well!

 

[dannybradley]

I already have a great husbandry/basic chemistry foundation, that's why I'm stretching to what I can't find in books. I've cared for just about all you can imagine, from tadpoles to seahorses and xenia to acropora.

I just got sick of all the miracle products out there and just decided to expand my understanding of the complexities that occur.

Thanks for your help.