Random Reef Chemistry Question of the Day: Nori

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Which of the following is present in the largest amount (by weight) in Nori?

1. Sodium
2. Potassium
3. Calcium
4. Iodine
5. Magnesium

Good luck!

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I'm going with 2!

 

[KStatefan]

Potassium

I have no idea and that is just a wag

 

[DanyL]

I’ll say Iodine, just because for awhile I had a tang that only ate Nori, and the aftermath resulted in stressed corals with extremely high iodine levels in my ICP test.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m also going to say Iodine. I read nori and algae can uptake a lot of it. Not sure if that’s the answer though since I always seem to get these wrong lol

 

[Miami Reef]

Another issue is the vey wide range of iodine uptake by macroalgae. Even within different species of chaeto it varies greatly, and red and brown algae can take up huge amounts (I saw some that were 1% iodine by dry weight, or 10,000 ppm)..

Of the macroalgae that marine aquarists most commonly keep, there is no iodine requirement data available (hence the studies to be reported in the second article). Chaetomorpha moniligera has been reported to contain 24 ppm iodine on a dry weight basis, Chaetomorpha antennina has been reported to contain 1,100 ppm iodine, and an undetermined Chaetomorpha species contained 360 ppm iodine. In a different study, Chaetomorpha antennina and Chaetomorpha linum were shown to contain 144 and 68 ppm iodine, respectively.

 

[JayM]

My SWAG is #2.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Calcium

 

[spsick]

Sodium, because it grows in the ocean.

 

[Idech]

Calcium

 

[Red_Beard]

Another for iodine. Even all the health food people tout its high levels of iodine.

 

[carri10]

Sodium. Most common cation in biological systems - maybe.

 

[Doctorgori]

As salty as dried seaweed taste I’m going with sodium

 

[subodhs]

Potassium! Coz I don't dose it and I have too much of it. I'm guessing my three tangs don't /can't do much enough about it coz Potassium doesn't go anywhere.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Sodium

 

[Patx]

K !

 

[LPS Bum]

Going with iodine. Sodium a close second.

 

[Raul-7]

K+

 

[phillyb614]

Sodium?

 

[Laith]

Iodine