Easy Iron Dosing

[Kurt Brutting]

Hello everyone,

I am wondering how often everybody doses Iron? Is there any good kits that test iron specifically? About 2 months ago I watched a video on YouTube and someone said they dose iron every other day so I started dosing Easy Iron every other day. I grew a lot of algae so I cut back and I started dosing 2 pumps twice a week and things are getting back to normal. I was just wondering if anyone has good advise on the subject. 
Thank you. 

[Zenzo]

There are test kits that measure iron. My Sera master test kit has a test for iron. Those kits are not inexpensive though. I would think that once or twice per week should be sufficient for most planted aquariums that need extra iron. I usually dose Easy Iron once per week in a couple of my planted tanks. 

[Kurt Brutting]

Awesome thank you Zenzo! 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 2/7/2022 at 2:22 PM, Kurt Brutting said:

Hello everyone,

I am wondering how often everybody doses Iron? Is there any good kits that test iron specifically? About 2 months ago I watched a video on YouTube and someone said they dose iron every other day so I started dosing Easy Iron every other day. I grew a lot of algae so I cut back and I started dosing 2 pumps twice a week and things are getting back to normal. I was just wondering if anyone has good advise on the subject. 
Thank you. 

Hi @Kurt Brutting,

As for the question about good test kits for iron.  I use the Seachem MultiTest Iron Test Kit.  Tom Barr made the following comments regarding iron below most of which I agree with however I too seem to see increased algae growth (specifically BBA) if I dose iron excessively.

I try to dose 0.4 ppm of iron (a mix of EDTA, DTPA, and ferrous gluconate) at least once a week.  If the new leaves start showing signs of interveinal chlorosis I dose twice a week until the new growth looks 'normal'.  Each plant species has evolved differently and the amount one species may need is not the same as another species in my tank.  I try to identify one or two species in each of my tanks that I use a 'indicator species"- species that seem to show the effects of  insufficient available iron first in my tanks. -Roy

[Patrick_G]

I don’t use Co2 but I’ve also seen evidence that increase iron dosing leads to increased BBA growth in my tanks. 

[Kurt Brutting]

I am going down the rabbit hole of plant fertilizers and nutrients. It’s never ending and now I’m reading and learning about liquid Co2. There is so much information online thank goodness for this forum it really is the best one I’ve come across with the best community. 
 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 2/9/2022 at 1:53 AM, Kurt Brutting said:

I am going down the rabbit hole of plant fertilizers and nutrients. It’s never ending and now I’m reading and learning about liquid Co2. There is so much information online thank goodness for this forum it really is the best one I’ve come across with the best community. 
 

Hi @Kurt Brutting

Whether Easy Iron, CO2 Booster, Seachem Excel they are all basically made from glutaraldehyde.  Glutaraldehyde is typically used in healthcare as a sanitizer.  In the aquarium industry we use it in a much more diluted state, about 1/10th as strong as it is used in hospitals. 

Due to it's chemical formula glutaraldehyde has the ability to insert itself into the Calvin Cycle in plant cells providing extra carbon molecules if they are needed.  The Calvin Cycle produces the glucose and other sugars necessary for plant growth.  The key here is "if they are needed".

In our aquariums there are always 'limiting factors' that effect our plant growth.  Sometimes it is available light, sometimes it is an available nutrient (or nutrients) and sometimes it is available carbon molecules (the building blocks of organic life).  So, will a liquid carbon supplement improve plant growth?  The answer is "it depends".  If the limiting factor is available carbon molecules the answer is yes; if something else is limiting plant growth the answer is no.  Are liquid carbon supplements as good as using CO2 gas in our planted tanks?  No, but if carbon is the limiting factor of growth there will be an improvement in plant growth.

It is important to note that some plant species do not do well with the addition of glutaraldehyde into tanks.  This is not a comprehensive list but many mosses, vallisnerias, hornworts (Ceratophyllum) immediately come to mind.

Glutaraldehyde does have some algae inhibiting properties, but that is another subject.  -Roy

Edited February 10, 2022 by Seattle_Aquarist

[Mmiller2001]

I would save your money and not buy a test kit. Unless you find it fun or just plain ol' curiosity, but honestly it's just not necessary.

The most important thing is knowing how much you want to dose and then just dividing that dose over the days you want to.

Say if you want to dose .6ppm over 7 days. 

.6/7=.09 so dose .09ppm Fe every day.

I've tried over 3 days and 7 days, I couldn't tell any difference. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by Mmiller2001