chrishayes
New member
hiya Chris a.k.a DIY machine
Yeah yeah..:twitch:
Congratulations buddy...Happy fishes in a Happy Reef!!
Now...You absolutely sure adding Iron to the new tank is gonna boost macro algae? Iv only come across of the micro going all freakin crazy once you dose Iron or Iodine into a "new" system.
This is really directly from Randy Holmes-Farley in this
Iron
Iron is limiting to growth of phytoplankton in parts of the ocean, and may be limiting to macroalgae growth in many reef aquaria. Because of its short supply and critical importance, it is also subject to aggressive sequestration by bacteria and other marine organisms. Consequently, aquarists might consider dosing iron if they grow macroalgae.
Iron is not easy to measure at levels normally encountered in marine aquaria. It is also not easy to determine which of its many forms are bioavailable in seawater, and which are not. Consequently, aquarists should not target a specific concentration, but rather should decide if they want to dose any at all, and then use an appropriate dosage going forward. The reason to dose iron is that macroalgae may benefit from it. If you are not growing macroalgae, then you may not need to monitor or dose iron at all.
Deciding how much iron to add is fairly easy because, in my experience, it doesn't seem to matter too much. Presumably, once you add enough to eliminate it as a limiting nutrient, extra iron does not cause apparent harm (at least that I've detected in my aquarium or have heard of from others). I dose about 0.1 to 0.3 mL of a solution containing 5 g of iron (as 25 g of ferrous sulfate heptahydrate) in 250 mL of water containing 50.7 g of sodium citrate dihydrate. I presently dose once per week to my system with a total water volume of about 200 gallons. This iron(II) citrate turns brown and cloudy over time, but I still use it.
I've noticed no negative effects from dosing this iron, or of Kent's iron and manganese supplement that I have also used, that were attributable to the iron, nor have I heard of any negative effects from others doing similar dosing. Still, I don't keep all organisms available to the hobby, and if a negative reaction does appear, I advise backing off the dose or stopping completely.
Since many hobbyists do not have access to the chemicals required to make iron(II) citrate, I advise most aquarists to obtain a commercial iron supplement. A number of appropriate and inexpensive supplements are available. Some commercial supplements, such as Kent's product, combine manganese with iron, presumably because the scientific literature has demonstrated that phytoplankton also scavenge manganese from the water column. I've not experimented with manganese, but it is likely acceptable to use if a pure iron supplement cannot be found.
I'd also advise using only iron supplements that contain iron chelated to an organic molecule. The iron sold for freshwater applications is sometimes not chelated because free iron is more soluble in the lower pH of freshwater aquaria. I'd avoid those products for marine applications. It will likely still work, as many of the studies in the scientific literature use free iron in seawater, but probably not as well because it may precipitate before it has fully fortified the system with iron.
In many cases of iron products intended for the marine hobby, the product may not state what the iron is chelated with, in order to protect proprietary formulations. I don't actually know if it matters much. Very strong chelation by certain molecules will actually inhibit bioavailability by prohibiting release of the iron unless the chelating molecule is completely taken apart, but I expect that manufacturers have avoided those molecules. EDTA, citrate, and some others actually degrade photochemically, continually releasing small amounts of free iron. It is believed to be the free iron that many of the organisms actually take up. "Captive Seawater Fishes" by Stephen Spotte includes a more detailed discussion of this degradation and uptake.16
It should be noted that iron may be a limiting factor for many organisms other than macroalgae. These might include microalgae, bacteria (even pathogenic bacteria), and diatoms. These possibilities were discussed in a previous article. If such problems should arise, backing off or stopping the iron additions may be warranted.
I had just read your post on my thread..i never added iodine or Lugols to any of my systems...i never felt it was necessary..regular water changes did the trick always. Adding iodine just leads to unnecessary algae bloooming all over.
Yeah, im not a lugols guy either, its great for initial dip of corals but thats where I think it should stay until more info is researched and proven on its neccesity.
You thought about adding an "Algae Scrubber" ? It might help.
Me too need to get my Mg up...also got Tech M, will start dosing, i read that it helps prevent bryopsis blooms...has a dual effect ....ups Mg and kills Bryo.
If you having Bryo trouble....hope this helps...http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1113109&highlight=tech+m+bryopsis
I dont have a "problem" with bypropsis per se. I just have a few strands growing small here and there due to a rock that was said to be "clean, cooked rock". Well it wasnt. The rock has been removed but it did spread to the rest of the tank, especially the fuge where it started little sprigs on the glass and one small rock so I am trying to kill it before it becomes a problem.
Just a suggestion...try adding Tech M first.. see what happens....wait with the Iron.
Again, if you actually READ my posts youll see that I am using it! :love1:
Aquascaping looks sweeet.....love the tiny arch.
Good luck...May the force be with you...:strooper:
Thanks man, definately gonna change a few things once coral is stocked but for now its nice to look at even though its just some diatom covered rock!
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