Iron Problem

[Jay4Robin]

The last 2 months I have noticed that I am not growing much macro in my refugium and my mangroves are not as green. I am scared to use any iron supplementation. I do not want a hair algae outbreak. I changed to Tropic Marin reef pro at about the same time.

Any Ideas? I did add a top layer of miricale mud this afternoon

150 Gal 50 Gal refugium
Ozonizer
Life reef reactor and skimmer

95% SPS


thanks Jay

 

[Jay4Robin]

bump

 

[Randall_James]

I have seen this where a small supplementation of iron can do wonders. Anthony Calfo does this and I might suggest asking his method. I know my system gets a little iron supplement from a couple razor blades I dropped into the sump while cleaning, I have not removed them and I can see them rusting so I know I am getting some iron I would never say to do this however and I may be sorry down the road as well.

 

[chtan]

just like a planter tank, you can use some of the liquid fertilizers ...

Some times I use Aqua Medic's Ferral which has iron and iodine.

 

[Randall_James]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7320138#post7320138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chtan
just like a planter tank, you can use some of the liquid fertilizers ...

Some times I use Aqua Medic's Ferral which has iron and iodine.

I would be really careful about that, you could inject enough phosphates to keep an algae bloom booming for years

 

[bogg]

If you do plan to dose iron, do so sparingly. You dont want an algae bloom or brown out your corals. But you do want to add it.

 

[Jay4Robin]

Thats what i was affraid of at first. I recieved some great feedback from Randy.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=839871

 

[Randall_James]

The problem would not be from the iron, it would be from the 'liquid fertilizer'.. (people have been known to use household liquid fertilizer to grow phyto or macro algae. It is a nitrate bomb.

 

[chtan]

QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7320398#post7320398 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randall_James
I would be really careful about that, you could inject enough phosphates to keep an algae bloom booming for years [/QUOTE]

I mentioned Ferreal as it is a liquid fertilizer that is not like some other cheap types (or the commercial stuff you use for plant packed with nitrates) that contain phosphate ... it is actually part of a 2 part ...

It contains iron, manganese, molydenum, boron, zinc and cobalt.

my mistake was it does not contain iodine ... that is in the floreal portion.

Other brands like Dennerele, JBL and Sera also have similar liquids that do not contain phosphate ....

Most of the time the fertilizers that contain phosphates are the solid ones meant to be placed in the substrate.

Its also the same with planter tanks ... when we add liquid fertilizers we do not want to be adding phosphates into the water ... and we want to limit unwanted algae & cyano growth.