Where is you iron suppliment

[Greg 45]

Randy cannot open or find this article.
Cannot get cheto to grow.
Nitrated through the roof

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Here's the article:

http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm

At the moment, I use Fergon (ferrous sulfate) tablets from the drug store. Take 1 tablet and dissolve in 100 mL RO/DI (overnight soak). Let the solids settle out and use the liquid. Then I dose about 1-5 mL to my 300 gallons (dose is not critical) once a week or so.

I've been experimenting the past few weeks not dosing iron to see if that was encouraging cyano, but I've seen no drop off in cyano growth. So I plan to restart.

 

[redfishsc]

I'm using his Fergon recipe, except I doubled the water content to make it easier for me to measure out to dose my 10g nano.


The Chaeto has responded wonderfully.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Good to hear!

 

[Ratpack]

I have heard this will make the green SPS corals really get their green color, has anyone observed this while using the iron supplement? What does it do to other color corals?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've seen such comments, but I'd not be too inclined to believe them at this point.

I have heard that Dana Riddle has an article on trace elements and color in an upcoming Advanced Aquarist article, so you might look out for that to be published.

 

[Ratpack]

I went by CVS today to get some Fergon and they had it, but it is Ferrous gluconate, not ferrous sulfate. I bought some of the store brand ferrous sulfate but should I have gotten the Fergon? You post said it was ferrous sulphate.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry, I meant ferrous gluconate. I selected Fergon over the generic due to the other listed (inactive) ingredients that I did not care for.

What does yours list?

 

[Greg 45]

Randy how long does this take to kick in.
I have also read that this is also good for anemones.
Is that true.

 

[Ratpack]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14632815#post14632815 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Sorry, I meant ferrous gluconate. I selected Fergon over the generic due to the other listed (inactive) ingredients that I did not care for.

What does yours list?

I will take it back and get the Fergon. What I have is Ferrous Sulphate.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sorry for misleading you that way.

Randy how long does this take to kick in.
I have also read that this is also good for anemones.
Is that true.

Macroalgae can show the first effects in 24 h, and the effect can be quite obvious, often becoming a darker green color. I'm not convinced that anything else benefits from supplemental iron, although it might. Few folks have noted immediate effects on anything else.

 

[Ratpack]

Just one more question. Do you just drop the tablet in the water and let it dissolve or do you stir it in any way?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I drop it in and let it soak overnight, then shake up the "melted" pill, let it settle, and dose the clear liquid.

 

[Ratpack]

Thanks,
I will give it a shot tonight and see how it goes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Good luck.

 

[gkarakas]

Randy do you mean 240 mg oral tablets of fergon. It is not available in Europe. I am planning to use Lesferron which is another brand and need to calculate the correct dose. How many grams of Fe (II) gluconate must be dissolved in 100 ml ?

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The exact concentration is unimportant, but the tablets I am talking about have 27 mg iron per tablet.

 

[gkarakas]

Thanks,
I hope it will be more stable than my DIY citrate complex

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've not found it to change over a few weeks, and since you use 1 pill at a time, you do not make up 3 years worth at once.

 

[MrPike]

I found a product that contains "Carbonyl Iron." Any idea of that would be useful? The wikipedia article on it just says a very pure form of iron, whatever that means.