Seachem Iron

[Fishkeeper26]

Hey.

So I recently replanted my tank and stepped up to plants that need more needs. Some of them need iron, so I got Seachem Iron. However the dosing instructions aren't as simple as other of their products.

I was wondering if anyone knows how often should be dosing in a 20 long with the following specifications.

20 gallon long

2x24 watt t5ho (1 roseate and 1 daylight)

4/4/4 lighting

I also dose excel daily and flourish twice a week, along with root tabs.

Thanks!

 

[fort384]

How heavily planted is the tank? Are you doing a 50% PWC weekly? Both kind of factor in to what sort of dose you may need. If doing a 50% PWC weekly, you can kind of safely overdose your Fe and the tank won't suffer much.

I could never figure out if I was dosing too much or not enough and I like things precise, so I picked up a chelated iron test kit. After some trial and error and a few weeks of testing, I can always sort of figure what the normal uptake of Fe is in a particular tank, and dose accordingly. Then I just test chelated iron every 3-4 months or so and make sure I am not way high or bottoming out. Granted, the test for chelated iron is not all that accurate, but it at least gives you an idea. I believe Salifert and Seachem both have an economical chelated iron test kit available...

 

[Fishkeeper26]

I do about a 40-50% weekly, I can get the test kit if I need it as well.

As far as planting goes I can post a pic of my tank later (I'm at school already), but I think it's moderately planted.

I have the following plants:
Corkscrew Vals
Sagittaria Subulata
Broad Leaf Ludwigia - Ludwigia repens
Lemon Bacopa - Bacopa caroliniana
Narrow Leaf Giant Temple - Hygrophila corymbosa 'siamensis'
Aquarium lily-Nymphaea sp.
Red Rubin Sword
Giant Temple

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Heres a picture:

 

[BBradbury]

Hey.

So I recently replanted my tank and stepped up to plants that need more needs. Some of them need iron, so I got Seachem Iron. However the dosing instructions aren't as simple as other of their products.

I was wondering if anyone knows how often should be dosing in a 20 long with the following specifications.

20 gallon long

2x24 watt t5ho (1 roseate and 1 daylight)

4/4/4 lighting

I also dose excel daily and flourish twice a week, along with root tabs.

Thanks!

Hello fish...

That's some very heavy lighting and fertilizing. Have you considered scaling back a little? Aquatic plants in nature have ferts from the fish and not much else other than a constant source of minerals from pure water and long hours of sunlight.

If your tank is well stocked with fish, then about the only other ferts you need are the micros or what most call "trace elements". Those can be purchased fairly cheaply from a commercial source, just use dry, liquid or granules and dose according to instructions and do large, weekly water changes of at least half the tank volume every week.

Planted tanks are really pretty simple.

Just a couple of thoughts to consider or not.

B

 

[fort384]

I would disagree with the sentiment that a trace supplement is all that is required in a high light system even if well stocked. I have kept a lot of tanks that become N and P limited rather quickly without additional supplementation.

For lower light systems with plants that are not demanding I would agree that what you are describing is possible.

As for the Fe, I would suggest dosing a few mL a week, continue with your maintenance schedule and if you start to how signs of iron deficiency up the dose a bit... If you want to know for sure exactly what the plants are up taking, then go for an Fe test kit.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Thanks!

 

[Fishkeeper26]

Recently I've noticed my broad leaf ludwigia started to drop leaves, do you know what could cause this?

 

[aqua_chem]

Any discoloration on the leaves? If not, it's very likely it's a light issue of some sort.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

No the leaves are red/green. Is the light too strong or too weak?

 

[aqua_chem]

Weak. Also check your nitrates and phosphates (if you can). Plants will draw nitrogen and phosphates from their older leaves if they cannot get enough of it.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

So check for low nitrates?

 

[aqua_chem]

Yup. Always a good first step.

 

[Fishkeeper26]

I think it may be the lights because I have them placed at opposite ends of the tank, where they aren't directly under bulbs. And the one that's closer to being under bulbs definitely has more leaves. I'll try moving them and see how they do