Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
iron tablets
I'm resurrecting a neglected 20 gallon planted tank. It was totally
overgrown with a year's accumulation of algae and an unknown variety of narrow-leafed vallisneria. I pulled out all the val last week (it smelled bad) cleaned up the muck at the bottom, and replanted a few of the vals that I trimmed to a managable length. I added a few small goldfish. The water here has phosphate added by the city, so keeping algae under control is difficult (that's why I had given up on this take previously), but I've been adding small amounts of a concoction of potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, and Epsom salt. I haven't hooked up any CO2 yet. All the plants are growing now; even the old anubias has a new leaf. Ther are *tiny* little java ferns popping up her and there. There was a little beard algae, but the goldfish have eaten it. I didn't know anything would eat that stuff. The stem plants look like they have an iron deficiency. The tank has a sand substrate. If I put iron supplement tablets (ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, or iron carbonyl) in the sand near the root zones of the plants, will the plants be able to utilize the iron? My theory is that anaerobic bacteria digesting the sugar, starch, etc in the tablets would keep the iron from oxidizing. I'm looking for some Bonide liquid chelated iron, but the local garden supply stores don't have much of anything this time of year. Thanks, Bob |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
iron tablets
In article ,
zxcvbob wrote: The stem plants look like they have an iron deficiency. The tank has a sand substrate. If I put iron supplement tablets (ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, or iron carbonyl) in the sand near the root zones of the plants, will the plants be able to utilize the iron? My theory is that anaerobic bacteria digesting the sugar, starch, etc in the tablets would keep the iron from oxidizing. Bad idea. Real bad idea. You're really much better off spending the $4 and getting a pound of FE+trace mix from hydroponics.com or gregwatson.com and dosing properly. -- Need Mercedes parts? http://parts.mbz.org Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org 1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home pages: http://rs79.vrx.net 633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Any opinions on fertilizer tablets? | Ponds | |||
Where can I buy some fertilizer tablets in UK? | Freshwater Aquaria Plants | |||
Home winemaking and campden tablets | United Kingdom | |||
bacteria tablets to stop mozzies breeding? | Australia | |||
plant food tablets | Freshwater Aquaria Plants |