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