Who Gives A Fish Forums

If you're burning through the bottle quicker than your wallet can handle, consider this: Seachem's stuff is so potent you can easily dilute it by 50% and still get decent results.
I recently ran out and, desperate for iron, I picked up some liquid iron from Home Depot - it doesn't have that distinct "irony" smell like Seachem does, and the color's lighter too, but hey, my plants seem to be doing alright with it. A gallon of it only set me back $11, so that's a plus.
Just my two cents for the day.

starlord wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 4:38 am If you're burning through the bottle quicker than your wallet can handle, consider this: Seachem's stuff is so potent you can easily dilute it by 50% and still get decent results.
I recently ran out and, desperate for iron, I picked up some liquid iron from Home Depot - it doesn't have that distinct "irony" smell like Seachem does, and the color's lighter too, but hey, my plants seem to be doing alright with it. A gallon of it only set me back $11, so that's a plus.
Just my two cents for the day.

I'm a bit more laid back with my iron dosing, I basically just melt the iron into a liquid solution and then add it to the tank - don't worry if you see some bubbles, it's all good. And as an added bonus, I get a nice side of boiled fish for dinner.

I just wanted to add a note about the liquid iron from Home Depot - make sure to grab the one in the blue bottle. The other stuff they sell is a red liquid iron, and from what I've read, it's not exactly fish-friendly and it'll also turn your water a lovely shade of red. So, to clarify, go for the blue bottle, it's a gallon, and it's the way to go. The red one's like a quart or something, but trust me, you don't want that one.

I've been using iron chelate for ages and never had an issue with the fish. I just drop a grain into the filter and it does the trick. My jar's been around for 25 years, bought it cheap back then, and I've barely made a dent in it. Still going strong, no signs of rusting yet.

Seachem iron is essentially iron gluconate - a type of acidic sugar that bacteria love to feed on. Once the gluconate is consumed, the iron oxidizes and becomes insoluble. Many folks try to maintain 1ppm iron levels with Seachem, but some have to dose it almost daily to keep the iron levels stable for plant growth. The problem is, iron oxide isn't usable by plants, so if you use a longer-lasting form of iron, you'll end up using a lot less.

I've switched to using iron DTPA in my tank - it's not consumed by bacteria and lasts a long time. I dose once a week to maintain 0.1ppm iron levels. DTPA is safe for my shrimp and fish, and it's stable up to pH 8. Above that, it oxidizes and becomes unavailable to plants.

To make a stock solution, mix 100ml distilled water, 1ml vinegar, and 3.44g iron gluconate (or DTPA) - roughly 1/2tsp + 1/4tsp + 1/8tsp. This will give you a 0.1ppm iron dose for a 10-gallon tank (about 40 liters) after your weekly water change.

You can adjust this recipe using the Rotala Butterfly Planted Aquarium Nutrient Dosing Calculator. I source my iron DTPA from NilocG or Green Leaf Aquariums.

Thanks for sharing that. I'd read that the red liquid iron is okay for hydroponics, but it's a different story in an aquarium - toxic even in small amounts and leaves that annoying red tint. I used to buy Ironite in dry granules, in a bag, but haven't seen it sold like that in years.

I've been using Liquinox Iron from Home Depot, and it's labeled as chelated Iron, EDTA 0.2%. I've noticed it really gives a boost to my Hygrophila and Swords - those iron lovers are thriving. One thing to consider is that it might contribute to BBA growth, but let's be real, what doesn't?

starlord wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 4:38 am If you're burning through the bottle quicker than your wallet can handle, consider this: Seachem's stuff is so potent you can easily dilute it by 50% and still get decent results.
I recently ran out and, desperate for iron, I picked up some liquid iron from Home Depot - it doesn't have that distinct "irony" smell like Seachem does, and the color's lighter too, but hey, my plants seem to be doing alright with it. A gallon of it only set me back $11, so that's a plus.
Just my two cents for the day.

I'd like to share some insights on Fe EDTA. At a pH of 6.5, it becomes unstable, and the iron corrodes. Few people have tanks with a pH lower than that. On the other hand, Fe DTPA is stable up to a pH of 7.5 to 8. For aquariums, Fe DTPA is currently the best option. A 1/2 pound pack costs about $10 (excluding shipping), which is more than enough to dose a large aquarium to 0.1ppm - more than enough for a planted tank. This makes it a cost-effective choice compared to alternatives like iron gluconate or Fe EDTA.

Too much iron in the water can be toxic to fish and cause phosphate deficiency due to the formation of iron phosphate, which is insoluble and not available to plants. This often leads to a hard green spot algae on the aquarium glass, which is a real pain to remove - it usually requires a lot of scrubbing or a scraper.

starlord wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 4:38 am If you're burning through the bottle quicker than your wallet can handle, consider this: Seachem's stuff is so potent you can easily dilute it by 50% and still get decent results.
I recently ran out and, desperate for iron, I picked up some liquid iron from Home Depot - it doesn't have that distinct "irony" smell like Seachem does, and the color's lighter too, but hey, my plants seem to be doing alright with it. A gallon of it only set me back $11, so that's a plus.
Just my two cents for the day.

Fe EDDHA's another option, but its red tint in the water's a major turn-off for most people. I've heard it's stable up to a pH of 10, but old dosing guidelines from FE EDTA or iron gluconate led many to dose way too high - 1ppm or even 4ppm. At those levels, it's probably more harm than good.

A lower dose of 0.05ppm might make Fe EDDHA usable with minimal color shift, but I've never tried it myself since my aquarium's pH is 7 and I've got a long-lasting DTPA supply. Finding EDDHA can be tough, and I've been told it's pricier too. If not for the color issue, it might be the best choice.

As for Ironite, I'm not sure what's in it, but it's likely some cheap iron source like iron sulfate, FE EDTA, or Gluconate - none of which last long in the water.

Last I checked, that online store that sells plant nutrients is out of powdered iron. I was all set to order - the price was super cheap, but they're out of stock.