Dosing for Algae Scrubbers

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The info around to the right of the second pic should confirm it, but that tablet should contain 325 mg of actual iron.

 

[Bohicas Reef]

My recommended DIY is:

Fergon tablets (from a drug store).

One Fergon tablet (ferrous gluconate) contains 27 mg of iron. Dissolve that in about 27 mL RO/DI (my recommendation, but other concentrations are OK, just don't dilute too much), the concentration is about 27 mg/27 ml ~ 1 mg/mL.

I dose ~1 mL to my tank with a volume of about 300 gallons once or twice a week.

Wanted to check if Fergon tablets are still good to use? Also looking to make about 1000ml worth of iron at a time for my daily dosing on moonshiners.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, but food grade ferrous gluconate powder is also now easy to buy from Amazon. That’s what I’m using. :)

 

[Dom]

For all those who do dose your systems that contain algae scrubbers, which product have you used with great results to grow your algae for the scrubber?

I'm just connecting my algae scrubber to my system and was curious as to which product to began dosing.

Please let me know. Thanks.


Larry

I'm curious; why would you dose product to promote algae growth if you are installing a scrubber?

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Yes, but food grade ferrous gluconate powder is also now easy to buy from Amazon. That’s what I’m using. :)

Hi Randy,

I've bought these fergon tablets from Amazon, it says ferrous gluconate but on other ingredients at the back says it has "sodium lauryl sulfate" , which I thought we some hint of used for soap/shampoo, among other things.

Is it still safe for me to use it for dosing iron, or should I ditch it and buy the powder.

See photo from packaging with ingredients.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy,

I've bought these fergon tablets from Amazon, it says ferrous gluconate but on other ingredients at the back says it has "sodium lauryl sulfate" , which I thought we some hint of used for soap/shampoo, among other things.

Is it still safe for me to use it for dosing iron, or should I ditch it and buy the powder.

See photo from packaging with ingredients.

You are correct it is a surfactant, but the amount is very low and I would not worry about it. That said, pure ferrous gluconate is now readily available from Amazon and that is what I now use.

 

[Garf]

I'm curious; why would you dose product to promote algae growth if you are installing a scrubber?

Scrubbers show up deficiencies in nutrients quickly due to the rapid growth rates and extreme light levels, usually by yellowing (chlorosis). Algae growing in lower light can persist in these lower nutrient scenarios, due to slowed growth and reduced demand on the anti oxidant and chlorophyll production systems (especially iron), unless they get eaten.

 

[MikeTheNewbie]

You are correct it is a surfactant, but the amount is very low and I would not worry about it. That said, pure ferrous gluconate is now readily available from Amazon and that is what I now use.

Hi Randy, I tried to follow your link but it doesn't work for me. Are you referring to the following "BulkSupplements Ferrous Gluconate Powder - Essential Mineral for Energy, Iron 18mg - Iron Supplements, Gluten Free, 150mg per Serving"?

If so, do you mind sharing the amount of product you would use to make a 100 ppm Iron solution?

Wikipedia says the molecular weight of Iron(II) gluconate FeC12H22O14 is 446.14 and with 1 Fe atom in the compound I get a ratio of 0.125173712 of Fe for the pure compound.

My estimate shows I'd need 0.4 g to make 500 ml at 100 ppm if I were using pure Iron(II) gluconate but considering the filler in the product I think I'd need 3.33g of it.

Does that sound about right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Try this link

Amazon.com: BulkSupplements.com Ferrous Gluconate Powder - Essential Mineral for Energy, Iron 18mg - Iron Supplements, Gluten Free, 150mg per Serving, 100g (3.5 oz) (Pack of 1) : Health & Household

Buy BulkSupplements.com Ferrous Gluconate Powder - Essential Mineral for Energy, Iron 18mg - Iron Supplements, Gluten Free, 150mg per Serving, 100g (3.5 oz) (Pack of 1) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

a.co

 

[exnisstech]

Old thread revived but I'm just stopping by to say I see no need to dose anything to grow algae in my @SantaMonica surf scrubbers. I have a surf 4x on this tank

And a surf 2 floating on the top of this 40g breeder

Just wanted to stop back and update. Mine did seem to stall growth. I dosed some Chaetogro directly into the ATS and also the tank at the advice of @VintageReefer and its taking off again.

 

[Maikoa02]

Try this link

Amazon.com: BulkSupplements.com Ferrous Gluconate Powder - Essential Mineral for Energy, Iron 18mg - Iron Supplements, Gluten Free, 150mg per Serving, 100g (3.5 oz) (Pack of 1) : Health & Household

Buy BulkSupplements.com Ferrous Gluconate Powder - Essential Mineral for Energy, Iron 18mg - Iron Supplements, Gluten Free, 150mg per Serving, 100g (3.5 oz) (Pack of 1) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

a.co

This product is unavailable can this product be used as a substitute? https://a.co/d/0aWan3xb

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Unfortunately, my reply was lost in the forum crash this morning, but repeating it:

Ferrous fumarate is much less soluble then ferrous gluconate and I am not sure how well it will work. The dosing standard will need more dilution to dissolve, and hopefully it remains in solution in the tank water.

It is also about 3x more potent (iron per weight) than gluconate, so if you try it, take that into account.