Dosing for Algae Scrubbers

[Auntjemimma]

Iron and manganese are depleted rapidly in a reef tank utilizing macro algae for nutrient control (ATS/refugium) so I dose daily. Weekly water changes with a good quality salt should also do the trick.

Would adding the Iron also feed my turf algae?

 

[Auntjemimma]

Good info here, Thanks to all that chimed in. I’m also looking to purchase a scrubber to export n03 & p04. Any recommendations? Looking at the CW-50 by clear water.

I have a CW-50 that I'm looking to get rid of, I recently changed my sump out and it has a built in refugium so I'm no longer using it. I can also sell it with the Sicce pump and silicone tubing if you'd like.

 

[Larry Stewart]

Quick update and lesson learned... I returned home from work to find that the scrubber was draining from the top drain hole which I have not yet plumbed to drain into the sump....so the water was saturating the wood plank that is sits on.

After taking the screen out I noticed that the top of screen probably caused a clog. I decided to clear out the top portion of the screen to hopefully prevent another overflow.

Has anyone else run into this issue or has an explanation of why this happens?

 

[Jorge Frazoa]

Hi Randy!

I'm sorry to be bothering you this way but I needed your help.

I wanted to follow your homemade iron recipe. I found some iron pills, 27mg, but they have silica in their ingredients. Can I use these pills to follow your prescription?

Thanks

 

[joaocdestro]

Can I add the Iron supplemnt at Calcium or Alkalinity solutions? it will precipitate? it will rust?

This way I will be dosed every day with balling.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Can I add the Iron supplemnt at Calcium or Alkalinity solutions? it will precipitate? it will rust?

This way I will be dosed every day with balling.

Many iron supplements can be combined with most calcium supplements.

 

[Asthix]

Many iron supplements can be combined with most calcium supplements.

I can't find any gluconate form in Europe, do you have any other form you can recommend?
I can only find iron bisglycinate so far labelled as 14mg per pill.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I can't find any gluconate form in Europe, do you have any other form you can recommend?
I can only find iron bisglycinate so far labelled as 14mg per pill.

The bisglycinate is likely fine.

 

[Zachbud]

Is Ferric Chloride a safe alternative?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is Ferric Chloride a safe alternative?

It is not my preference. It is certainly safe, but it may precipitate out of solution fairly fast.

 

[JeremyKnight]

I made up a batch of iron about three weeks ago. I used the fergon tablets. Dissolved them in RODI water using a magnetic stirrer and glass beaker. I keep a small amount in a 4oz blue dropper bottle and the remaining in a glass quick lock bottle in the chemical closet in my fish room.

Today I noticed that there is some growth in the blue bottle. So I went and looked at the storage bottle and there is a round glob of “growth” in that bottle also.

Is this from not sterilizing after dissolving the pills? Or from the coating on them?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Probably bacteria consuming the coating and additives. I’d just ignore it.

 

[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

 

[BryanM]

For some reason, I read where a form of iron was needed to increase the effectiveness of the scrubbers. However, I do have both phosphates and nitrates in the system.

Have you not had to dose/add Fe (Iron) for growth of your algae in the scrubber?

I do not dose anything for my ATS.

It is efficient enough that I'm now dosing NeoNitri and NeoPhos, and will be dosing a DIY version of each when these run out.

 

[JeremyKnight]

I do not dose anything for my ATS.

It is efficient enough that I'm now dosing NeoNitri and NeoPhos, and will be dosing a DIY version of each when these run out.

I dose ammonium hydroxide, works great!!!

 

[JeremyKnight]

Probably bacteria consuming the coating and additives. I’d just ignore it.

Thank Randy!

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

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.

@Randy Holmes-Farley if I were to use ferrous sulfate 325mg, does 1 pill then contain 65 mg of iron?

I have an old bottle of Red Sea Iron. Also some moonshine iron, I assume I can use these for algae scrubber assistance?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I dose ammonium hydroxide, works great!!!

My only concern with ammonium hydroxide is release to the air, so smell and loss of ammonia from the dosing setup. Of course that can be overcome, but food grade ammonium bicarbonate (essentially ammonia plus CO2 plus water) reduces those concerns and has a purity assurance. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley if I were to use ferrous sulfate 325mg, does 1 pill then contain 65 mg of iron?

I have an old bottle of Red Sea Iron. Also some moonshine iron, I assume I can use these for algae scrubber assistance?

An iron tablet for humans always lists the amount of actual iron, and never counts the other aspects, such as the sulfate. I'd need to know what tablet you were using to see an actual amount on it as iron tablets vary.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

An iron tablet for humans always lists the amount of actual iron, and never counts the other aspects, such as the sulfate. I'd need to know what tablet you were using to see an actual amount on it as iron tablets vary.

Here they are