Iron Levels in reef tank??

[Pepcrylic]

What would be a good reading on iron levels in my sps reef tank.
I have been harvesting large amounts of Chaeto evrey 3 weeks for the past year.
Will this effect my iron levels?

 

[jsker]

Here is a write up by Randy about iron link hope this helps.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

None detected is good. lol

No test kit can read anywhere near low enough to be a good guide. Even triton type tests cannot.

That said, I think it a fine idea to dose iron. I did for years to support macroalgae and other organisms.

Here's my discussion in the context of my triton results:

Iron (Fe). The natural iron level varies a lot with depth, but surface seawater may have only 0.006 µg/L. The Triton LOD = 0.3 µg/L. I dose iron, and when I dose it I boost iron to roughly 1-2 µg/L, which would be detectable. This sample was taken more than a week after the last iron dosing, and none was detected as it gets depleted in the meanwhile. I’ve not yet seen a Triton test result for a real aquarium sample that had detectable iron, but that doesn’t mean these tanks are necessarily deficient. Iron is also a case where the form is critical, and ICP cannot distinguish form. Binding to organic matter, for example, can alter the bioavailability of iron.

 

[Pepcrylic]

TY Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[BlueCursor]

For iron, look at the color of your macro and corals, especially green coral. If my green lepto gets too light, I dose some iron into the water I use for the daily 1% water change. Within a week the lepto starts to get a darker shade of green. I advised looking at your macro algae color too, but truth be told I never do that because I don't care what it looks like.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

I wouldn't worry about it at all.. more harm is done by overdosing iron is done by having low iron.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

Than is done*

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wouldn't worry about it at all.. more harm is done by overdosing iron is done by having low iron.

While that might be true, I've never seen a specific problem caused by dosing iron and I have seen clear improvements from dosing it, including in t the tank of the owner of Reef Central.

What have you observed?

 

[Pepcrylic]

I tested my tank water with the Giesemann aquaristic (Fe) test kit and got a non detectable reading (no color change).
So I added Eisen Concentrate. 1 ml. per 50 gal. This is recommended 1 time per week.
I did not retest. I thought I would retest in 30 days to see if there was a color change in the test kit.
The reason for the doseing is my Chaeto has not been growing as fast and as colorful as it has in the past.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I tested my tank water with the Giesemann aquaristic (Fe) test kit and got a non detectable reading (no color change).
So I added Eisen Concentrate. 1 ml. per 50 gal. This is recommended 1 time per week.
I did not retest. I thought I would retest in 30 days to see if there was a color change in the test kit.
The reason for the doseing is my Chaeto has not been growing as fast and as colorful as it has in the past.

No need to bother testing. Adding even a little iron is generally plenty, but it depeltes/precipitates pretty fast.

 

[jason2459]

I wouldn't worry about it at all.. more harm is done by overdosing iron is done by having low iron.

@glennf doses a fairly high amount and keeps it elevated fairly high if I recall correctly. Doesn't seem to do any harm uses it to help reduce phosphates.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

While that might be true, I've never seen a specific problem caused by dosing iron and I have seen clear improvements from dosing it, including in t the tank of the owner of Reef Central.

What have you observed?

My quarantine system crashed after I had patched a bag of purigen (absentmindedly) with safety pins. In no less than a week, all fish had died (2 clowns and a yellowchest wrasse). When I went to rip down the filter, I saw 3 half decayed safety pins completely rusted over.

Obviously this is different from dosing iron in a reef, but it still demonstrated the danger in doing so

 

[jason2459]

Yes, that is not like dosing iron. I would also venture to say it's possible the pins were not the cause also.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My quarantine system crashed after I had patched a bag of purigen (absentmindedly) with safety pins. In no less than a week, all fish had died (2 clowns and a yellowchest wrasse). When I went to rip down the filter, I saw 3 half decayed safety pins completely rusted over.

Obviously this is different from dosing iron in a reef, but it still demonstrated the danger in doing so

The pins were not pure iron. It demonstrates something very different, and which is not recommended: adding random (potentially toxic) metals to the tank.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

They were spring steel safety pins (iron alloy).. They may or may not have been zinc coated. There were no other measurable factors that would have led to the fish's deaths.

I'm not against dosing iron, but I would advise using the upmost caution when dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

They were spring steel safety pins (iron alloy).. They may or may not have been zinc coated. There were no other measurable factors that would have led to the fish's deaths.

I'm not against dosing iron, but I would advise using the upmost caution when dosing.

IMO, this is a misapplication of anecdotal experience. Many reefers add iron and never see a problem. I have read, literally, hundreds of thousands of reef chemistry threads, and never once have I heard of iron dosing killing fish.

Safety pins are often coated with other metals (such as chromium) to keep them from corroding in normal use. They are not primarily iron on the surface. Iron metal quickly turns brown and safety pins do not.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

IMO, this is a misapplication of anecdotal experience. Many reefers add iron and never see a problem. I have read, literally, hundreds of thousands of reef chemistry threads, and never once have I heard of iron dosing kill fish.

Safety pins are often coated with other metals (such as chromium) to keep them from corroding in normal use. They are not primarily iron on the surface. Iron metal quickly turns brown and safety pins do not.

Very fair. Nonetheless, I do prefer more cautionary dosing.. I would regret not thanking you for the input Randy!

 

[jason2459]

They were spring steel safety pins (iron alloy).. They may or may not have been zinc coated. There were no other measurable factors that would have led to the fish's deaths.

I'm not against dosing iron, but I would advise using the upmost caution when dosing.

I still see nothing you've presented to warrant that warning. I even have doubts the safety pins were the cause of the deaths. Especially since it was in QT. Many through out the years have lost many metal pieces in their tanks from paper clips and screws to razors and springs.

Usually its inverts that show issues well before fish which seem to be more tolerant to heavy metals to a point.

What is your opinion on using GFO?

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

I still see nothing you've presented to warrant that warning. I even have doubts the safety pins were the cause of the deaths. Especially since it was in QT. Many through out the years have lost many metal pieces in their tanks from paper clips and screws to razors and springs.

Usually its inverts that show issues well before fish which seem to be more tolerant to heavy metals to a point.

What is your opinion on using GFO?

I don't appreciate your suggestiveness. The fish were in quarantine months prior to the pins, and I have a very good understanding of how to mantain stable water parameters. I don't doubt others havn't had metal decay in their tanks, but this was only a 10 gallon quarantine so the toxicity was amplified greatly compared to a razor falling in a 40b.

My opinions on GFO? I'd only run it if I used non RODI water. Being successful with GFO also comes down to exercising caution (Ugh, not again). When I say 'exercise caution' I don't mean to imply that you should take measures any further than you would when you're figuring out how much salt to add to a 5 gallon bucket when you're looking to get a salinity of 1.020.

Will I/ do I use GFO? No, I have no need for it. My phosphates are kept in check via adequate feeding, skimming, and waterchanges.

Go ahead and not heed my warning.. dose 4x the suggested amount of an iron additive for your chaeto and see how that works for you