Making my own trace mix

[Frag_mad]

Hi all. Just fine tuning what my tank needs trace wise and was thinking could I mix the 3 and make them into a drop solution in a glass bottle with pipette. I’m looking at mixing iron, iodine and manganese? My recipe would be 17.7ml iron, 7.44ml iodine & 2.9ml manganese. Top that solution up to 50ml with RO water & I’d be using 8 drops a day. Any thoughts thanks

 

[Frag_mad]

@Randy Holmes-Farley ?

 

[Frag_mad]

For future reference if anybody reads this thread the answer no I can’t mix these 3 I think...

The reason been that iodine is a negative ion and iron & manganese are positive ions. So it’s highly likely that precipitation will occur.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can mix those if you use appropriate forms. There are several threads in this forum on DIY trace element mixes.

The complexity is going to be redox reactions between the trace metals, and even with iodine if you elect the wrong forms. For example, mixing Fe++ (ferrous iron, which is generally more soluble than ferric iron, Fe+++) with Lugols (contains some I2), you may oxidize the iron to ferric iron.