adding boron and iron

coralcruze · Dec 3, 2016

Does anyone know of a good bulk source for BORON, IRON and POTASSIUM?? I would consider myself an advanced aquarist. I keep predominantly SPS. I have been following Randy H. Farley's bulk ALK and CAL supplementation for many years and works great. i would like to do the same with the above trace elements.

Looking forward to some good advice. Please feel free to link me to any source that you may have. Much appreciated!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 3, 2016

Sure. For iron, I recommend Fergon tablets from the grocery store. For potassium, food grade potassium chloride from a place like google shopping is good.

I don't consider dosing borate to be important, but borax is a good way to go. Some google shopping places sell it for human supplements.

coralcruze · Dec 3, 2016

Hey Randy... thanks so much for your suggestions. Yeah the reason for Boron and all of the above traces is that I am trying to experiment with my sps coloration now-a-days. I run a low nutrient tank using Vodka carbon dosing largely successfully and started to dose trace elements to tweak coloration. Boron from all of my reading should make reds stand out more...? I do have some trouble with seriataporah turning more green or sometimes deeper red when they come in as hot pinks. With dosing pumps becoming more and more available in putting the system through automation has proven to be invaluable for lazy reefers like me

Thank you for always helping out reefers like me throughout the years!!!

In case you were interested to see what your help has caused... My tank was featured on Kessils FB page recently.
https://www.facebook.com/Kessil.LED/photos/pcb.1317355538277333/1317348394944714/?type=3&theater

coralcruze · Dec 3, 2016

hey any suggestions on dosages on the Iron? and do I mix those tabs with RO water? Is it stable over time (like maybe two months)? same question on the food grade potassium chloride...

Thanks again!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 3, 2016

I seriously doubt the connection between boron and red color is sps.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 3, 2016

Here's the iron directions:

Buy Fergon iron tablets from the drug store.
Put one pill in about 25 mL fresh water (volume is not that important since dose is not that important for iron). Let it soak for a while or overnight until the tablet breaks apart.

Swirl it to mix. Let is settle overnight. Then use the clear greenish liquid.

Dose about 1 mL per 100 gallons once a week (dose is not critical).

coralcruze · Dec 3, 2016

awesome... thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 3, 2016

Search on stump remover here at Reef2Reef and there are potassium dosing directions there.

coralcruze · Dec 5, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Here's the iron directions:

Buy Fergon iron tablets from the drug store.
Put one pill in about 25 mL fresh water (volume is not that important since dose is not that important for iron). Let it soak for a while or overnight until the tablet breaks apart.

Swirl it to mix. Let is settle overnight. Then use the clear greenish liquid.

Dose about 1 mL per 100 gallons once a week (dose is not critical).

I read one of the threads that you have dosed iron in your tank. I have the following questions if i may:

1. What are your observations with dosing Iron? benefits? If i remember you have predominantly softies, yes?

2. Is there anything wrong with throwing these pills in a food processor to pulverize it then add it to liquid as stated above?

3. what is the shelf life of this once mixed?

4. I basically use a dose to dose liquid supplements from a container that i plan to keep the iron product in. will this work or is there a need to keep air tight ect? as it is its fairly air tight but not completely

My tank seems to be deficient in Iron (I say seems because test kits are inconclusive, I own the red sea Fe kit and readings are always low or inconclusive) and can see slow down of chaeto in refugium.

coralcruze · Dec 5, 2016

This is probably a different question but I also use Epsom salt to elevate Mg. but I don't do the two part Mg mix only Epsom. I have been doing that for a few years now. is there a benefit to start? I find it harder and harder to maintain Mg levels of 1200-1300. what should I do?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 5, 2016

coralcruze said:
I read one of the threads that you have dosed iron in your tank. I have the following questions if i may:

1. What are your observations with dosing Iron? benefits? If i remember you have predominantly softies, yes?

2. Is there anything wrong with throwing these pills in a food processor to pulverize it then add it to liquid as stated above?

3. what is the shelf life of this once mixed?

4. I basically use a dose to dose liquid supplements from a container that i plan to keep the iron product in. will this work or is there a need to keep air tight ect? as it is its fairly air tight but not completely

My tank seems to be deficient in Iron (I say seems because test kits are inconclusive, I own the red sea Fe kit and readings are always low or inconclusive) and can see slow down of chaeto in refugium.

1. It boosts the growth of organisms that are limited by it, which can often include macroalgae, maybe others. Sometimes macroalgae can green up overnight of adding iron. That happened in the tank of the owner of ReefCentral when I recommended it. It can also promote macroalgae over microalgae. No, minew as a mixed tank, not predominately soft corals.

2. The pills fall apart on their own in a few h in the water, but you can break them up if you want. You only need one at a time, and it will last a while. The solutions will last a few weeks if kept closed. Long term the iron may oxidize to ferric iron and begin to precipitate.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 5, 2016

coralcruze said:
This is probably a different question but I also use Epsom salt to elevate Mg. but I don't do the two part Mg mix only Epsom. I have been doing that for a few years now. is there a benefit to start? I find it harder and harder to maintain Mg levels of 1200-1300. what should I do?

Add more, but Epsom salts alone will slowly boost sulfate relative to chloride. Maybe not enough to be important since data is limited on the impact of such skewing of ionic ratios.

coralcruze · Dec 5, 2016

ahhh... thank you. any good material I can read on sulfate vs sulfur in a reef tank? and does that compound contribute to sulfur buildup in a reef?

after 6 years i think it may be time to remove my sand bed and start over? Its not a deep sand bed.

as always I very much appreciate your input. Thank you Randy!

coralcruze · Dec 5, 2016

ok just found this

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/rhf/

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 5, 2016

Sulfate is the third must abundant ion in seawater (by weight) after sodium and chloride. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, and if you add a lot of magnesium, you will slightly boost sulfate. Epsom salt won't have any impact on the presence or absence of other forms of sulfur, such as hydrogen sulfide.

mcarroll · Feb 21, 2018

coralcruze said:
see slow down of chaeto in refugium

Chaeto is more of a high-nutrient algae and you said you've been keeping an organic-carbon/bacterially dominated system so NO3 is probably very low and PO4 may be very low as well.

Seeing a slowdown "could be" from a limiting element like iron, but can N and/or P limitation be completely discounted as potentially being the main cause(s)?

Make sure you post your results if you experiment with this!!!

Here's a calc you might be able to use for your potassium, but it's geared toward your NO3 content....the K will come with a dose of nitrates in the form of KNO3: A Nitrate Dosing Calculator For Better Tank Health (And Better Coral Color!)

Consider the whole KNO3 molecule when you're doing your experiments! I'd experiment first with your iron supplement, and separately, later with the KNO3....at least until you have seen/not seen the results you want from the iron.

2¢