Iron Dosing

[WVReefJunkie]

I have a 220 gallon reef tank. I started growing Chaeto in my refugium with Miracle Mud about two weeks ago. I was thinking of dosing Red Sea Iron to see if Chaeto would benefit from it. I tested iron and it yield a test result of 0.05. Red sea optimal levels are recommended at 0.15. What's the pro and cons of dosing Iron? Thanks, Brian.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have a 220 gallon reef tank. I started growing Chaeto in my refugium with Miracle Mud about two weeks ago. I was thinking of dosing Red Sea Iron to see if Chaeto would benefit from it. I tested iron and it yield a test result of 0.05. Red sea optimal levels are recommended at 0.15. What's the pro and cons of dosing Iron? Thanks, Brian.

IMO, you should never bother to test iron with a kit and should not dose that much (or at least not maintain it that high). I have no idea why they claim such high levels are needed, except it helps sell their kit.

NSW surface iron levels can be as low as 0.000006 ppm.

That said, iron dosing can be useful.

I discuss iron here:

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iron In A Reef Tank ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2002/chem.htm

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iron: A Look At Organisms Other Than Macroalgae ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2002/chem.htm

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I tried to read your write ups, it's over my head.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I tried to read your write ups, it's over my head.

Short story: Just dose a little bit once a week and it's plenty.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I put 10 ml of Red Sea's Iron Supplementation.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m sure that is more than plenty [emoji3]

 

[Tbird2101]

I believe iron is vital for producing either greens or blues in sps. I cant remember which one though

 

[dean.reef]

Iron helps greens,I occasionally dose it based on the colour of my acros,to much it will turn yellows into green and you can get algea

 

[Dana Riddle]

Elevated iron concentrations have been shown to increase fluorescence in *some* coral pigments.