Need help to understand iron better

[Anirban]

Recently my sunset montipora was losing its red colour so I checked all water paratmeters.

Salinity-1.026
Nitrate-in between 0-5
Phosphate-Non tracable
Ca-480
Mg-1350
dKH-10
pH-7.9

These look fine to me. I run a ULNS system with mainly Zeovit products. So I was trying to figure what wrong so I tested my potassium and iron (Red sea coral pro test kit). The results are like,
Potassium-410
Iron-non tracable

So, I tried pulling up the iron a bit using Zeovit iron supplement but interestingly still now I am not being able to trace even basic level of iron in tank water. I checked the kits functionality using the Zeovit iron concentrate itself which shows high amount of iron. So I am confused where are all my iron going? I also have few other red corals like one acrospora and superman monti which are doing fine except the sunset one. But now the issue is iron?????:mad:

 

[Bunnee911]

Any macro algae?

 

[Anirban]

Nope.....I used to have but since shifted to ULNS I got rid of them. I have one mangrove plant in my sump and carbon along with Zeovit media.

 

[Paul B]

I dose iron like this. One hammer per 100 gallons.

 

[Anirban]

Ha ha....thats a good one.....but my system is small 45 gallon total....so I should dose small hammer right....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, you should not typically maintain iron at levels detectable with kits. The surface NSW level is on the order of 0.000006 ppm.

So you could have more than a thousand times that level and still not detect it with a kit.

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

 

[Anirban]

IMO, you should not typically maintain iron at levels detectable with kits. The surface NSW level is on the order of 0.000006 ppm.

So you could have more than a thousand times that level and still not detect it with a kit.

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

Hi Randy,

Those articles helps a lot. Still according to you what should be a good way to know if a system need iron or not? Like in my case I really don't know why that sunset monti red colour looks washed away?? Any probable guess? I use reef crystal salt and occasionally top off the system with nutri sea water. Its a ULNS running based on Zeovit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy,

Those articles helps a lot. Still according to you what should be a good way to know if a system need iron or not? Like in my case I really don't know why that sunset monti red colour looks washed away?? Any probable guess? I use reef crystal salt and occasionally top off the system with nutri sea water. Its a ULNS running based on Zeovit.

Aside from macroalgae becoming yellow (suggesting a need), the only way I know of would be to dose some and see if it is beneficial.

Iron dosing is an easy DIY using Fergon tablets from a drug store. Lots of people use it, including me.

 

[Anirban]

Aside from macroalgae becoming yellow (suggesting a need), the only way I know of would be to dose some and see if it is beneficial.

Iron dosing is an easy DIY using Fergon tablets from a drug store. Lots of people use it, including me.

Thanks Randy for your quick response. Just a last question, how you know if it is helping the coral growth or colour or not? What parameters should I keep an eye on?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy for your quick response. Just a last question, how you know if it is helping the coral growth or colour or not? What parameters should I keep an eye on?

I do not know if it will noticeably help growth, but I'd watch color over a few weeks and see if anything changes.

This thread shows some folks opinions on what colors might change:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-iron.227690/

 

[ReefCartel]

Can we see pics?

 

[steiger33]

How much iron tablets would you put into a 145 g system?

 

[biom]

So, I tried pulling up the iron a bit using Zeovit iron supplement but interestingly still now I am not being able to trace even basic level of iron in tank water. I checked the kits functionality using the Zeovit iron concentrate itself which shows high amount of iron. So I am confused where are all my iron going? I also have few other red corals like one acrospora and superman monti which are doing fine except the sunset one. But now the issue is iron?????:mad:

Don't chase numbers. If you already dosing iron as per KZ recommendations you already have enough iron. Iron test kits are useless and they will read some iron in the stage it is too late. So dose as per instruction and be sure you have more than enough iron. The problem with your monti is not iron I believe.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How much iron tablets would you put into a 145 g system?

One table will last a while.

I dissolve one Fergon table in about 25 mL of water. Let it dissolve, stir, then settle. Use the clear greenish liquid.

Then may be add 1 mL once a week to your system.

 

[Diesel]

Ok, so your iron should be good.
Let me point out another important issue you brought up.
As you state you run ULNS......... why is your ALK at 10?
Randy can chime in here to as most ULNS you want your ALK on the low side close to 8 or a bit under that.
If your ALK is at 10 and your PH is 7.9 are you running a Calcium reactor or you just have a high elevated Co2 in your house?
Especially in the winter months when we don't ventilate the homes as much PH can drop in your water.
That all said maybe the combination of all this cause your Monti to be of color.

 

[Anirban]

Ok, so your iron should be good.
Let me point out another important issue you brought up.
As you state you run ULNS......... why is your ALK at 10?
Randy can chime in here to as most ULNS you want your ALK on the low side close to 8 or a bit under that.
If your ALK is at 10 and your PH is 7.9 are you running a Calcium reactor or you just have a high elevated Co2 in your house?
Especially in the winter months when we don't ventilate the homes as much PH can drop in your water.
That all said maybe the combination of all this cause your Monti to be of color.

Thanks for pointing out that. Actually I am working on that high Alk problem. My house has a higher CO2 level and thats why I generally have lower pH like 7.7 - 7.9. Looking for an effective way to increase pH and keep it steady.