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Whare's muh iron?

> Do you two have a difference of opinion as to the OTHER trace elements, or
> was Tom primarily referring to Iron?  I.e.  Tom, do you recommend dosing a
> Cleated Trace mix until Iron is at the desired level, or do you share the
> concern that this would overdose the other trace nutrients, and therefore
> one should add separate iron in addition a lower lover of Cleated Trace?
> 
> Thanks for the clarification.

Personally I do not use PMDD. I use Tropica or SeaChem's Flourish line. It's
easier for me. It's also a good baseline for comparing notes with other
folks who actually do test their water and try different approaches.
Most of them used these two products, so I have as well. Consistency is
important. So in answering your question, I add all the traces, not just
iron by itself. Some folks, Steve comes to mind and a few others "spike or
pulse" their iron levels in addition to the trace mix. It did not do the
same thing for myself as them but it could be from the softer water also. I
have not looked into it much.

You'll get a number of "methods" that can all work.
Some go for a low PO4, some lower NO3 some low Fe etc. Plant health is what
the biggest issues really is. They grow well and we all are happy. Except
for the algae. 
> 
Erik said:

> Tom mentioned richer traces as  being counterintuitive... I think I
> understand what he means, and I agree.

I'm lucky to understand what I mean:)

> Perhaps this is analagous to the
> dosing of phosphate and nitrate, also perceived as counterintuitive in the
> past. All things (nutrients, light, C02) accounted for and satisfied, the
> "extra" dosing of traces (with Fe as a proxy, beyond that .1 mark) might
> mean more ammunition for plants, resulting in the further minimizing of
> visible algae and a healthier system overall.

Ah yep. Well put. Erik's responses and test have been mirrored by a number
of sfbaaps folks. I've tried it out on many folk's tanks. It works. But you
need to get the CO2 right and then move down the line on the nutrients.
CO2-> NO3-> K+-> PO4-> Fe-> traces etc. Set your tank up so that all you
have to worry about are 4 things, NPK and traces. CO2 via a gas tank system
and decent lighting.
Regards, 
Tom Barr
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> ------
> ERIK LEUNG     San Francisco, CA