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Re: Iron levels



> From: "Ken Guin" <kenguin at homemail_com>
> Subject: Iron Levels
> 
> I have tested my tank and have no indication of iron being in the tank. I
> added approximately 40ml of PMDD trace mix (4% iron) to the tank without any
> iron showing up in the tests.  I know the test kits work, so what is going
> on here? I am afraid to add more of the trace mix solution since I am not
> sure what would happen if I overdosed (whatever that amount may be).

	I thought I did see a reply to this, something to the effect that if
the tank was _really_ short of iron to begin with, the plants would grab
the iron and it wouldn't show up in the water.  That seems quite likely.
I'm a bit puzzled by the "40 mL of PMDD trace mix (4% iron)" above.  Do you
mean that you made up "PMDD", using 4% iron trace mix, and then added 40 mL
of the solution?  Work out how much iron you have added, and what concentration
you would expect to see in the tank, if nothing used the iron.
> 
> If anyone knows how I can safely get my tank's iron level up without killing
> everything is sight, I sure would appreciate the help.

	If the plants are growing, I wouldn't worry about it too much. If
you go on adding the trace elements, iron will probably show up in
the water eventually.  Most of us, I think, try to keep iron at the 
"just detectable" level.  You can expect to run the tank for weeks in
any new mode before you get a "stable" (I don't want to start _that_ thread
up again!) situation.

-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada