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RE: Iron supplementation



I received much the same response from Seachem concerning Flourish Iron as
did Christopher Coleman.

Several points made by Seachem have been commented upon by list members and
it appears that some of those who did so might know more than they are
saying. For example, Seachem claims:

> A third advantage to the gluconate is that it is a reducing agent
> and so helps to keep the Fe+2 from being oxidized Fe+3 (the product
> also contains other reducing agents to aid in this process as well).

To which, Dave (eworobe at cc_UManitoba.CA) commented:

> In an oxic environment "reducing agents" will not prevent the oxidation
> of ferrous iron.

Now, I admit that I am over my head here, but I suspect that Dave is not.
Whether or not "reducing agents" will prevent the oxidation of iron is not
really the point - will they at least retard the oxidation process long
enough to allow the plants to capture sufficient iron to meet their needs?
It is generally recommended that Iron supplements be used frequently, [i.e.
Dupla recommends daily additions] so would the gluconate formulation be just
as effective from a practical standpoint in an aquarium as iron cheleated
with E.D.T.A?

Is this difference (E.D.T.A. vs. gluconate) merely one of two equally
effective alternatives or is one product to be preferred over the other?

James Purchase
Toronto, Ontario
jpurch at interlog_com