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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #641

> From: "Glenn Hudspeth" <GHudspeth at csi_com>
> Subject: RE: Flourish Iron, Correct dosage & procedure
> 
> 	The bottle says "Flourish Iron contains 10,000 mg/L of stabilized ferrous
> iron suitable for the natural freshwater aquarium. . . . Directions: Use
> 0.5-1 mL . . . for each 40 liters . . . as required to maintain about 0.1
> mg/L. Use MultiTest Iron test kit to monitor iron concentrations."
> 
> 	Please help. What the hell does this all mean?

	I don't really see how it could be much clearer.  The only thing
you need to know is that "m" stands for "one thousandth", and that "L"
stands for "litre".

> As a "literature-person," it
> would take me long hours of deliberation in my college biology/chemistry
> books to figure out how to dose this brew.

	As a "science-person", I don't throw up my hands when I run across
a bit of German.

> Unless I bought a $15 test kit,
> which I don't want to do either.

	There has been quite a bit of discussion here lately on the 
dubiousness of iron test kits.  Nevertheless, if you want to "monitor
iron concentrations", you must either do some sort of test or look at
your plants to see what is going on.

> Is there some other "safe" method of use,
> such as just adding ca. 9mL weekly at water changes (90gal tank)?

	You seem to have done the arithmetic called for in the instructions
without any problem.  That is ~1 mL per 40 litres in 90 U.S. gallons.  What
you don't know is how much of that the plants use in the week between
additions.  That is why you want a measurement of some sort.

	If you want to be absolutely safe, add enough of the mixture
to give 0.1 mg/L iron in the water you add to the tank at water changes.  

-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada

Morgen, morgen, nur nicht heute.....