# Have I inadvertently been poisoning my fish dosing Fe DTPA?



## Sarpijk (29 Nov 2020)

Hi, I am under the suspicion that my decision to add Fe DTPA , because of my hard water, may have sth to do with fish deaths.

I believe I might have been overdosing Fe. What I did is calculating for EI on Rotala Butterfly and instead of making two separate solutions one with TNC trace and a second with Fe DTPA 11%, I just made one solution adding both substances.

It took me a while to put 2 and 2 together but since I ceased dosing I haven't seen any symptoms in fish. The main symptoms was some of the fish darting and spinning uncontrollably and dying soon after that. 

I am not 100% sure and haven't ruled out a disease but it is very strange to see all the symptoms soon after dosing Fe.
The fish were mainly white cloud minnows.


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## Zeus. (29 Nov 2020)

I think the extra Fe is unlikely to have affected the livestock, however it depends on how much Fe DTPA you was adding on top of the TNC trace and how much TNC trace you was dosing.
If you could post the amount of each salt you was adding to the size of your dosing container, the dose and frequency amount and tank size I will run the figures though my calculator (which is soon to be released)


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## Sarpijk (29 Nov 2020)

Thanks for the help Zeus much appreciated!

I might have used different settings since the beginning but this is the main idea behind my dosing. I might have used a calculation based on a 5 ml dose but other that that this is the recipe.


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## Zeus. (29 Nov 2020)

So your target was 0.1 ppm Fe was that weekly or per dose ?- if weekly how often was you doing TNC trace
Plus need the details of the Fe DTPA you was dosing


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## Sarpijk (29 Nov 2020)

It was estimated based on their Low light/ E.I weekly option and I dosed once a week.

Fe is chelated water soluble Iron product DTPA 11%.

This one: Fe – DΤPA – Agrifem


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## Zeus. (29 Nov 2020)

sorry misread your post






TNC trace for our purpose is the same as APFUK trace (we took TNC trace off as you can not purchase it any more)

So weekly yield Fe 0.2ppm Fe- so no not the iron based on your figures given as 0.5 to 0.6ppm Fe weekly is full EI which is considered safe


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## Sarpijk (29 Nov 2020)

What made me start the post was  searching for Fe toxicity and came across a post over at Barr Report discussing the contents of Fe products. I mean Fe DTPA used in my case contains 11% Fe. Could the remaining 89% be sth like ammonia or other filler?


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## Zeus. (29 Nov 2020)

Sarpijk said:


> Could the remaining 89% be sth like ammonia or other filler?



No the bulk of the remaining 89% is the chelate compound


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## Sarpijk (29 Nov 2020)

Tank you Sir! You are a gentleman and a scholar!


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