# Iron deficency? How to make FeSO4 solution? (looks cloudy)



## three-fingers (19 Apr 2009)

Hi UKAPS   .

Everything is going well with my planted shrimp tank, and I'm slowly winning against the staghorn algae that was running riot before I started to add CO2.

But I've noticed what I think may be an iron deficiency in my hygro.  It's only on some of the leaves near the light, and it also looks red too.  My nitrate level is 15-20ppm and I'm dosing KNO3 so I've kinda ruled out nitrogen deficiency, and I'm thinking it may just be a little red because it's so close to the light. It's the glass-like appearance that I don't like.  Here's a pic:





So I bought some FeSO4 from fluid sensor, and added 2.5G to a bottle of 500ml RO water, and have been dosing 2-3 times a week to boost iron by 0.1ppm each time, I already dose the fluidsensor trace mix once a week at water changes (20g to 250ml of RO water then 10ml), so I've been assuming that combined with that I should have enough iron.  Still got the same signs though, so I'm about to up dosing, buuuut...

...I'm really not too sure about the appearance of it in the bottle though, and when I leave it for a day it seems to settle on the bottom.  Is there something else I should add to the solution?  I tried some potassium sorbate in another bottle and it did the same thing, and I keep it in the dark when I'm not using just in case that has anything to do with it.  Here's another pic:





Maybe I should just put some rusty iron nails in the substrate, but I already have this powder, and I don't know how much my shrimp would like that .

Does the solution look OK?  Is this actually an iron deficiency.


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## GreenNeedle (19 Apr 2009)

> Maybe I should just put some rusty iron nails in the substrate,



ADA already sell these 

I'm not so sure of whether it is an iron defficiency but it shouldn't be if you are already adding trace.

AC


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## three-fingers (19 Apr 2009)

Maybe I'll get he ADA ones then, I have serious problems with the amount of money in my pockets!  

That's what I had thought, so I held off buying the FeSO4, but it just got worse so I went for it instead of adding more trace (I know more traces wouldn't be a problem especially with 50% water changes, but it doesn't feel like the proper way to do it lol).


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## ceg4048 (19 Apr 2009)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> > Maybe I should just put some rusty iron nails in the substrate,
> 
> 
> 
> ADA already sell these


Yeah, I think they call it "Special Power Ranger Shuriken"  

As SuperColey1 points out, you ought to be dosing a trace mix and trace mixes are mostly Fe. So even if you were simply not dosing enough of the mix, all you'd need to do would be to add more of it. In any case, Iron deficiency shows up as yellowing not reddening...

Cheers,


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## three-fingers (19 Apr 2009)

Yes, but it's the glass-like appearance I as attributing to a lack of iron, and I already have the FeSO4 now  

I thought the reddish appearance of the leaves could be nitrogen deficiency, but there is plenty of nitrogen.

Maybe I'll just dose more phosphate and see if that helps, though I don't too much mind the reddness of the leaves (and I was thinking it could just be the high light), as I said, it's the glassy bits that look bad .


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## ceg4048 (20 Apr 2009)

Well, I'd blame low CO2 for the glassy bit.

Cheers,


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## three-fingers (20 Apr 2009)

That's a shame .  Drop checker with 4dkh is green, and if I turn CO2 up any higher the shrimp go nuts .


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## aaronnorth (20 Apr 2009)

three-fingers said:
			
		

> That's a shame .  Drop checker with 4dkh is green, and if I turn CO2 up any higher the shrimp go nuts .



how is distribution?


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## ceg4048 (20 Apr 2009)

Well there are a few things you can do. The light intensity can be lowered, you can improve the flow, trim a bit more, or supplement with Excel. It appears in the photo that the plant has grown to the top so it's unclear how things are situated. Does this appear lower down on the plant?

Cheers,


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## GreenNeedle (20 Apr 2009)

ADA - Iron Bottom aka - rusty nails . 
http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_product/101_index.html

or cheaper on ebay 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ADA-Iron-Bottom-F ... dZViewItem

AC


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## aaronnorth (20 Apr 2009)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> ADA - Iron Bottom aka - rusty nails .
> http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_product/101_index.html
> 
> or cheaper on ebay
> ...



1 piece


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## three-fingers (20 Apr 2009)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> how is distribution?


Pretty good I'd say, I plan on adding another small pump to the other side of the tank as soon as I have the plug space though.  Got 18x turnover an hour using a Fluval 105 with a spraybar along most of the back of the tank, and another power head with a tiny spraybar just above the CO2 diffuser so the bubbles get blown across the tank.



			
				ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Well there are a few things you can do. The light intensity can be lowered, you can improve the flow, trim a bit more, or supplement with Excel. It appears in the photo that the plant has grown to the top so it's unclear how things are situated. Does this appear lower down on the plant?
> 
> Cheers,


Growth lower down looks fine, I don't think I can (or want to) lower the light intensity as it's only 2 x T8 tubes, but I could lower photoperiod I guess.  Right now I'm at 9 hours, but I'll probably just put it down to 7 or 8.  I just don't like looking at a dark tank during the day .  But I wont be in apart from Sundays soon so it probably doesn't matter much  .
It's irritating because I cant pin down a cause ...  Last time I used excel the Malasian rainbow shrimp really didn't respond well (others were fine though), so I'd rather not use it on that tank.

Thanks for the advice .



			
				SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> ADA - Iron Bottom aka - rusty nails .
> http://www.adana.co.jp/_e_product/101_index.html
> 
> or cheaper on ebay
> ...


Â£4 each  . Going around that price for 100 here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/100-Antique-nails ... 240%3A1318  .


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