How to give Iron to Plant when using activated carbon.

Question

Hello,

I'd like to know how to provide iron to my plants, when I use 2 stacks of activated carbon in my Fluval 205 canister filter.

The main reason i don't want to get rid of the carbon is because it's currently keeping my water crystal clear, and it's in my room, so i don't want any odor, and it's doing a very good job.

But I know the Activated Carbon would absorb all the Iron from my fertilizer. I used feritilizer few times.. but the Iron reading is 0 when i test the water a week later.

And is the Iron really necessary for plants anyway?

And if I must keep the carbon, how can I provide the Iron to my plants?

A LFS staff told me to turn off the filter for 15 minutes after adding the fertilizer. The fertilizer is denser so will would submerge to the bottom. Then turn my filter back on.

Does that really work? I Don't think so cause the water moves...

I have 32 Gallon:

- 6 glowlight

- 3 black kuhli

- 3 guppies

- 3 otos

- 3 platies

- 1 balloon molly

- 1 twig catfish

- 3 ghost shrimps

- 2 swordplants

- few valies

-1 huge hornwort

- 4 moneywort

- 1 floating onion plant

- 1 banana plant

- (a java fern soon, my old one died surprisingly)

Answer 1

Don't worry those are undemanding plants other than the swords.

Keep the carbon, it does take out trace elements but only really when the carbon is fresh.

I found with swords just give them a root tab and they go nutz. it's localized and out of the water column for the most part so your carbon can't get to it.

I used to use seachem tabs (just break them up and slide them underneathe the plants) but i found them a little rich and if you use too much you can get algae problems because of nutrient rich water so be careful with those.  

There are alot of good choices..

good luck!!!

Answer 2

All of your plants are very easy to keep (depending on what type of Swords the Swords are), so fertilizing wouldn't really be necessary.

If you still want to fertilize them, here's what I would do. Suck up a small amount of fertilizer (a couple of milliliters) in a large eyedropper (or something similar), then squirt the fertilizer directly to the plant's roots. This way they get the fertilizer without the filter picking up the iron.

Don't use the iron test kit, they always show 0 and are a waste of money.

E-mail me for any questions!