How long EDTA/DTPA micros last in soft water ?

[eminor]

Hello, if i'm right, chelator availibility is pH related, i've read that soft water is easier to manage with iron. In soft water (0 dKH, 3 dGH) how long does EDTA/DTPA chelators can protect iron,zinc etc ? thx

 

[John q]

Hiya, I don't have full access to this article so have no idea what the test conditions were, ie water hardness, availability of light etc. However there is a table that possibly sheds some light on the subject of Iron availability against time of various chleates.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00103628109367191

 

[eminor]

Hiya, I don't have full access to this article so have no idea what the test conditions were, ie water hardness, availability of light etc. However there is a table that possibly sheds some light on the subject of Iron availability against time of various chleates.

View attachment 199528

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00103628109367191

Thanks, if i read it right, if my ph is around 6.5 and i add edta iron, it will last long enough to dose once a week ?

DTPA seems so much stronger than EDTA, EDDHA is on another planet, never seen ferts with EDDHA, maybe because it's not cheap ?

 

[hypnogogia]

never seen ferts with EDDHA, maybe because it's not cheap ?

I think it turns your water pink, hence not favoured.

 

[John q]

, it will last long enough to dose once a week ?

Totally guessing here but suspect in our aquariums the chleates, and or the availability of iron will break down much quicker than suggested in the charts above.
Our aquariums are subject to high levels of light, phosphate and also the plants using the iron, these factors will all contribute to the % of iron available at a given point in time.

My gut feeling is dosing micros weekly would lead to issues.

 

[Zeus.]

I use to use Fe EDDHA and it can turn water very pink
Fe EDDHA

With practice I ended up dosing it so there was just the slightest hint of pink, slightest hint of pink indicating FeEDDHA was present and available

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

With practice I ended up dosing it so there was just the slightest hint of pink, slightest hint of pink indicating FeEDDHA was present and available

That one.

cheers Darrel

 

[xZaiox]

I use to use Fe EDDHA

@Zeus. , what do you use now? And is it as effective as EDDHA for you? You have a hard water tank if I remember correctly, so I'd love to know what has ended up being successful for you. I dislike the obvious staining that EDDHA does.

 

[Zeus.]

The tank was shutdown when I moved, did it help - it can be hard to tell with conviction when you have very hard water and some plants can show signs of Fe deficiency eg pale/white leaves from time to time even when there isn't an Fe deficiency and it may also of been a Mg related issue.
I only have a 50l on the go ATM low tech just ticking over full of plants RCS and some amanos. I just fertilise it every so often with AIO mix with Fe EDTA.
Still have hard water, however from a bore hole so RO water is on the cards for next tank to avoid the hard water issues. With bore hole there is no double charge for the water or charge per cubic meter using it and the charge on top for sewerage.