Flourish Iron is a highly concentrated (10,000 mg/L) ferrous iron gluconate supplement. Plants can get much more benefit from Flourish Iron because the ferrous iron gluconate is already in the ferrous form, so you don't spend energy reducing it. Despite what other manufacturers may say, gluconate is not harmful to plants or fish. In fact, ferrous gluconate is more suitable for foliar feeding than iron EDTA due to the relatively weaker iron-gluconate bond compared to the iron-EDTA bond. Furthermore, ferrous gluconate has the additional advantage of being a carbon source.
Iron is immobile in plants. This means that plants cannot divert iron from older leaves to newer ones. Therefore, deficiency symptoms first appear on new or young leaves. Because plants use iron to make chlorophyll , a lack of it results in chlorosis, or yellowing of younger leaves. The stems can also develop short and thin. If the deficiency is severe and prolonged, each new leaf emerges a lighter color than the previous leaf.
When choosing an iron supplement, it's important to know the distinction between the two forms of iron. The iron will be in one of two oxidation states, ferrous having a +2 charge, or ferric having a +3 charge. Ferrous iron, the preferred form of iron, and is soluble in water at any Ph level. Ferric iron, however, is only soluble below a Ph level of around 5.5, but if the Ph level is above 5.5, which is more likely in an aquarium with natural plants, the ferric iron will become insoluble and precipitate, and will be deposited in the root zone. Once this occurs, foliar uptake becomes impossible.
To overcome this precipitation, competitive products employ a ferric iron chelate, iron-EDTA. Although this keepsne soluble, it has a couple of drawbacks with respect to foliar uptake of iron. The iron-EDTA bond is very strong, therefore very little iron will be available to plants in a given period of time and the plant must expend physiological energy to extract the ferric iron from EDTA and then convert (reduce) it to the iron form. ferrous Our approach is different as we use a complex (non-chelating) iron in Flourish Iron.
Benefits
High concentration product (10,000 mg / L)
Contains iron ferrous gluconate
Ferrous gluconate is more suitable for foliar feeding than iron-EDTA
Instructions for use
Use 1 capful (5 mL) per 200 L (50 gallons) or as required to maintain approximately 0.10 mg/liter of iron. For smaller doses, please note that each cap thread is approximately 1 mL. Use MultiTest iron test kit to monitor iron concentrations.
Due to the rapid utilization, try in 30 minutes. Use as needed to combat signs of iron deficiency (usually seen on new growth) including: chlorosis (yellowing) of interveinal tissue and short, thin stems.
Format, 100, 250 and 500ml
Components
Iron 1%
