Rusty nails in Substrate?????

[Tek]

Someone recommended rusted nails and other bits of iron in the tank as iron supplements for plants. I tried it underneath my Sag and the ones with the nails seem to be growing faster than the others.

First off is this safe? So far it has had no effect on the fish and water conditions.

secondly, am I just imagining the improvements? The plants are in the same tank receiving the same lighting, but the ones touching the iron seems do be doing better.

I researched the topic online before adding the iron and half said don't do it, the other half swore by it. I went with those who swore by it because they were talking from experience instead of just saying that heavy metals are bad for fish. My question though is benefits.

There was some confusion as to whether the plants can absorb that form of iron or must it be chelated. I think the consensus was that the chelated form was for leaf absorption while the iron from the nails can be absorbed as long as the oxygen content was low.

I would assume that very little Oxygen would be found at the bottom of the substrate.

Has anyone tried it? How much is too much? right now its just a few small rusty pieces.

[mnemenoi]

I just dose Iron, I think its easier for plant uptake and is dissolved in the water column better.

[Tek]

I just dose Iron, I think its easier for plant uptake and is dissolved in the water column better.

hmmm, so the nails may not be helping after all. I dose too, but the Sag was not responding. I was told that it was because the substrate needs to be nutrient rich, so they recommended root tabs or just sticking rusty nails in there. I tried the nails out.

The Sag was one of the first plants in the tank so they should have taken off together with the other plants recovering from being transplanted, but they really were not doing well. In fact I have cut back on the dosing and cut back the lights to 5 hours a day.

Its not that the Sag was dying back, its just that they were not growing (The ones without nails beneath them are still growing very slowly) don't know if I should dose AND add root tabs, or if that would be overkill. The nails seemed like a quick fix.

[fishman1]

that's something new never heard of using nails but I guess it might work

[sunkenmetal]

nails are an alloy so might be other metals in there that might not be good for your tank.

[Totenkampf]

some of the el natural folks swear by this but i have never tried it. i prefer to believe that chelated iron is the way to go and so i use root tabs and dose iron with my micornutients. i read on the krib about jobes tree and shrub stakes being a good sustitute and have use those with success.

[Tek]

nails are an alloy so might be other metals in there that might not be good for your tank.

What should I test for?

some of the el natural folks swear by this but i have never tried it. i prefer to believe that chelated iron is the way to go and so i use root tabs and dose iron with my micornutients. i read on the krib about jobes tree and shrub stakes being a good sustitute and have use those with success.

I think I am about to start swearing by it too. Its been two weeks without incident or whack changes. The plants are growing well. I tried it with my Tiger lotus and that one is finally growing. It seems to work well for plants requiring tabs in addition to dosing.

[eklikewhoa]

I wouldn't trust it since it would be uncontrollable or measurable