# Cloudy Water After Adding Seachem Iron



## aquabruce (May 10, 2012)

I used to have this problem too. I don't remember all the details but it has to do with phosphates and the Iron

Precipitation can occur if you use a phosphate based buffer and then dose iron.

Test your phosphates. They may be too high. Do you use any phosphate buffers like Seachem Neutral Regulator?

I switched to powdered Iron Chelate 11% DPTA and the problem went away.


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## TDV (Jan 20, 2014)

I'm not using any buffers, but I suppose it may be that the iron is reacting with the excess phosphates from the EI dosing. I'll see if I can find some Iron Chelate 11% DPTA then. Thanks a lot!


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## Reefcowboy (Mar 20, 2014)

That excat thing is happening in my tank. I thought i had some other issues going on. Now that i started to think, just like you mentioned, after the seachem iron is added, by end if day the water is cloudy...thanks for the post


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## Zorfox (Jun 24, 2012)

I agree with Aquabruce. Phosphate and iron do react causing cloudy water. I think the reason it happens with Seachem iron is because it is not chelated. The iron would have a much higher affinity to react with phosphate leading to precipitation. Using EDTA or or DTPA would decrease this reaction. Reducing Seachem to a third the normal dose and using DTPA for the other may be a better option. Plants would be able to use the non chelated iron quickly and still have iron resources after it's gone with the addition of DTPA.


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## n5750547 (Jan 15, 2014)

Exact same thing happened to me today after adding iron and flourish but it continued to get worse and was so cloudy after a few hours I could barely see the back of my tank. I've added seachem iron before but never at the same time as flourish and never after doing a water change. Any idea if it could be because of adding two at once and getting too much iron? Or could my tap water be high in phosphate?


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## jrman83 (Nov 22, 2010)

Doesn't it clear after a short period? I used to see this but it only lasted for less than a hour.


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## laconic (Oct 7, 2013)

If you use the EI method, try dosing your KN03 & KH2P04 on a different day than your Trace Elements as there will be less interaction with Fe and Potassium then.


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