# Eco-complete..do I need to dose iron?



## trenac (Feb 15, 2004)

I would go by the way your plants look if they start turning yellow than dose Iron other wise I would not or you can dose iron once a month just to make sure. The Eco-complete does have nutrients but how long they last I do not know.


----------



## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

> Eco-complete is supposed to be high in iron. Do I still need to dose iron as a fertilizer?


*Yes*


----------



## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

Buck said:


> > Eco-complete is supposed to be high in iron. Do I still need to dose iron as a fertilizer?
> 
> 
> *Yes*


Especially if you have stem plants, anubius, java fern, java moss....


----------



## RedFish (Apr 13, 2004)

All righty then, with 3 yes answers I will go spend more this week on the fishies, I will go buy some flourish iron today, as the watersprite is yellow (old growth), it seems to suffer most.
Thank you very muchly!


----------



## corigan (Feb 22, 2004)

RedFish said:


> All righty then, with 3 yes answers I will go spend more this week on the fishies, I will go buy some flourish iron today, as the watersprite is yellow (old growth), it seems to suffer most.
> Thank you very muchly!


I would definately say yes then too. I dose iron 2-3 times a week.

Matt


----------



## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

And that's why I find Eco-Complete a completly pointless substrate, other than for it's color.


----------



## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

I find Eco complete to be a wonderful substrate, every bit as good as flourite, without all the dust.

I too dose iron 3 times a week. Iron breaks down very quickly and it's a trace nutrient. Root feeders will love Eco/flourite, but all your water column feeders need liquid iron in the water, regardless of how fancy your substrate is.


----------



## IUnknown (Feb 5, 2003)

Water column feeders(stem plants) also take nutrients from the substrate correct? I dose Iron midweek, but I like the idea of seachem's substrate pellets. Keep the iron out of the water column.


----------



## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

Some water feeders take nutrients from the substrate, but not all. java fern, for example can only feed from the water.
mostly tho their roots are for holding them in place. I think a lot of root feeders still pull nutrients from teh water as well.

seachems pellets are good, but I found a supplier that's only $1 for a dozen pellets, instead of $5 for 10.


----------



## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Fe needs to be present to the plants both in the water column and the substrate.


----------

