chelated iron

[Raychel A Watkins]

I have been told that if my leaves are yellow I need to add iron to my system. Does anyone know how to get proper iron that won't harm the fish. My fish are healthy and water is good but my leaves are yellow. My systems are after the Friendly Aquaponics people in Hawaii. I am going to tell them about your site, I took a 4 day class last year and am going back in April. I know though the more info I can get the more successful I will become. I already have people wanting to learn about it. I am glad I stumbled into you.

[AlbertF]

if you dont need a whole 25lbs, i saw some at waimalo feed. looked like a furukake bottle size.

[Troy Workman]

So has anyone found a good source of chelated iron in the USA? Everything I've found, both at gardening stores and online, has had more than just iron in it. I don't mind a few trace minerals, but one was even 55% sulfur!!! Help!

[David Hart]

Raychel, It sounds like you just might make your way through 25 # of chelated iron....lol. I'd like to see some photos....hint hint :-)

[Raychel A Watkins]

I 3 systems. One has a 4ft by 25ft trough, one is 4ft by 40ft, and my smallest is 6, 55 gallon barrels split long ways and then attached end to end by through the bulkhead fixtures. I have placed the barrels on iron racks about waist high. The barrels have rocks in the bottom about 4in deep. The top is a piece of 1 1/2in styrofoam to fit each barrrel. I drill holes the size of the pot in the styrofoam. The plants are planted in cocanut fiber that I get from my own trees. The system cost me very little and the water stays crystal clear. I have a 180 gal rubbermaid fish tank with 125 tilipia in it. They continue to grow and appear very healthy. Of course in Hawaii everything is always outside, The weather is usually quite good. I intend to make more systems as soon as I can dig up the barrels. I found the bed frames to make the racks out of and I am hot on the trail of food grade barrels. I know where they are but I am trying for contacts that can get them cheap. The last ones cost me zip and that is a good price.
The plants continue to green up so I am encouraged. Thanks again I love all this info.

[David Hart]

Murray, 'Thank you', for the chart on PH / nutients availiability. That makes it easy to see the 'balance' that your refering to.

[Murray Hallam]

It is easy to add Iron safely to your AP System. Look for Chelated Iron at your garden supply shop.
We actually have a short video clip about this very subject here

[Murray Hallam]

Hi Raychel,
Iron deficiency is often a caused by high pH. Above pH 7 there is an increasing "Nutrient lockout"
Fish actually like the pH to be above 7. But what pH do the plants like?
There’s a couple of essential nutrients for plants, principally Magnesium, Zinc and Iron which the plants need a pH lower than 6 so its actually available to them.
Aquaponics systems are about producing a pH profile that’s good for everything in there. So you got to find a happy balance.
In a fish only system – most people run them in a pH of about 7.5.
In Aquaponics, I actually advocate somewhere between 6.5 and 6.9, and that’s just because it makes all those nutrients available.
The good news is that in a backyard system – the system tends to naturally operate in this preferred range.
Here is a chart showing the relationship between pH and nutrient availability

.

[Shawn]

That seems to be the smallest retail amount we can find in Hawaii.

[David Hart]

Hi Raychel , nice to hear you got some. Now I'm curious , 25 lbs seems like a lot.... Maybe you have a really large system ?

[Shawn]

Cool- glad you found it. I need to get some myself now...