Fe vitamins as substrate fert spikes?

C

CL_

Guest
I was running errands the other day, and in the vitamin isle I noticed CVS brand Fe vitamins. I forgot exactly what the bottle said, but each pill contained something like 50 mg of Fe gluconate (if I'm remembering correctly)
At $7 for a bottle of like.. a lot, it wouldn't be too much of an investment.
What do you guys think? I'm not having the easiest time getting my r. colorata to color up (despite having r. rotundifolia color up without even trying years ago with no ferts, and a DIY ODNO light with aluminum foil as a reflector... lol)
Would the starches, or whatever else is in the pill that gives it most of its mass and binds it all together be harmful to the aquarium? (I would guess not, but I want to make sure)
In search of enlightenment, as always. :rolleyes:
 

jonny_ftm

Guru Class Expert
Mar 5, 2009
821
2
16
Depends on contents in the bottle, but you'd sureley better go with Fe-gluconate from seachem or from aquaticfertlizers I think. 10 pills will only be 500mg, that is 0.5g Fe, just placebo quantities for that price. For human it's ok, but not for your aquarium

I'll also be careful to additives, they could accumulate in the aquarium/substrate. I really would prefer the gluconate fe you find elsewhere for aquarium use