Marine Iron Test
User manual
Understanding and controlling Iron levels
Dissolved metals like Iron, Manganese, Kobalt and Nickel are important elements for the growth and color development (especially yellow/green) of corals. As it is difficult to measure the individual level of each of these elements in seawater, we take iron as a representative for them all.
By adding Colombo Marine Colors 3 Metals, you add all the required elements in the correct ratio. The amount of product to add, is based on the iron concentration. As Iron can be absorbed quickly from seawater through precipitation with phosphates, it is important to test and correct the iron value once a week.
We advise to maintain an iron level of 0.15 mg/l.
General Guidelines
- Always take care that the test tube is clean before use.
- Clean the tube directly after use.
- Take the volume of the water sample as precisely as possible.
- Keep the drop bottle perfectly vertical during dropping.
- Take care that no air bubbles are included in the drops.
Test procedure:
- Take a water sample of 10 ml.
- Add 1 spoon of powder (tube with red cap) and shake the test tube.
- Add 5 drops of Fe-2 test fluid and shake the test tube.
- Wait 10 minutes.
- Determine the Iron content using the colour chart included.
Test procedure:
- Take a water sample of 10 ml.
- Add 1 spoon of powder (tube with red cap) and shake the test tube.
- Add 5 drops of Fe-2 test fluid and shake the test tube.
- Wait 10 minutes.
- Determine the Iron content using the colour chart included.
For judging the colour of the water sample after adding all the test fluids, proceed as follows: put the test tube on the included colour chart and look through the tube on to the chart from directly above it. Do not look in direct sun light, but at indirect light. Compare the colour of the water sample with the colours on the chart. The closest colour shows the corresponding value. Generally the colours of the sample and on the chart will not be exactly the same, as values in practice will always be between the standard values, and thus a mixture of both consecutive values. Therefore, one should estimate between which colours the sample really lies.
For judging the colour of the water sample after adding all the test fluids, proceed as follows: put the test tube on the included colour chart and look through the tube on to the chart from directly above it. Do not look in direct sun light, but at indirect light. Compare the colour of the water sample with the colours on the chart. The closest colour shows the corresponding value. Generally the colours of the sample and on the chart will not be exactly the same, as values in practice will always be between the standard values, and thus a mixture of both consecutive values. Therefore, one should estimate between which colours the sample really lies.