To start, I take a different approach than most of the "pros" on the net. As opposed to the standard chemistry background that goes with people who do exceptionally well at this, mine is in healthcare. All things considered, a planted aquarium is much like an ICU patient, so I treat them about the same. I wasn't familiar with the difference in practicality between Iron Gluconate and Iron EDTA. EDTA is used in patients who have ingested or been exposed to high levels of toxic metals, as it sequesters them from solution and holds it quite tightly. Iron gluconate apparently is a naturally ocurring compound derived from the addition of iron to gluconic acid. It seems like EDTA's role in chelation has become a bit obselete with the advent of iron gluconate. My question is, why do fertilizers besides Flourish Iron still use EDTA? It seems lice iron gluconate is a compound that plants are much more able to utilize, and EDTA's tight bond with any metal would be a deterent from it. Comments from the chemists, please.
