Iron(II) sulfate or ferrous sulfate is salt with the formula FeSO4.xH2O. Known since ancient times as copperas and as green vitriol, the heptahydrate variation is the most common form of this material, which is used medically to treat iron deficiency.
In algae and plant cultivation, it does the exact same thing, enriching the culture with iron and improving the absorption of oxygen. It also has a wide range of industrial applications.
FeSO4 helps Spirulina with photosynthesis – the process that plants and algae use to turn light into food. The iron goes into making chlorophyll, the pigment that captures light. The more efficiently Spirulina can convert light into food, the better it grows. So, if you give Spirulina the right amount of Ferrous Sulfate, you’ll no only get more yields, but the quality would improve too – bright in color, tasty, and packed with nutrients.
All iron sulfates dissolve in water to give the same complex [Fe(H2O)6]2+, which has octahedral molecular geometry and is partially magnetic.
Read about the preparation of ferrous sulfate acid for spirulina cultivation.
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