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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V4 #1692




> > Mr. Barr wrote:
> >
> > "I've put it off long enough.
> > I'm going to give the Plantex trace mix a try. It's extremely cheap and
at
> > the rate I use traces, I'm considering using this product much the same
way
> > I've used Flourish and TMG. Flourish has a broad spectrum and this
doesn't."
> >
> > Welcome to the dark side. Walk into the light, all are welcome....
>
> Well when I started trying to find consensus I started using TMG. Karen
and
> Neil were using it when I started comparing notes to make it as even as I
> could. I used that as the yard stick. Now there are other brands and cheap
> ways of doing it and have have never used the Plantex product but it is
> widely popular.
> >
> > If by "broad spectrum" you mean the ultra-trace elements, I think those
come
> > with water changes, assuming reasonably hard tapwater.
>
> I have some traces from the flourish trace. From what I've seen in other
> folk's tanks, these are not needed by the plants to any degree and as you
> say are provided from other sources(Food/tap water etc).
> >

Is Boron included in the list of traces that are available in sufficient
quantity from tap water?  Older postings talk about the lack of Boron in the
CSM / Plantex mix and that adding Boric Acid in the proper proportion is  a
simple fix.  I have been planning on switching to CSM once my commercial
stuff is gone and thought I would need to add Boric Acid.  The water here is
soft and the water department does not list Boron on water report.


> > "I am going to use the Sears Conlin recipe as a yardstick since so many
use
> > that already. I'd like to be able to compare the mixture to Flourish and
TMG
> > etc."
> >
> > I think it way underdoses K. I use Gadd's calculator website and just
dose
> > the dry elements until I get readings for Fe and N.
>
> I still do the macro's dry and separate. I'm simply referring to the trace
> mix here.

Is there any real disadvantage to dosing macros that are mixed in water?  Or
traces for that matter.  I get residue around the lip of the KNO3 bottle -
but it doesn't seem to be a problem and the mixing allows very small doses.


 I think I wrote something that might give the impression of an all
> in one dropwise mix such as the complete mix suggest.  I do not intend to
do
> that. I know what the macro's do better using them separate rather than
all
> mixed. This is simply a replacement for the TMG and Flourish products that
> cost a fair amount if you dose like I do.

I need to go back through my dosing and buying patterns but am guessing that
even with extremely moderate use on one 75 gal. tank I use $35 worth of
traces in less than a year.  That is about the cost of 5# of the Plantex - a
lifetime supply.   Or share with others and pay for 1# in a few months and
still might have a lifetime supply.

Jay Reeves
Minneapolis,  sittin' out the blizzard.

I do not have a PMDD all in one
> mix.
> Regards,
> Tom Barr
>
> ------------------------------