Re: Fritted Trace Elements

[Dan Dixon <dandixon at mac_com>]

Ed Dumas at a4a48835 at telus_net wrote:

> I recently went to my local nursery to purchase some chelated trace
> elements and accidently picked up "Fritted Trace Elements" instead. I
> feel really stupid about this because I am usually quite observant. Oh
> well! Now that I have it, is it safe to use in aquariums. The Frit is
> apparently a "Glass Fritt" for those that may know more about this than
> me.
> 
> I suspect that it is either not safe to use, or not productive to use in
> aquariums since the trace elements are not chelated (or both). The good
> news is, the stuff is dirt cheap and I can use it in my rather extensive
> gardening around the yard. If anyone knows more about this, I would
> appreciate any info.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ed Dumas

Frits are glass and mineral compounds that are used to make pottery glazes
of various colors and effects. Somewhere along the line, somebody figured
out that frits could also act as slow-release trace element fertilizers. The
desired minerals are mixed with glass dust, heated until they fuse, and
ground back into dust. The fritted trace element mix (FTE) is then mixed
with soil, where it's released over time.

Since the glass dust won't dissolve in water it's not usable for water
column feeding, but maybe it would work in the substrate, presuming you
could even find a way to get it in there post-setup without creating a huge
mess (make a slurry and inject it with a hypo?). The element contents vary
between FTEs so you'd want to make sure your FTE contained suitable
proportions.

Otherwise, feed it to your potted plants.

Dan Dixon