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Re: PMDD recipe please

>Ok, my tank is cycling now, and I have added just a couple plants to
help it
>along and for looks :)

>I have heard many people talk about PMDD (Poor Man's Dosing Drops?)
>but nowhere was I able to find a recipe for it.  Although I have not
>completely exhausted all the websites on the net, I prefer to turn
here, as
>many of you use this recipe on a daily basis.

>Is there anything already out there about this?

You can find good info at www.thekrib.com/plants in the fertilizer
section under Sears and Conlin or at Chuck Gadd's website (search for
his name on the net).  You can also find info on PMDD components by
searching the APD archives.  At the Krib you can find the recipe and
more info.  Here it is:

1 Tbsp (~9g) Chelated Trace Element Mix (7% Fe, 1.3% B, 2% Mn, 0.06% Mo,
0.4% Zn, 0.1% Cu, EDTA, DTPA)
2 Tsp (~14g) K2SO4 (potassium sulfate)
1 Tsp (~6g) KNO3 (potassium nitrate)
2.5 Tbsp (~33g) MgSO4.7H2O (fully hydrated magnesium sulfate, aka epsom
salts; omit if already present in trace element mix)
300mL distilled H2O
0.5mL 9M HCl (optional)

If you have hard water you can decrease the amount of MgSO4.7H2O that
you add since your water has enough Mg and Ca.  I suggest you make the
KNO3, K2SO4 (or KCl) and trace element solutions seperately.  This
allows you to dose them seperately as needed by your plants.  Another
good idea before using fertilizer is to get a local water report to see
what is in your water, you may already have PO4, Ca, Mg or NO3 in your
water.  Alternatively you could test your water for these compounds.
Instead of buying a trace element mix you can also use Tropica
Mastergrow (TMG) for Fe and trace elements, and dose KNO3 and K2SO4 (or
KCl) seperately.

Some Abbreviations:
K = potassium
Cl = chloride
NO3 = nitrate
NO2 = nitrite
NH4 = ammonium
PO4 = phosphate
Fe = iron
Mg = magnesium
Ca = calcium
SO4 = sulfate
KNO3 = potassium nitrate (aka salt peter)
KCl = potassium chloride (as fertilizer: muriate of potash)
K2SO4 = potassium sulfate (as fertilizer: sulfate of potash)
MgSO4.7H2O = magnesium sulfate (aka epsom salt)

Good luck,
Lobos