How To Dose Plantex CSM
March 14, 2007 by admin
One of the most common questions asked is "I currently use Flourish, How Do I Dose Plantex CSM?"
The traditional PMDD recipe doses both Macro and Micro nutrients together. However, many of us are used to dosing macro nutrients separately from micro nutrients. You can "roll your own" micro nutrient solution by simply creating your own micro nutrient solution using Plantex CSM+B and Magnesium Sulfate.
How to roll your own PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution with Plantex CSM+B
Plantex CSM has no Boron in it, so it must either be added, or purchased from a supplier who pre-mixes Plantex CSM+B. To add Boron to Plantex CSM, add 10.5 teaspoons of Plantex CSM plus 1 teaspoon of Boric Acid.
To make your dosing solution, mix in 1/2 litre of water:
1 tablespoon of Plantex CSM+B and
1 tablespoon of Magnesium Sulfate in 1/2 litre of water.
A 1/2 liter of Plantex CSM Dosing Solution is a lot of solution for the typical aquarium, so you may wish to experiment by reducing the quantities to make a smaller batch. To reduce, you may wish to try 1 teaspoon of Plantex CSM+B and 1/6th liter of water (167 milliliters).
How to Dose your own PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution with Plantex CSM+B
The traditional dosing method of dosing the complete PMDD receipe is to dose to reach a target Iron level of 0.1 ppm. You can use the same guide to dose your PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution. See instructions on TheKrib.com.
For those that are used to dosing commercial liquids, the traditional PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution with Plantex CSM+B is not as concentrated as commercial alternatives such as Flourish. A good approximate equivalent is 1.25 to 1 - or 1.25 ml of your PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution to 1 ml of Flourish.
If you are used to dosing 1 tablespoon of Flourish (15 ml), try dosing approximately 1.25 tablespoons of your Plantex CSM Solution.
Why consider "rolling your own PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution?
There are many wonderful commercial liquid alternatives available. One of the underlying concepts of the PMDD philosphy is to meet the uptake requirements of your aquarium in a cost effective manner.
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Certainly try the various commercially available products - most of us started out using them and were perfectly happy with them. |
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PMDD ingredients are relatively cheap in the long run. |
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PMDD allows you to adjust the dosing ratio of various ingredients to better meet the uptake requirements of your plants. |
How to Store your own PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution
Unmixed PMDD ingredients are relatively stable when stored in a cool dry location. Cheleted trace mixes such as Plantex CSM should be stored in the dark. It is generally recommended that your PMDD Micro-Nutrient Solution be stored in a dark or opaque bottle because light can destabilize chelates.
Many people recommend refrigerating your micro-nutrient solutions, however, I try to only mix up several weeks worth of solution at a time and simply store my solution under the aquarium. Commercial products usually contain a Chloramine or Chloride as a preservative, however I have never tried this and thus cannot personally recommend it.
Sources for Chelated Trace Mixes
1. Plantex CSM+B.
http://www.AquariumFertilizer.com
2. Microplex
If anyone knows of an online source, please let me know
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