ideal trace mix

[perrush]

Hi,

what would be your ideal trace mix ??
I guess were only looking for levels of Fe, B, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo.

S and Cl will already be enough in the water as SO4- (K2SO4) and Cl- (KCl), so I don't think they are needed in a trace mix.

Ca and Mg are an other issue. They are often in the tap water, but differs strongly from egion to region, so no Ca or Mg in a trace needen.

What do you think of this (Fe as reference =1)

Fe=1.00 / B=1.00 / Mn=0.50 / Zn=0.15 / Cu=0.05 / Mo=0.005

Do you think specifiek plants / plant families do need a particular element much more ?? (red plants for instance)

[cpr4cpu]

I use a product called Plantex. A friend and I are working to custom mix a batch of our own since the plantex manufacturer is discontinuing the product.

you can find more from Off-ice at plantgeek.net

[perrush]

Hi cpr4cpu,

it's not that I wanted info on commercial trace mixes, I just wanted to know what people would think of 'an ideal trace mix'

Found out that many are reluctant to Cu in the upper range.

[cpr4cpu]

oh yeah, so I now see . . . sorry this is the stuff I currently use:
Fe 6.53%
Mn 1.87%
Mg 1.40%
Zn 0.37%
Cu 0.09%
Mo 0.05%
B 1.18%

the copper is higher than I like, but we're working on a custom trace blend that will reduce it to .02 and allow us to use a good chelator for iron to help utilize iron from the water column (if there is any in your tap)

[perrush]

cpr4cpu :

why would you like to be the Cu lower ?
The rate Fe/Cu in your current mix is 1/0.014

I know people who're using a mix with a 1/0.1 Fe/Cu rate. They dose weekly 0.15 ppm Fe (so 0.015 ppm Cu) and they breed easily schrimps (in all kinds)

So I don't understand why you all are so scared about Cu. It's a trace element which is found in most plants at a 1/0.025 Fe/Cu ratio. So you're mix is already low in Cu compared to it's Fe content. (but we must keep in mind that we can easily overdose Fe with no side effect to plants or fish, which we cannot do with Cu)

Nevertheless i'll find the ratio's in your mix very good, does it has a name ?? Is that mix chelated ??

As for Fe-chelates :
what dou you think of a good chelate ? EDTA, gluconate ? or do you have experience with EDDH(M)A ?? Do you have acces to data of half life times of those different Fe-chelates ?

[djlen]

Copper can become quite toxic to fish and will continue to build unless regular large water changes are performed on a weekly basis.
Len

[perrush]

@ djlen :

Mn and Zn are toxic too, so not only Cu.

My point was dat cpr4cpu had already half the dose of Cu his plants would need. So I don't think there is any need to reduce the copper anymore. otherwise he would have a shortage of Cu and than the purpose of adding traces is lost

Besides that, water changes of 30% a week is something one always should do when applying additional fertilizer.

A great mistake often made is keeping the fertilizer dose up and not doing regular water chances. The manufactures of those fertilizers contribute to this mistake too. They state : "10 ml of produkt X a week on 100 L"

But what they actually should say is : "10 ml of produkt X for every 100 gram of plants pruned "

Because the above isn't very workable it's more easy to say :
"10 ml of produkt X for every 100 L of water being changed".

Although the last is not coorect either, it prevents cumulation of traces (and other nutrients) which can lead to algae grow.