Trying to make my own PMDD! Some help?

[hadjici2]

Hello people,

I have read about PMDD and I am now ready to make my own. The thing is I have the stuff to do my mixture but they are not as suggested on the net. I intend to be dosing for a planted aquarium with no fish at all so if someone could suggest different amounts of the mixing elements please do so! Here is what I have:

1. K2SO4 This is just fine
2. KNO3 This is just fine
3. Microplex for chelated trace mix but contains the following
N 10% (5% ammonium + 5% nitrite)
Fe 1%
Zn 2.5%
Mn 1%
Cu 0.1%
Co 0.02%
Mo 0.005%
The trace elements are in the EDTA form (don't know what is means)
4. MgSO4 but as salt, not in the hydrated form. How do I convert it into the hydrated form?
5. I have no Boric Acid!

So from the above what do you suggest?

Also by 1 tablespoon is it meant a full topped up tablespoon or a level tablespoon?

[djlen]

My suggestion is that you don't go the PMDD route at this time.
You will need to know the needs of your tank and it's plants before making up something permanent.
This is accomplished by dosing individual ferts. and tweaking as necessary to get optimum plant growth while at the same time minimizing algae growth. It takes time to learn what will work for your tank. I've been working with the same tanks for years and still have no basic mix because the make up of the tank is constantly changing. I find it much easier to tweak dosages to suit plant mass changes etc.

Chuck Gadd has created a calculator for dosing/measuring elements and CO2 ppm that many of us have found very helpful.
It can be downloaded here:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/articles.htm
You can download the calculator to your desktop for easy reference. It will give you a good starting point for your Macro and Micro nutrients, dosed individually.
All the elements you mention can be dosed dry if you have a HOB filter or simply dumped into a glass of tank water, mixed well, and then poured back into the tank.
My suggestion is that you mix your Macro's(N,K,P) first and pour back. Then mix your traces and pour back. Then your Mg last. In my experience, all elements dissolve easier without the Mg in the glass.
When a tablespoon is recommended, they are generally referring to a level tbsp.
You can find Boric acid in the supermarket. When you use up your trace mix go to Greg Watson's site and order it from him "+ B". This will include boric acid.

Len

[hadjici2]

My epsom salt in not hydrated....it is in granules....what shall i do?

[djlen]

It will dissolve rapidly in the glass of water or within a HOB(hang on back) filter.

Len

[hadjici2]

It will dissolve rapidly in the glass of water or within a HOB(hang on back) filter.

Len


Hello Len,

when the disage refers to a tablespoon epsom salt it means hydrated so I guess it wouldn't be the same amount for epsom salt not hydrated...

[djlen]

It is the same. What size tank are we dosing here?

[EDIT] In fact why not tell us a bit about your tank and it's plants, lighting etc.?

Len

[hadjici2]

30 gal
lots of valisneria
kH 5
pH 7
3 mollies
unknown substrate with fine gravel as top layer
75 watts total(25 w white flueroscent arcadia lamp + 25 w pink flueroscent arcadia lamp + 25 w white flueroscent arcadia lamp )
Tank running for four years

KNO3 is used to add nitrogen and K2SO4 is used to add potassium together with the potassium added by the KNO3?
Is the sulphur in K2SO4 harmfull when correct dosage is used?

[djlen]

The Mg is a good idea with Val. If it gets going real well you may see a drop, over time in kH.
You could probably do well to just dose the KNO3 for N and K and not use the K2SO4. If you increase fish load you might go back to it and lighten up on the KNO3. The sulfur will not harm anything if used according to directions.
If you downloaded the calculator I mentioned earlier it will tell you to dose 1.5(level) tsp. of Mg.= 7.03ppm/Mg. .25 tsp. of KNO3. This will yield 8.07ppm/N.
For the P, make up a batch of 100mls. of water, mixing in 3 tsps. of KH2PO4 and store in the refrigerator. Shake the **** out of this mixture to fully dissolve. Each ml. of this solution will yield just under 1ppm/P. Dose 1 ml. and test for content.
If it were my tank, with the light fish load, I would not dose K+ at this time, but just let the tank use the available K in the KNO3.
Dose traces according to instructions on package, but I would dose at .50 strength after water change and on alternate days during the week and check for results.
Dose the above weekly after your water change and test N and P at mid-week for content. You want 1ppm of P.
The above is what I would do based on the info. furnished.

Len

[hadjici2]

Using the estimative index approach how much of chalated trace elements should I dose in a 30g tank and how often a week?

[djlen]

Without knowing the tank's needs, I can only suggest what I did above.
I would go light on the traces initially and watch the plants.

Len

[hadjici2]

Without knowing the tank's needs, I can only suggest what I did above.
I would go light on the traces initially and watch the plants.

Len

So how do I prepare the mixture? 2 tablespoons in 500 ml water? Then add 5 ml to the tank?

Please note that my chelated trace mix is called "Microplex" and it is in the liquid form. The ingrediens of "Microplex" are:
N 10% (5% ammonium + 5% nitrite)
Fe 1%
Zn 2.5%
Mn 1%
Cu 0.1%
Co 0.02%
Mo 0.005%