http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/sears-conlin.html
Appendix A - Fertilizer Recipe (Poor Man's Dupla Drops)
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)
Thanks! :)
Shane
-----Original Message-----
From: Tyrone Genade [Tgenade at akad.sun.ac.za]
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 12:16 PM
To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
Subject: Re: [RML] Calcium in Aquaculture (fwd)
On 25 Jun 2001, at 7:42, Wright Huntley wrote:
> Boulet Stephen-CSB046 wrote:
> >
> > Do any of the plant growers on the list add epsom salts to their water?
Ca and Mg defiency is normally only a problem in soft
water. As a result, plants go yellowy... Then you rush
out to the local LFD and he says "you need more Iron,
buy some of Plant Fertilizer X". Next thing you know
your plants have swiss cheese leaves and look worse than
ever. The iron chelate, to give its iron to the plant
has to recieve an iron in exchange---9 times out of ten
it will take the Calcium from the plant which then makes
life very difficult for the plants development as the Ca
is NB in gene regulation.
The lack of Potassium (K) in the water compounds
problems. Without enough K the plant can't take up
enough Ca and Mg etc... and battles to keep the Na out.
pH is another problem: to take up cations the plant
excretes H+ ions. If the pH is too low the amount of H+
that needs to be excreted to create a large enough
potential diffenrece is larger than at higher pH's, it
also becomes harder for the plant to excrete H+ (which
takes uip ATP). Adding Ca and Mg salts help stabilize
the pH, improve photosynthesis (as the Mg is very NB in
chlorophyl complex), stablizes ATP and plant growth
(gene regulation). All that people really need to add it
K, Mn, Md, Zn etc... N and P are in vast excess in most
aquariums and Fe is kept in constant supply by the fish
which excrete Fe3+ with their urine. The Fe3+ is then
reduced to Fe2+ by certain bacteria and plants etc...
Still some added Fe now and again can't hurt. The Tetra
flora pride is by far the best as it contains only Fe
and K and other trace minerals.
What has this all got to do with rainbows? Well, 'bows
look best in planted tanks.:-)
Bye
Tyrone Genade
tyronegenade at yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/tyronegenade
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P450 Lab, Biochemistry Department
University of Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa
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"No, the LORD has told us what is good. What He requires
of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love,
and to live in humble fellowship with our GOD."
Micah 6:8