# Alternative to CSM



## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

Hello guys, 

I live in Slovakia (Europe) and its impossible for me to get CSM or any other "American" trace elements fertilizer. The only chelated fertilizer they sell here is Tenso Coctail with following contents: 

B 0.52% 
Ca - EDTA 2.57% 
Cu - EDTA 0.53% 
Fe - EDTA 2.10% 
Fe - DTPA 1.74% 
Mn - EDTA 2.57% 
Mo 0.13% 
Zn - EDTA 0.53% 

Do you thing that it is sufficient alternative? It contains less than 3 % Fe, so I use twice as much as you recommend for CSM, but it means that I use double of other micros as well. 

Also - I have extremely hard tap water (22 GH) so I am afraid of amount of CA this coctail contains. 

Thanks for replys.

dzoni


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

Just a quick post to tell you that Greg Watson ships CSM+B internationally (www.gregwatson.com).

I'm sure you could also get online stores in Germany to ship Flourish to you (ie www.aquaristic.net) ...

Both of the above have shipped to me in Switzerland with no problems.


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## turbomkt (Mar 31, 2004)

I've also got to think Tropica Master Grow should be available somewhere.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

That solution has a lot of copper in it. That has the potential to be very harmful to your plants. I'm guessing a little more Ca when your hardness is already so incredibly high wouldn't even be noticed. Are you sure your reading is correct? If so, you probably have mineral deposits on everything.


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## dzoni (Oct 28, 2005)

> Just a quick post to tell you that Greg Watson ships CSM+B internationally (www.gregwatson.com).
> 
> I'm sure you could also get online stores in Germany to ship Flourish to you (ie www.aquaristic.net) ...


Laith, I already checked Greg's site and found that shipping would be almost double the cost of fertilizer itself. Regarding Flourish or TMG - for more reasons I would prefer dry fertilizer over liquid. I will probably reconsider ordering from Greg Watson.

But my primary question was, whether I can use this stuff as my only source of micros, because it is very popular among aquarists here and it is sold as part of PMDD as well.

Does anyone else think that it contains too much copper?


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## zig (Jul 3, 2005)

It cost me 20 euro for 1lb of CSM+B from Greg and that included the postage to Ireland (about 3 months ago) yes granted the postage cost more than the product, but its not so bad when you consider how long 1lb will last, in my case running 2 tanks it will last at "least" a couple of years if not longer.


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## Josef (May 30, 2005)

dzoni said:


> Hello guys,
> 
> I live in Slovakia (Europe) and its impossible for me to get CSM or any other "American" trace elements fertilizer. The only chelated fertilizer they sell here is Tenso Coctail with following contents:
> 
> ...


In Italy I buy a similar TE cocktail and I use it without problems.

I advice to use an addictional specific Fe product in order to have right Fe concentration and to avoid Cu excess. In any case try to keep Cu concentration in your tank less than 0.03ppm and do large water change every week.


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## naman (Nov 12, 2005)

Here in Ukraine we have the only perfect source for a PMDD. It's calld "MIKOM-helat zseheleza" made by "REAKOM" (Dnepropetrovsk). It is a liquid. Recipe by mail.


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