# CSM+B Question



## Kamon (Mar 27, 2009)

The dosing for a 20-40gal aquarium is 1/16th a tsp or 5ml 3x weekly. Are there any benefits having a liquid stock of trace over the dry dosing method?


----------



## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

I do make a liquid stock solution, then I add it right in front of a filter outlet for optimum distribution. 

I have heard of curious fish eating dry fertilizer granules and I do not think this is good for them. The few times I have dosed dry (K2SO4) I have added it to the filter to be dissolved if possible.


----------



## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

You can stir the measured amount in a cup of tank water then dump the cup of tank water into the tank. I've put dry ferts into the tank and the fish go after it like it is food and then spit it out. None of my fish have had issues.

If you have a small tank, premixing might make dosing with the correct amounts easier. I've heard that CSM+B premixed with water might turn moldy. I don't know, I have never tried that.


----------



## Riiz (Jul 19, 2008)

I dose dry, I try to aim it near a Koralia, but it doesnt really matter where it lands if you have excellent flow throughout the tank. And dont worry if the fish try to eat it, they spit it right back out.


----------



## endgin33 (Jun 10, 2008)

I keep my CSM+B mixture in the fridge and I haven't had mold problems. When I kept it at room temperature, I did have problems with mold.


----------



## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Stuff will grow in it at room temp, but I mix a week or two amount at a time, and have not had problems. Longer than this and the mold gets to be too much.


----------



## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

I tried making a liquid solution but even in the fridge mildew and mold grew within a couple weeks. I now either dose dry in front of the filter outlet or powerhead or fill a small cup with tank water, put the dose into that dry, swish it around and dump into the tank. I've seen fish mouth some of the powder but they always seem to spit it right out and not eat it. Have not lost any fish I could attribute to eating CSM+B best I can tell....


----------



## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

The whole mold thing can be fixed with HCL, ascorbic acid, potassium sorbate, glutaraldehyde (from excel), and probably a number of other compounds. I use about 40ml/L of 13.5% HCL; about 6ml/L of pure HCL. It's cheap, and it works well.


----------



## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

Philosophos said:


> The whole mold thing can be fixed with HCL, ascorbic acid, potassium sorbate, glutaraldehyde (from excel), and probably a number of other compounds. I use about 40ml/L of 13.5% HCL; about 6ml/L of pure HCL. It's cheap, and it works well.


I hear HCL works but who wants to keep a bottle of that somewhere handy? Plus just more to mix. Dry dosing works fine for me but I can see those with small tanks wanting to make a liquid to dose with....


----------



## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Adding the HCL actually saves me time; I find everything dissolves FAR easier. Dry dosing by my tests has something like a +/- 15% margin of error, plus the issue of humidity altering density over time. Opening the bags more allows for more humidity, for that matter. I wouldn't be surprised if people end up dosing about +/- 20% different over time, plus what ever contamination if they don't keep separate measuring spoons for each compound.

I keep my 2 big bottles of HCL around no problem; it's 13.5% not 50%. Not too nasty to leave sitting around. I haul it out once every month or two, take what I need, mix the batch, done.


----------



## rich815 (Jun 27, 2007)

Philosophos said:


> Adding the HCL actually saves me time; I find everything dissolves FAR easier. Dry dosing by my tests has something like a +/- 15% margin of error, plus the issue of humidity altering density over time. Opening the bags more allows for more humidity, for that matter. I wouldn't be surprised if people end up dosing about +/- 20% different over time, plus what ever contamination if they don't keep separate measuring spoons for each compound.
> 
> I keep my 2 big bottles of HCL around no problem; it's 13.5% not 50%. Not too nasty to leave sitting around. I haul it out once every month or two, take what I need, mix the batch, done.


Great. Just great. And I thought my plants in my tanks were doing just fine the way I was doing thing! Now I'm worried.


----------



## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm not saying dry doesn't work for most; it clearly does. At the same time though, what happens when you want to limit N to push red? The difference between 8 and 12ppm dosed suddenly matters, because one week of 8ppm may push things into deficiency where 10 or 12 wouldn't have. Or say you just want to know how many ppm of a various nutrient your tank displaces from its column within a week; a +/- 20% margin of error isn't going to help you refine your dosing. Not a big deal if you've got a couple tanks, but for those with 1,000 gal of dosed column hanging around the money adds up.


----------



## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

I use Dash and Pinch spoons for dosing a 46 gallon. Accurate enough for me.


----------



## jeremy1 (May 6, 2007)

Philosophos said:


> The whole mold thing can be fixed with HCL, ascorbic acid, potassium sorbate, glutaraldehyde (from excel), and probably a number of other compounds. I use about 40ml/L of 13.5% HCL; about 6ml/L of pure HCL. It's cheap, and it works well.


Where do you get HCL and can this be used with iron chelated solution? I am currently boiling containers and water to get it sterile.

Thanks,
Jeremy


----------



## griffin7882 (Apr 26, 2006)

you can get HCl at places like home depot/lowe's, and probably walmart, altho i've only seen it at the hardware stores, but never looked for it at walmart either. hth


----------



## bsmith (Dec 13, 2006)

I dose mine dry no problems. Just depends if you want to go through the extra hassle of mixing and measuring. I also like that every tine I dose dry I know exactly (almost) how much im putting in the tank. I am not good at squeezing the bottle the same amount every time to give me that accuracy the dosing spoons give me.


----------



## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

jeremy1 said:


> Where do you get HCL and can this be used with iron chelated solution? I am currently boiling containers and water to get it sterile.
> 
> Thanks,
> Jeremy


HCL works just fine with chelated iron IME. Check Home Depot or any pool/spa store. Try a chemical supply store if you want 100% HCL. I toss the HCL in first before any other compounds.


----------

