# dosing trace elements



## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

so i recently figured i needed to start dosing some trace elements and when i went to buy some the price tag on the cms plantex or something like that scared me... so i just bought a bottle of seachem trace... and now i read that it's pretty much useless . well it was 6 dollars shipped for a 250 ml bottle :/ can i get some feedback? i can buy the other dry fert but my mom is getting worried that all my dry ferts are coming in the mail in little one pound baggies looking like drugs... they should consider making them a different color.


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## JeffyFunk (Apr 6, 2006)

neilshieh said:


> so i recently figured i needed to start dosing some trace elements and when i went to buy some the price tag on the cms plantex or something like that scared me...


The price of all trace mixes is more than the price of the macroelements. That's just the way that it is considering that there are (1) many more expensive things in trace mixes (such as chelaters) and (2) have to be mixed in a specific ratio (i.e. more time / labor to make) versus macroelements.



neilshieh said:


> so i just bought a bottle of seachem trace... and now i read that it's pretty much useless . well it was 6 dollars shipped for a 250 ml bottle :/ can i get some feedback?


Seachem products are not useless; they're just more expensive compared to buying and making your own fertilizers.



neilshieh said:


> i can buy the other dry fert but my mom is getting worried that all my dry ferts are coming in the mail in little one pound baggies looking like drugs... they should consider making them a different color.


I find this comment confusing... What should be made a different color? A white powder is still a white powder - Whether it is in a clear baggie or an opaque / colored baggie doesn't really make a difference. If you put sugar in a baggie, it will also look like a drug. Sure, it may look like a drug, but it won't test positive for a drug. If you have a problem with the whole "white powder in a baggie", then put it in a different container .


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

Trace mixes like CSM+B last a long time because you only need a teensy bit. Seachem products are watered down, so you're paying a 
Lot for a little. All ready-to-use liquid ferts are watered down and buying powders is cheaper.

Tell your mom if you're worried about the price of a pound of fertilizer, then how could she expect you to buy a pound of dope? Lol. FWIW, Trace mixes are brown. 

Always keep your fert containers labeled so you don't get confused, and your mother doesn't either.


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

rofl... well its the same reason when us aquarists go and buy things for fertilizing we get weird looks. e.g. would be phosphates via fleet enema or co2 tanks... you go to a welder shop and they're like you want (#>100lbs) co2 tank? no... i want a five pound. what do you want it for? it won't last for anything. my...fish tank... >.>
and i did not know trace elements were brown... but usually you don't buy sugar or salt online and get them shipped to you in a plastic baggy... so when they see the white powder and some scientific name they'll get suspicious.


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

Seachem has two "Trace" products and they sometimes get mixed up. One is Flourish Comprehensive. It is the one that we can compare to CSM+B, TMG, TPN, etc. Many people call this product "Trace" and it can be confusing.

Seachem's other "Trace" product is called Flourish Trace. It is practically useless. It is like dosing spring water or something like that. Check out how many 0's are after the decimal place and this is in its full strength; not its concentrations after dosing. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/FlourishTrace.html
*Guaranteed Analysis*
Boron (B) 0.0028%
Cobalt (Co) 0.00003%
Copper Cu) 0.0032%, Soluble Copper (Cu) 0.0032%	
Manganese (Mn) 0.085%, Soluble Manganese(Mn) 0.0085%
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0003%
Zinc (Zn) 0.0169%, Soluble Zinc (Zn) 0.0169% 
Rubidium (Rh) 0.000008%
Nickel (Ni) 0.000003%
Vanadium (V) 0.000002%

Derived from: copper sulfate, cobalt sulfate, manganese sulfate, boric acid, sodium molybdate, zinc sulfate, rubidium chloride, nickel chloride, vanadium sulfate

This is Flourish Comprehensive which they call their Broad Spectrum product. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Flourish.html
*Guaranteed Analysis*
Total Nitrogen 0.07%
Available Phosphate ( P2O5) 0.01%
Soluble Potash 0.37%
Calcium (Ca) 0.14%
Magnesium (Mg) 0.11%
Sulfur (S) 0.2773%
Boron (B) 0.009%
Chlorine (Cl) 1.15%
Cobalt (Co) 0.0004%
Copper (Cu) 0.0001%
Iron (Fe) 0.32%
Manganese (Mn) 0.0118%
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.0009%
Sodium (Na) 0.13%
Zinc (Zn) 0.0007%

Derived from: Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Copper Sulfate, Magnesium Chloride, Ferrous Gluconate, Cobalt Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Boric Acid, Sodium Molybdate, Zinc Sulfate, Protein Hydrolysates.

Some components are no longer listed in the Guaranteed Analysis due to state regulations. The formulation of this product has not be altered.


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## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

damn... got the bottle today... it does have a whole bunch of zeros. :/


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

So use that bottle of stuff, then order a bag of CSM+B from Alan at www.aquariumfertilzer.com and refill the bottle. It will take forever for you to use up even a pound of the powder on a 20 gallon tank. 
I know somewhere around here is a conversion, how to make the equivalent of commercial liquid ferts starting with dry ferts. A fraction of a teaspoon per liter, I think. 
I use 1 teaspoon CSM+B and 1 teaspoon chelated iron per 2 liters tap water when I mix micros. Then dose @ 1 ml per gallon of tank water. I have low light tanks, though. You might double the dose for a higher light tank.


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## Skizhx (Oct 12, 2010)

> so when they see the white powder and some scientific name they'll get suspicious.


1) police know what drugs look like. Fertilizers don't look like drugs. Same way dish detergent doesn't look like sugar.

2) Connecting fertilizers with drugs makes about as much sense as connecting a knife with planning to commit murder.

3) The police would hassle the sender of the package before they hassled you.

You're not breaking any laws or doing anything wrong, so there's nothing to worry about. People aren't that suspicious of everything they see that they would go making vague connections like that. And those few who are a little messed don't have the power to do anything about it.

Buy your ferts with peace of mind... The only exception being, I would think twice before order 200lbs of KNO3 to a residential apartment building in the middle of a major city hours away from any agricultural land


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