# PMDD (Poor Man's DUPLA Drops)



## Homer_Simpson

What are peoples' experiences using PMDD vs commercial aquatic fertilizers. Thanks.


----------



## turbomkt

If you mean using dry ferts at levels other than what the commercial side has decided to give us, PMDD is the norm. In reality, what PMDD represents is not what we do as some of shown that limiting PO4 is not going to help fight algae. Instead, we maintain excesses of NPK or a lean but complete combination of them.

Check stickies on Estimative Index and PPS.


----------



## Homer_Simpson

turbomkt said:


> If you mean using dry ferts at levels other than what the commercial side has decided to give us, PMDD is the norm...


Well the idea behind PMDD was a home-made water column fertilizer of sorts using the following ingredients which was to supply aquarium plants with all necessary nutrients except phosphorus.
Source: http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/pmdd.htm
2 Teaspoons (~14g) K2SO4 (potassium sulfate)
1 Teaspoon (~6g) KNO3 (potassium nitrate)
2.5 Tablespoons (~33g) MgSO4-7H2O (fully hydrated magnesium sulfate, aka epsom salts; omit if present in trace element mix)
1 Tablespoon (~9g) Chelated Trace Element Mix
(7% Fe, 1.3% B, 2% Mn, 0.06% Mo, 0.4% Zn, 0.1% Cu, EDTA, DTPA)
300 ml (1.5 cups) distilled H2O

After doing some more research, I came across Tom Barr's view, who states the following. 
Source:http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/pps-analysis-feedback/39491-newbie-guide-pps-pro.html
"PMDD assumes a PO4 limited tank is desirable and also at the same time a low Fe level is desirable. But a tank cannot have two limited nutients at once. Nor does "excess" Fe and PO4 cause algae in a well run tank. The testing of Fe and trying to keep a 0.1ppm residual just seems like a lesson in futility. Plants only need roughly 0.006ppm a day of iron, not much and beyond anything our test can come close to."

As I am a big fan and believer in a lot of what Tom Barr has to say, I decided to forego experimenting with PMDD.

Instead I have chosen to experiment with pps-pro as described here: 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/pps-analysis-feedback/39491-newbie-guide-pps-pro.html

I ordered all the ingredients from the U.S. as many were not readily available in Canada. It cost an arm and a leg(as much as the actual cost of the ingredients). Oh well, when it is a hobby, it is well worth it. Many of the ingredients used in PPS overlap with the ones that are used in making PMDD, so I at least have the option of preparing and experimenting with both on different tanks if I choose.

Regards.


----------



## Edward

Hi,
Don't you have any Hydroponics Store over there? They sell K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4 and better Trace Element Mix, all as a 'Six pack', for cheap. 

Thank you
Edward


----------



## Glouglou

Personally I used a different version of PMDD. I explain!! I like the idea to procure a little bit of everything each day with the proper daily dose of iron and micro nutrients but I didn’t want to relate to an all in one solution.

In my case I have record lot of fluctuation in uptake of nutrients, and I didn’t want a rigid dosing regimen. I prefer flexibility and base my weekly dosage on the desired concentration and the weekly uptake.

From PMDD I Lower to 1/4 of the NO3 ask in the recipe, and 1/8 of the Magnesium. Those 2 nutrients and phosphate are dosed separatly and accordingly to my reading (Level desired and cunsumption)

For now, I keep my NO3 to around 5mg/l
Phosphate to 1 mg/l (and more, trying to beat some GSA)
I keep my Iron between .5 to 1 mg/l


Thing seem rosy, for now!


----------



## Homer_Simpson

Edward said:


> Hi,
> Don't you have any Hydroponics Store over there? They sell K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4, MgSO4 and better Trace Element Mix, all as a 'Six pack', for cheap.
> 
> Thank you
> Edward


Yeah, after a lot of phoning around, I finally found one that carried all the ingredients. Thanks.


----------



## Homer_Simpson

Glouglou said:


> Personally I used a different version of PMDD. I explain!! I like the idea to procure a little bit of everything each day with the proper daily dose of iron and micro nutrients but I didn't want to relate to an all in one solution.
> 
> In my case I have record lot of fluctuation in uptake of nutrients, and I didn't want a rigid dosing regimen. I prefer flexibility and base my weekly dosage on the desired concentration and the weekly uptake.
> 
> From PMDD I Lower to 1/4 of the NO3 ask in the recipe, and 1/8 of the Magnesium. Those 2 nutrients and phosphate are dosed separatly and accordingly to my reading (Level desired and cunsumption)
> 
> For now, I keep my NO3 to around 5mg/l
> Phosphate to 1 mg/l (and more, trying to beat some GSA)
> I keep my Iron between .5 to 1 mg/l
> 
> Thing seem rosy, for now!


Thanks for that information, but for Simpletons like me, Edward's PPS-Pro recipe appeals to me and it seems it has received some pretty good feedback. Might be just the thing to bring my 55 gallon "pet cemetery" tank, where nothing(not even anubias, java fern, java moss, elodea densa, hornwort, etc.,) but hygrophilla corymbosa compacta and aponogenton plants seem to do well.


----------



## supersmirky

Hey Homer. 

What were your findings? Did you have good luck with PMDD? I am using PMDD according to the recipe by thekrib and so far so good. 

Did the PPS go better for you?


----------

