# Seachem Flourish or Plantex CSM+B?



## LindaC (Nov 7, 2005)

I have been using Seachem Flourish for my trace dosing for the past year, however, I did purchase some Plantex CSM+B from Greg Watson when I purchased all my other ferts. I am a little apprehensive about switching over to the Plantex where I've been so comfortable with the Flourish, would I even notice a difference if/when I do? Which do people like better?

I have a question regarding the ratio; if I'm dosing 5 ml of Seachem every other day, would I dose the same amount of Plantex, once it's mixed at a ratio of 1 Tablespoon to 250 liters of water?

I would like to start using the Plantex seeing that I have it, not to mention, it's a lot cheaper then the Flourish.


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## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

I posted the same question on my club's forum. The general consensus was the club liked Gregs KNO3 and KH2PO4, but they preferred Flourish for their traces. Many thought the Flourish was a higher concentration and gave better results.

Cheers.
Jim


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

Giancarlo Podio has a great table reference here.:
Fertilizer Comparison

In my opinion Flourish is better but I have not tried it in a while. What is interesting is that everyone always says you need to use more CSM+B than Flourish but CSM+B has a higher concentration of everything common to both fertilizers. Flourish does have a lot more to it though and is way more comprehensive.

My advice would be to give it a try for a month and if it does not work out, go back to Flourish. I also would suggest dosing the same amount or even a little less than you would Flourish. Give it 2-3 weeks and watch for deficiencies, adding more if you see them.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

I started out using CSM+B and then switched to Flourish after about eight months. I had better results with Flourish than CSM+B. I then tried TMG and had even better results, IMO due to the gluconate chelator in Flourish being less effective in hard water than TMG's chelator (this was in water with a KH of 15 and GH of 18 )...

In softer water I've had good results with both Flourish and TMG (still better than CSM+B), even though I have the impression that TMG gives a slightly better "look" to the plants (that is a *very* subjective opion!  )...

Since you already have the CSM+B and people have had good results with it in their tanks, why not give it a try for two or three months and see how it works for you?


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## LindaC (Nov 7, 2005)

Yes, I think I will try using the Plantex CSM+B for a while and see what happens. Is the correct ratio for mixing this - 1 tablespoon in 250 liters of water? Also, once mixed, if I was dosing 5 ml of Seachem Flourish, would I dose the same amount of Plantex?


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## Tonka (Mar 20, 2004)

GW recommends dosing 1.25X Fluorish.

How To Dose Plantex CSM + B


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## Robert Arnold (Apr 5, 2005)

LindaC said:


> Yes, I think I will try using the Plantex CSM+B for a while and see what happens. Is the correct ratio for mixing this - 1 tablespoon in 250 liters of water? Also, once mixed, if I was dosing 5 ml of Seachem Flourish, would I dose the same amount of Plantex?


Yes, that is the standard for mixing CSM - 1tbs per 250ml of distilled water. Keep it in the fridge or add a little HCL to keep the molds away. Regard dosing the EI method is around +/- 5 ml 3x per week for 20-40gallons, +/- 10 ml 3x/week for 40-60 gallons and +/-15 ml 3x/week for 60-80 gallons. YMMV.


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