help with CSM+B

Aviss

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Mar 19, 2012
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Hi, I have purchased some CSM+B but I don't understand the real content of boron. The vendor site says 0.04% but in this calculator http://calc.petalphile.com it seems to be 0.8% and in other sites I read 1.18%

Can someone please help me ?

If it's 0.04% should I add some boric acid ?


Regards,
Paolo.
 
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UDGags

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It's a pretty common item here in the US. It's used as a laundry detergent additive and can be bought at Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target, K-mart, Meijers, etc. It's naturally occurring so I would think you could get it in Italy somewhere.
 

mcarroll

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Sep 19, 2012
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According to 20 Mule Team Borax's "heritage" page:

"Originally, borax was imported to the United States from Italy..."​


Funny!

Apparently we struck "the motherlode" here in California back in 1913 so it's possible Italy may be importing Californian borax today. (Though Turkey is sounded out as a major producer too.)

BTW, it will hopefully be obvious to your nose, but if you get 20 Mule Team brand or anything from the laundry section, take care not to get the Borax that's combined with Fragrance® (light blue box, I think). The pure stuff (white box) used to be rare or impossible to find around me in the early 2000's, but nowadays it seems to be about everywhere and I never see anything but the pure stuff.

-Matt
 

UDGags

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The values are listed here
Since Plantex Nutritrace CSM has 7.0% Iron and the 5:1 Fe:B require 1.4% Boron. Since our CSM+B are diluted with 1 part in 25 of Solubor the resulting Iron content of the mx is 6.73% Iron. Therefore the Boron required is 1.35% to meet the Tom Barr recommended 5:1 CSM:B. Or 1.2% Boron to meet the requirements of Wet’s less demanding, yet definitive calculator.

That seems to leave a nice range for us hobbyists to aim for; adding 1 part Borax for every 21 parts CSM places us a bit under Tom Barr’s. Remember in this case we are not mixing the CSM+B and Borax, but adding the Borax to the solution in addition to the CSM+B.

46 grams of Borax in 1 liter solution with distilled water will yield about 0.5% Boron solution so adding 1 milliliter of 0.5% Boron solution for every gram of CSM+B will yield about 5:1 Iron:Boron.
 

Tom Barr

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Aviss;92867 said:
Thank you Tom.
Do you think I have to add boric acid to reach the amount of the original recipe ?
I bought my CSM + B from www.AquariumFertilizer.com

Regards,
Paolo.

CMS+B .........the + B part is boron.
You do not need to add any.

The only additive you might consider is adding say DTPA Fe or Fe Gluconate to the CMS+B.

Otherwise you use what I use from the same supplier.
 

Aviss

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Tom Barr;92929 said:
CMS+B .........the + B part is boron.
You do not need to add any.

The only additive you might consider is adding say DTPA Fe or Fe Gluconate to the CMS+B.

Otherwise you use what I use from the same supplier.

This is good news Tom :)
I also bought some Fe Gluconate in case of Fe deficiency.
 

Tom Barr

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Aviss;92963 said:
This is good news Tom :)
I also bought some Fe Gluconate in case of Fe deficiency.


Fe Gluc is more for daily dosing and soft tap/tank water's low in KH.
If the tap water is higher than say 3-4 degrees KH, then DTPA would be better to mix with CMS+B.
 

Aviss

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unfortunately Fe DTPA was not avalaible in aquariumfertilizer.com
KH in tank is 5-6. Maybe I can dose a little amount everyday of Fe Gluconate if plants show Fe deficiency ....
 

Tom Barr

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Aviss;92999 said:
unfortunately Fe DTPA was not avalaible in aquariumfertilizer.com
KH in tank is 5-6. Maybe I can dose a little amount everyday of Fe Gluconate if plants show Fe deficiency ....

We use to dose the Seachem Flourish Fe just to be "sexy" on top of the CMS, but we also have low KH tap water in that group.

DTPA is sold as Sequestrene 330.

http://www.tampaagriculturalproducts.com/fertilizers/sequestrene-330-fe/


They should ship anywhere if you pay them 1st.
5lbs will last 5-10 years, maybe more.

Ideal for the type of KH you have.
 

Aviss

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Thank you Tom.

Can I mix together CSM+B, Fe DTPA and eventually Fe Gluc ? If yes what is the correct ratio ?
 

UDGags

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Aviss;92999 said:
unfortunately Fe DTPA was not avalaible in aquariumfertilizer.com
KH in tank is 5-6. Maybe I can dose a little amount everyday of Fe Gluconate if plants show Fe deficiency ....

I bought my DTPA from GLA....its 11%. But looks like tampa is a lot cheaper.thanks for that link Tom.

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