Rolling Custom Micros

[notg2009]

Hi everyone,
Long post, sorry! Thanks for your inputs in advance.

Contemplating mixing my own micro batch based on the work of @burr740 and guidance from @Greggz (thanks to both). Why? Because I like to go down the rabbit-hole!! Here is what I have received as the final version (for now):

Elements........Compound.........Joe's ppm
Fe DTPA........................................0.01
Fe Gluc..........................................0.05
MN.................MnSO4.H2O...........0.025
B.................Na2B4O7.10H2O.......0.027
Zn...................ZnSO4.7H2O..........0.023
Cu...................CuSO4.5H2O.........0.0019
Mo...............Na2MoO4.2H2O......0.001
Ni.....................NiSO4.6H2O........0.00025

Multiple questions (want to dose daily)
1. My pH remains under 6.7. Thinking about Fe DTPA (0.05 daily probably). Why use gluconate if it is only stable under pH of 4.5?
2. How much ascorbic acid and potassium sorbate to add to avoid mold? Is there a formula somewhere?
3. Mix all together or keep separate? Especially Fe.
4. Too much SO4? (considering I use sulfate salts of calcium and magnesium too)
5. Why do some people add CaCl2?
6. Some amounts in milligrams are miniscule when measured using the rotalabutterfly calculator!! How to measure even with a milligram scale? Make a concentrated solution with larger amounts and dose smaller volumes?

My tank (setup 3 months ago):
-16.75 gallons of water in a 20 long and canister and reactor
-RO water mineralized (Ca 20ppm and Mg 10ppm)
-GH 7
-KH 0-1 (K2CO3)
-pH ~6.2 before CO2 turns on and about 5.1 right before CO2 turns off (off-gassed 6.7) (all measured using a recently calibrated Milwaukee mc122)
-Over 50% plant mass at the moment
-Platinum soil with osmocote and clay underneath
-NO3 1ppm daily (KNO3), and the salifert kit reads at 2.5ppm usually at the end of the day
-PO4 dosing 3ppm (KH2PO4) daily and API kit reads about 1ppm toward the end of the day usually
-WRGB II 60cm lights

Currently dosing these amounts using csmb (daily)
Fe 0.02
B 0.0035
Mn 0.0057
Mo 0.0002
Zn 0.0011
Cu 0.0003

Thanks for all the help.

Omid

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I love your plantings.... Now I have to do some searching on this site to see what it is that you have planted...

 

[notg2009]

I love your plantings.... Now I have to do some searching on this site to see what it is that you have planted...

Thanks for the compliment. I have the following:
Tonina fluviatilis, tucantis, lotus
Ammania praetermissa (emersed, transitioning) and pedicellata golden
Pantanal was pulled!
Blyxa japonica
Ludwigia senegalensis
Aciotis acuminifolia
Lobelia cardinalis
AR mini
Ludwigia white
Rotala ramosior cramer
Rotala macrandra variegated
Rotala wallichii
Downoi
Blood vomit
Mixed buce

Omid

 

[Zeus]

Might be worth trying the IFC calculator which does all the calculations and serial dilution for making your own DIY trace mix

How much ascorbic acid and potassium sorbate to add to avoid mold? Is there a formula somewhere?
3. Mix all together or keep separate? Especially Fe.

As long as you add Potassium Sorbate (E202) 0.4grams per litre and Ascorbic Acid (E300) 1.0gram per litre of fert/AIO solution, which will decrease the pH of your DIY fert mix and prevent the interactions with Fe and PO4 and stabilise the solution ( and reduce the chances of mould).

3. Mix all together or keep separate? Especially Fe.

For an AIO ( All In One) fert mix together, best done IMO for fert mixes which are well below EI levels
For EI levels best to separate Macro and Micro ferts as Fe and PO4 do interact esp in a concentrated solution. You can still dose them on the same day but need to be a least 2 hrs apart.

5. Why do some people add CaCl2?

Using CaCl2 reduces the SO4 levels whist still hitting the Ca levels, with a resultant increase in Cl (remember Cl is chloride and not chorine- CaCl2 has ionic bonding whilst Cl2 has covalent which changes if properties)

6. Some amounts in milligrams are miniscule when measured using the rotalabutterfly calculator!! How to measure even with a milligram scale? Make a concentrated solution with larger amounts and dose smaller volumes?

Not a big fan off this, a fert solution lasting longer than 2 months is more prone to issues, a larger volume is easier to mix and dose with salt solubilities etc, Plus it acts as a little auto top up as well. I like to dose in units of 10, eg 10ml or 100ml then increasing/decreasing the dose say 10% is so easy

Remember Fe DTPA is light sensitive as well, so keep fert mix in a dark place. once dosed your fine as plants have had their fill in a couple of hours

 

[notg2009]

Might be worth trying the IFC calculator which does all the calculations and serial dilution for making your own DIY trace mix

View attachment 16583



As long as you add Potassium Sorbate (E202) 0.4grams per litre and Ascorbic Acid (E300) 1.0gram per litre of fert/AIO solution, which will decrease the pH of your DIY fert mix and prevent the interactions with Fe and PO4 and stabilise the solution ( and reduce the chances of mould).



For an AIO ( All In One) fert mix together, best done IMO for fert mixes which are well below EI levels
For EI levels best to separate Macro and Micro ferts as Fe and PO4 do interact esp in a concentrated solution. You can still dose them on the same day but need to be a least 2 hrs apart.



Using CaCl2 reduces the SO4 levels whist still hitting the Ca levels, with a resultant increase in Cl (remember Cl is chloride and not chorine- CaCl2 has ionic bonding whilst Cl2 has covalent which changes if properties)



Not a big fan off this, a fert solution lasting longer than 2 months is more prone to issues, a larger volume is easier to mix and dose with salt solubilities etc, Plus it acts as a little auto top up as well. I like to dose in units of 10, eg 10ml or 100ml then increasing/decreasing the dose say 10% is so easy

Remember Fe DTPA is light sensitive as well, so keep fert mix in a dark place. once dosed your fine as plants have had their fill in a couple of hours

Thanks for all the info. Will look into the calculator.

Omid