Seachem Flourish Potassium & Trace Elements Replacement

[IdealRhys]

Hi guys,

I have just recently joined.
What a FAB forum - I've discovered I've got so much to learn.

When I started my planted aquarium last year, on my Juwel Rekord 96. I started with Interpet's liquid fertilisation and then converted to Seachem products (as they worked out much more cost effective - this was before I knew of PMDD or DIY TPN+ from powdered ferts).

My aquarium is quite heavily planted IMO and the Seachem products have given me quite good results 8) .

Now I am running low on the Flourish Potassium and Trace but still have loads of Flourish, Flourish Nitrogen & Flourish Phosphorus so I can't really change to dry ferts as yet until the others are finished.

Now as an interim measure can I make up just a K and Trace Elements solution from dry ferts which I can use with the other Seachem products until I can fully switch to my own mixtures.

I know that Seachem derives its potassium from K2SO4. Don't know much about the trace one. Sorry .

At the moment I dose K 2.5 ml 3 times a week and Trace about 6 ml twice a week.

I also do a 33 % water change once a week.

Your learned help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Lee

 

[aaronnorth]

flourish trace is just a watered down version of flourish.

Now as an interim measure can I make up just a K and Trace Elements solution from dry ferts which I can use with the other Seachem products until I can fully switch to my own mixtures.

Yes, that will be fine, but bear in mind the above info i posted, dont buy the trace, just use flourish. So you will only need the potassium

Potassium Sulphate - 55g to 500ml of water and adding 10ml per 100L of water would give you a value of 5ppm

 

[IdealRhys]

flourish trace is just a watered down version of flourish.

OK thanks. Never knew that... Quick question though, just to abate my curiosity...

Why is Flourish Trace clear and Flourish like a yellowy brown?

Thanks for the info on the Potassium.

I just need to dissolve it in DI/RO water right?

Thanks again...

 

[IdealRhys]

Sorry one more thing,

Just did I quick comparison of the Flourish and Trace and THEY are quite similar. NEVER noticed this before .

The trace elements of Rubidium, Nickel and Vanadium are they not needed?

 

[aaronnorth]

flourish trace is just a watered down version of flourish.

OK thanks. Never knew that... Quick question though, just to abate my curiosity...

Why is Flourish Trace clear and Flourish like a yellowy brown?

Thanks for the info on the Potassium.

I just need to dissolve it in DI/RO water right?

Thanks again...

Most people just use tap water for mixing up dry ferts,

The colour difference is probable due to that there is more elements in the regular flourish, here is the 2 fertilisers side by side, as you can see, flourish contains a dew extra elements, and there isnt much point in dosing both. You might as well do one or the other. I have edited the picture so you can compare the results side by side - taken from seachem website:

Rubidium, Nickel and Vanadium are they not needed?

To be honest i am not quite sure why they are not in the regular flourish, perhaps they react with another element?? Maybe someone else can comment.

 

[IdealRhys]

Thanks.

Much appreciated. Not buying the Flourish Trace will allow me more money to buy more plants