Volume 2, Issue 4

Perpetual Preservation System™ Trace Elements (TE) As we have discussed Macro nutrients in the previous issues we must now have a discussion on Trace Elements (TE). Trace elements include the following Manganese, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Boron, Molybdenum and Chlorine (Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, and Cl respectively). Micronutrients are an important source of nutrient for aquatic plants as it completes the circle for their nutritional uptake. Why do we dose the micronutrients or trace elements separately from macro nutrients? As the name indicates the macro elements are needed in much larger quantities by plants than the micro nutrients are and accordingly we dose the micronutrients separately and usually in much smaller quantities than we dose the macros. An additional question arises when dosing micros in that they are difficult to test for as the equipment to test for these are usually beyond the reach of the average hobbyist. However, as discussed in prior issues plants have the ability of Luxury Uptake in that they will consume more than is required for healthy growth and if ever trace elements are missing in the water column the plants will then use their stored amounts of these micro nutrients. This is why newly transplanted plants have the ability to survive in a new environment as they rely on their Luxury Uptake. There are several products to use for the dosing of TE on the market and available for the hobbyist and below we have included one of them for your reference purposes and a description of what is contained in the micronutrient mix. Plant-Prod® Chelated Micronutrient Mix

Made by http://www.plantprod.com That contains the following; Manganese (Mn) 2.0 % Iron (Fe) 7.0 % Zinc (Zn) 0.4 % Copper (Cu) 0.1 % Boron (B) 1.3 % Molybdenum (Mo) 0.06 %

The preparation and dosing of trace elements is similar to the other solutions we have provided for you in the previous issues and we have provided the formulation of TE Solution for you below. The number of milliliters (ml) you should dose is the number of gallons divided by 10. Example: A 50 gallon tank would require 5 milliliters (50/10) of TE solution at very high amounts of light. In conditions with lower light intensity the dosage should be considerably less. Where the Watt per gallon is less then 1.5 use only fractional ml’s of the recommended dosing above. The dosing of the TE should be done daily as we want to provide nutrients to the plants on a daily basis. As mentioned previously there are no test kits available to determine the level of Trace Elements in the water column. Accordingly the determining how much Trace Elements to dose is done by observing the health of your plants. There are several sources on the internet that discuss and show pictures of plants and their symptoms when there are deficiencies of nutrients in the water column. The symptoms plants exhibit are considerably different for differing species of plants

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Perpetual Preservation System™ Trace Elements (TE)

and is beyond the scope of this article. However, we recommend that you investigate the symptoms for the aquatic plants that you maintain in order to aid in your dosing. The initial step in this determination is to ensure that the macronutrients levels, as discussed in previous articles are at appropriate levels. For example ensure the NO3, PO4, CO2, Ca and Mg levels are appropriate. If your aquatic plants continue to exhibit unhealthy growth or deficiency symptoms after ensuring that macronutrient levels are correct then and only then you should turn your attention to investigating whether micronutrient deficiencies are the cause.

Trace Element Solution (TE) Plant-Prod® Chelated Micronutrient Mix

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23.81 g

In 500ml of water

Edward-Vic PPS™ Copyright © 2004

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Appendix 1

Perpetual Preservation System™

Category

NO3 – PO4

Ca -Mg

KH – pH – CO2

Trace Elements

Article

Volume 1, Issue 1 Volume 2, Issue 1

Volume 2, Issue 2

Volume 2, Issue 3

Volume 2, Issue 4

Required Levels

NO3 Low-Normal-High PO4 Low-Normal-High

Ca 20 - 30 ppm Mg 5 - 10 ppm

KH Use Table pH Specie selectable CO2 30 - 40 ppm

See Article

Test Kits

NO3, PO4

GH, Ca

KH, pH

Solution Fertilizer

SS Standard Solution PF PO4-Free Solution NF NO3-Free Solution

Mg Solution

Dry Fertilizer

Discus Mix

TE Solution

CaCO3 Calcium Carbonate NaHCO3 Baking Soda

Edward / Vic PPS™ Copyright © 2005

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