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New Traces from Aqua Essentials

JamesC

JamesC

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2007
Messages
1,213
Location
Bexley, Kent
As you may or may not have noticed Aqua Essentials have changed their Trace mixture. Some have been asking for a comparrison so I have posted up a table showing the differences between them along with Plantex CSM+B and Garden Direct's Chempak Trace mix.

Traces.jpg

Plantex CSM+B is IMHO by far the best dry trace mix, but is only available in the States. I've only added it so you can see how it compares with what is available here in the UK.
AE's new trace mix is a lot weaker in the core six micros we are concerned with. This means that you will need to add a lot more of it if you wish to obtain the same levels as before. In the case of iron this is 8x more. Be aware that increasing the dosage will also increase the copper levels.
Myself and others have used Garden Direct's trace with excellent results. It does have higher copper content which may or may not be a problem for inverts. Just something to be aware of.

I find some plants seem to look better when the Boron to Zinc ratio is 2:1. A lot of trace mixes including the one I use have a 1:1 ratio so I add a little boric acid to bring the ratio up to 2:1. AE's new trace has a higher ratio of zinc than boron, ie, B:Zn in a ratio of 1:2

Generally speaking the other ratios don't seem that important as long as they are dosed regulary.


James
 
Hi
Nice one James.
Thanks for taking the time out and posting this useful information.
I was aware from their ad that AE had a 'new and improved' Trace mix, however, it seems they've reduced just about everything, in some cases by a huge margin, and then added Mg.
I hadn't paid attention to the numbers just yet as I've got enough of their old stock to last me at least 12 months 😀 but useful info all the same.
Thanks.

Chris.
 
AE's new trace mix is a lot weaker in the core six micros we are concerned with. This means that you will need to add a lot more of it if you wish to obtain the same levels as before. In the case of iron this is 8x more. Be aware that increasing the dosage will also increase the copper levels.
Click to expand...
Hi James,
thank you for the information on AE's new trace mix. Can i replace the missing Iron with Iron Sulphate?

Regards Steve
 
Probably just needs Magnesium. Is Magnesium sulphate ok for this ? For some reason I always thought that the old AE trace did have some Mg, around 7-8%. Am I imagining this ?

We should also start a discussion on how much of each trace element is required and how much of the secondary nutrients as well,
 
sjb123 said:
Can i replace the missing Iron with Iron Sulphate?
Click to expand...
No, is the simple answer. The iron in ferrous sulphate will soon react with componds like phosphate and create an insoluble precipitate. I once added 1/8th of a teaspoon of ferrous sulphate to my 200 litre tank and about an hour later it was like milk. Iron needs to be chelated to prevent it from reacting but still available for the plants. A great chelated iron is this one from Garden Direct - http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/chelated-iron-ph-68-p-885. It uses DTPA as the chelator.

Mortis said:
Probably just needs Magnesium. Is Magnesium sulphate ok for this ? For some reason I always thought that the old AE trace did have some Mg, around 7-8%. Am I imagining this ?
Click to expand...
Magnesium sulphate is fine and yes you are imagining it

BINKSY1973 said:
I have just had a look at Fluidsensor trace mix and is very little difference to the old AE mix.

Fe 8.4% (EDTA), Mn 1.82% (EDTA), Zn 1.16% (EDTA), B 1.05%, Cu 0.23% (EDTA), Mo 0.15%


http://www.fluidsensoronlor trace m.../Products/PN-100-TR/SubProducts/PN-100-TR-100

Looks like this may be a good alternative with no need to dose extra amounts?
Click to expand...
I believe that AE and Fluidsensor use the same trace so if the supplier has changed the formulation then once supplies are used up it will be gone.


It may well be a sad day for the British planted tank enthusiast who likes to dose dry trace powders as in my opinion the old AE and Fluidsensor trace was the only decent trace available in the UK. Not all is lost though. It is possible to buy the CSM+B from the States. If a few people group together then it would be cheaper.

Or what I do is buy my traces from Finland at Peter Haack's PMDD web site. It is a concentrated solution that needs to be diluted down. Superb stuff and uses the same HEEDTA chelator as Tropica's TPN. This chelator is particulary good in hard water conditions. More info is available at my website - http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/traces.htm

James
 
Themuleous said:
Is it not the case that these are all still 'stronger' than TNP anyway?
Click to expand...
Only because TPN is a solution whereas what we're talking about here are the dry powders. The solution can be made to varying strengths depending on how concentrated you want it.

James
 
Great news! I've been in contact with Fluidsensor about the availability of their trace mix and this is what they have said
I've checked with my supplier and he has no problem with stock or supply of the current formula and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
Click to expand...
Here's the link - http://www.fluidsensoronline.com/ep.../Products/PN-100-TR/SubProducts/PN-100-TR-100
And here's the analysis:
Fe 8.4% (EDTA), Mn 1.82% (EDTA), Zn 1.16% (EDTA), B 1.05%, Cu 0.23% (EDTA), Mo 0.15%

Also as it's EDTA based there's no problem with using it in an 'all in one solution'

James
 
JamesC said:
Great news! I've been in contact with Fluidsensor about the availability of their trace mix and this is what they have said
I've checked with my supplier and he has no problem with stock or supply of the current formula and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
Click to expand...
Here's the link - http://www.fluidsensoronline.com/ep.../Products/PN-100-TR/SubProducts/PN-100-TR-100
And here's the analysis:
Fe 8.4% (EDTA), Mn 1.82% (EDTA), Zn 1.16% (EDTA), B 1.05%, Cu 0.23% (EDTA), Mo 0.15%

Also as it's EDTA based there's no problem with using it in an 'all in one solution'

James
Click to expand...

Brill news 🙂 whats the suggestion for making a stock solution with this and what would you recommend as a dose rate?

Sam
 
Themuleous said:
whats the suggestion for making a stock solution with this and what would you recommend as a dose rate?
Click to expand...
It's the same as the old AE trace mix so as a guide add 10g of trace to 250ml of water and add 2.5ml per 50 litre 3x a week.

James
 
Probably need to buy some Trace mix soon, and would have normally gone to AE, but seems that fluidsensoronline is the place to get it now.
Perhaps AE need to find a new supplier in order to not lose the business? :shifty:

I like AE service, and prices, and would prefer to give them the business, but in order to keep the same iron mix from the trace, (which I believe perhaps wrongly? is the 'important' trace), then as mentioned above you need over 8x the amount. This drastically increases cost, but also makes me wonder what effect it will have on my fish as well as plants dosing such a high amount of magnesium as well.
It was mentioned above that the magnesium is likely in the form of Epsom Salts, which although I have used to 'treat' fish in short term baths, I was under the impression it was not good to keep the fish in a solution of them?

Does anyone know if AE asked their suplpier why the mix was changed, and if so what reasons were given?
 
Schmill said:
makes me wonder what effect it will have on my fish as well as plants dosing such a high amount of magnesium as well.
It was mentioned above that the magnesium is likely in the form of Epsom Salts, which although I have used to 'treat' fish in short term baths, I was under the impression it was not good to keep the fish in a solution of them?
Click to expand...

I use the 'old trace mix' and add extra epsom salts to my tank. I have had no ill effects from this. Quite the opposite I found better growth with the added magnesium.

Adding magnesium beyond the plants uptake requirements will raise the GH (GH = magnesium and calcium ).
If you are concerned (I would not be) you could look up what GH your fish are happy in, then measure your tanks GH.
 
Schmill said:
Probably need to buy some Trace mix soon, and would have normally gone to AE, but seems that fluidsensoronline is the place to get it now.
Perhaps AE need to find a new supplier in order to not lose the business? :shifty:

I like AE service, and prices, and would prefer to give them the business, but in order to keep the same iron mix from the trace, (which I believe perhaps wrongly? is the 'important' trace), then as mentioned above you need over 8x the amount. This drastically increases cost, but also makes me wonder what effect it will have on my fish as well as plants dosing such a high amount of magnesium as well.
It was mentioned above that the magnesium is likely in the form of Epsom Salts, which although I have used to 'treat' fish in short term baths, I was under the impression it was not good to keep the fish in a solution of them?

Does anyone know if AE asked their suplpier why the mix was changed, and if so what reasons were given?
Click to expand...

We've got some of the old stuff back in 🙂

We'll get it listed shortly
 
Aww man, I was gearing up to place an order for CSM+B, now i'll have to work it all out again to see if it's worthwhile!

Good new though 🙂



We've got some of the old stuff back in 🙂

We'll get it listed shortly
Click to expand...
 
Aqua Essentials said:
We've got some of the old stuff back in 🙂

We'll get it listed shortly
Click to expand...
Excellent to see the speed at which this feedback was taken on board, good job guys 🙂
 
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