DIY Root Tabs?

[dskidmore]

Well, my calculations say that I have enough CSM Plantex to last me for 11 years, so I'm naturally looking for other things to do with it.

My sand substrate is superior to my previous gravel for allowing roots to hold, but seems to be nutrient poor. The sand is too dense for mulm to slip down in. One sign of the lack of nutrients is the massive amount of air bubbles I get developing in the sand.

Has anyone made thier own root tabs from clay and CSM? I've heard it suggested before, but not seen a recipie. Do they need to be kiln-dried or just air dried? What ratio of CSM to clay?

 

[malkore]

I have some instructions at home I'll try to grab over lunch.

You can get kits at places like www.plantguild.com or www.aquariumplants.com sells one too, but its cheaper to just buy some red clay powder, some kitchen gloves, and a pack of popsicle/craft sticks (for mixing).

As I recall you use very little plantex, since it's so potent. they are air dried, but I used my oven at 250 degrees F for like 20 mins to speed up the process.

 

[dskidmore]

I've been reading around today. Most folks hold their recipe close, just giving out the info that they do roll their own, not what's in it. Found one recipe that seemed rather strong.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/printthread.php?t=1700

3 parts Miller Microples chelated traces, 2 parts K2SO4, 3 parts KNO3, 7.5 parts Epsom Salts, mix that with clay to cut to half strength.

I don't think I want to invest in a kit, unless it's harder than it sounds. I already have the nutrients handy, and there are enough art stores near the collage that I can get most anything I need for clay. I'm not very artistic, but I can make dough or clay into fairly uniformly sized balls.

There is also much discussion as to how long it takes the root tab to dissolve, but that would depend on size I would think, and most people don't mention the size pellet they are making. I would think that the drying time/temp before use would also have an effect on dissolving rate.

After the clay dissolves, it mixes in with the substrate? Does that cause any trouble in the long run? My substrate is already so fine, I guess a little silt won't hurt. I really try to avoid the take down the tank every two years routine.

I'm also trying to decide what the main focus of root tab fert is for my tank.
A) Overall distribution to reduce substrate gas production.
B) Spot feeding of slower growing plants.

Considering my poor substrate, I'm half considering peat moss, or something else organic in low concentrations in the pellet mix. After the pellet disolves, the peat will be happily burried under the sand and continue to enrich the soil.

 

[travis simonson]

I'll have to dig up my recipe too. I use CSM+B, KNO3, KH2PO4, and some MgSO4, along with the art clay, but I can't remember the ratios. I haven't used any in quite some time, thanks for bringing up the subject

 

[dskidmore]

The type of clay would make a big diffrence? Some clays have heavy trace minerals?

 

[malkore]

I know they sell the clay at www.plantguild.com

Some clays might not be suitable for sure, but the red clays are typically iron based.

Sorry I forgot my recipe yesterday, work was insane.

 

[dskidmore]

Sorry I forgot my recipe yesterday, work was insane.

Know the feeling. I've owed someone an egg roll skin recipie for a week now.

 

[dskidmore]

I know they sell the clay at www.plantguild.com

Very interesting site!

I especially appriciated the detailed directions, including recipie, pellet size recomendations, and usage: http://www.plantguild.com/html/pellet_making_instructions.html

They also seem to subscribe to the 1/2 fertilizer, 1/2 clay formula. I guess the ratios in the fertilizer depend on what your plant needs.

I'm going to see if I can get red clay locally at a good price and try this.

 

[caribou]

I know this sounds crazy, but my daughters Playdough machine ($5 including two jars of Playdough) works great for making pellets. It has two sets of dies. Some shape are leaves, noodles etc. but you can cut everything to the size you want. She also has the Puppy Doctor set that has an over sized syringe that works good too.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I know this sounds crazy, but my daughters Playdough machine ($5 including two jars of Playdough) works great for making pellets. It has two sets of dies. Some shape are leaves, noodles etc. but you can cut everything to the size you want. She also has the Puppy Doctor set that has an over sized syringe that works good too.

That is a great use for old toys and resourceful too

 

[dskidmore]

I was just going to roll it with my hands like in High School ceramics class.

Think I need to wear gloves? I havn't heard much on precautions when handling these fertilizers.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Better safe then sorry I'ld say. sudden itches on your eyes could be very bad.

 

[fish_4_all]

Will someone please post those recipies!. I am going to be moving my crypts to a brand new planter that will be new and clean substrate. It will be about 2 weeks so the sooner the better.

Anyway, I will bet there are a lot of poeple who would like to make them. I can buy them here, 10 to a pack, Flourish I think but it costs $28 a pack! I think my LFS has a 250% markeup!.

 

[dskidmore]

After reading around, I think I'm going to go with the PMDD formula to make my fetilizer powder:
http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/sears-conlin.html#pmdd

Then mix 1:1 with the clay powder. Add water until workable.

I ordered the clay and gloves, but had put off the project to fight other fights. I had a terrable green water problem. I think I must have been missing a trace element. Doing much better now with occasional macro dosing, and regular trace dosing. The water is clear, just have to figure out how to get rid of the new hair algae problem. (Ammano shrimp?)

 

[caribou]

DIY Fert Tabs

I thinkl the recipe is already in this post, but I use 50-50 mix of Greg Watson's CSM+B and red potting clay. A half of cup of each will make you a ton of tabs. I like to make mine in various sizes (big ones for big plants and little ones for liitle plants). These pellets will not be as hard as Flourish tabs, I did a test and they will dislove in about 30-40 min. Sources are: www.gregwatson.com and www.plantguild.com (clay). HTH

 

[dskidmore]

Re: DIY Fert Tabs

I use 50-50 mix of Greg Watson's CSM+B and red potting clay.

No macros?

These pellets will not be as hard as Flourish tabs, I did a test and they will dislove in about 30-40 min. Sources are: www.gregwatson.com and www.plantguild.com (clay). HTH

Would it be beneficial to oven dry them?

Hopefully the minerals stick to the clay, and the clay is stuck in the sand, so the falling apart in water isn't a big deal.

 

[caribou]

I baked mine at about 225 for an hour. I air dried them for about 4 hours before putting them into the oven. THe humidity in our house in winter is about zero, so if your conditions vary, you might want to air dry them a bit longer. The 50-50 formula is similar to Flourish tabs that don't have many macros in them.

 

[dskidmore]

I know when making soap, drying for months is not out of the question. The longer the soap dries, the longer it lasts when you use it. Might also be true of clay, not sure.

 

[fish_4_all]

Drying clay only depends on how thick it is. Most things I have read from my dad's ceramics and pottery books is 24 hours for every 1/2 inch thick. Anything under that can take much less time but letting it dry 2 days makes sure it is dry. Baking it long and hot enough will actually start to turn it into cinder or brick which will keep it together for a long time. Might be the best way to do it as it will leech out the macros and micros over a long period of time, kind of like normal concrete. I have a cave and a rock arch that I made 3 weeks ago and it is just about totally dry now, the cave is 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall and the arch averages about 3 inches thick. And that is in his ceramic shop where it is very cold and humid all the time.

If I can find anything for sure, I will let everyone know about the change clay goes through and at what temperature. All I know is that at 1700 deg fer it turns rock hard and will last for decades. 2200 or higher and it will last forever, virtually. Only problem is I think our fertilizer would vaporize at much lower temperatures.

 

[dskidmore]

I'll have to dig up my recipe too. I use CSM+B, KNO3, KH2PO4, and some MgSO4, along with the art clay, but I can't remember the ratios. I haven't used any in quite some time, thanks for bringing up the subject

Dredging up old info.... In another topic it was suggested that KH2PO4 and iron suppliments together form an insoluable precipitate. With a root tab, it's a benifit to not have everything go into the water column, but it needs to be partially soluable for the roots to take it up.

Opinion?

I'm working on this again, as with my 2.5 gal desktop, dry ferts are too miniscule to measure, and wet ferts too messy for work.

Current recipie in consideration, given my local water has a ton of Ca and SO4:

Mix:
1/2 t KH2PO4
2 T KNO3
3/4 t CSM
enough clay powder to make 1/4 cup

remove 1 tsp, mix with enough clay powder and water to make 60 pellets. Use 2 pellets per week. (Should yield Magnesium 0.09 mg/L, Potassium 8.3 mg/L, Nitrate 12 mg/L, Iron 0.13 mg/L, Phosphate 1 mg/L, given 50% weekly water changes.)

Remaining 11 tsp turn into pellets for spot feeding in 75 gallon tank, to be used in a minimum of 3 months.

I made a test batch, using some random ferts, and found it's way too easy to add too much water. Ended up with way too many pellets after trying to add enough clay powder to dry it back out.