Mold in my micros:

[sns26]

Eeeeew. This never used to happen. My micros are 50/50 Seachem Flourish and water with a dash of Kent Iron.

I could swear that this started when I kicked the old 2 liter bottle of Flourish and bought a new one. I've cleaned and bleached the whole works, including the dosing lines, but can't seem to get rid of this muck.

[Nikhilsk99]

This happened to me once and I trashed the mix. Later I started using distilled water to mix my dry fert and never seen it.

[SCMurphy]

I think some of the dosing guys add a little muriatic acid but I'll let them chime in. The distilled water suggestion up there ^^^^ is the first place to start. You could microwave the solution before you put it into a sterilized bottle as well.

[tug]

I use distilled water for trace solutions because PO4 levels are reported to be around 3ppm in our DC tap water.

Ascorbic Acid to keep the solutions pH at 6 or less, the chelators used are a lot more stable in a solution with a pH of 6 or less. Though it may inhibit some mold, it should keep iron from dropping out of solution and is also an anti-oxidant.

For mold I use Potassium Sorbate, a food grade yeast and mold inhibitor that is most effective at a pH ≤ 6
It might just be thar=t it nocks out what the pH does not.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/allinone.htm

[tug]

Another option would be to add 25mL Excel to every liter of trace stock solution but IME, it is less effective over time and I have been adding about 1/4 tsp each ascorbic acid and potassium Sorbate to a liter of solution. The actual recommended amount mentioned in James' blog is 0.5g, E300 Ascorbic Acid and 0.2g, E202 Potassium Sorbate to 500 ml distilled water.

I broke my scales and lost my 1/8 -1/16 tsp measurer. So, 1/4 tsp each E300 and E202, to one liter of solution and call it science.

Potassium Sorbate
http://www.md-health.com/Potassium-Sorbate.html
Adverse Health Effects of Potassium Sorbate
http://www.livestrong.com/article/35387 ... m-sorbate/


Subject: Advice on liquid micros?

I'm thinking if you dilute the trace and there's a rise in the pH, you want to keep a pH below 6.
If you want to add a mold inhibitor, Potassium Sorbate is a food grade mold inhibitor.