I have been experimenting with do it yourself micronutrients.

I obtained some hydrochloric acid from Lowes and use it to make ferric
chloride, zinc chloride, etc.

I obtained some sulfuric acid from a battery company and use it to make
ferric sulfate, zinc sulfate, etc.

And, of course, only a minimum of acid should be used to effectively
dissolve the metal(s.)

After the metal is dissolved in the acid, it is important to neutralize
the solution to near 7.0 ph; this can be done with calcium hydroxide
(cooking lime, or a like base--in a pinch, sodium bicarbonate can be
used, or baking soda.)

I also have some irons which have molybdenum and cobalt/boron. Some of
these have to be cut with a diamond saw; unfortunately, there is no way
to determine the exact percentage of the alloys present with the iron.

A good source to pick up metals for making your own micronutrients are
salvage yards ...

Anyone else avoiding the high cost of micros and using a similar system
or have any data on homemade micros?

Regards,
JS

John Smith wrote:

...
Anyone else avoiding the high cost of micros and using a similar system
or have any data on homemade micros?

Regards,
JS

Forgot to mention, a readily available source for zinc it the can off a
plain carbon battery (don't use alkaline.) It is composed of zinc. You
simply need to dismantle the battery and remove the can which holds the
batteries materials. Cutting the battery in half, longways, then
scraping out the contents and scrubbing the can clean, before dissolving
in the acid ...

Regards,
JS

Hi

I'm from Singapore and we have a local lab here which formulates
decent-priced macro and micro nutrients for aquariums. Their website is
http://www.singaporehydroponics.com and their products are commonly
found in our local aquarium stockists. I'm not sure if they ship
worldwide but you could give them a try.

The products I'm using now are LushGro Aqua (dosed after weekly partial
water changes) and LushGro Micros (dosed daily). My plants are growing
superbly and I've been using these cheap alternatives (as compared to
SeaChem supplements) since 2003.

Regards