Skimate as a Plant Fertilizer?

[crappyballer]

so I was reading the editorial on advanced aquarist and I came across a part that says :

"With that back on line I turned to my two large skimmers, where even though the skimmate is collected in external canisters, the inner walls of both skimmers had about 3/8 of an inch of muck clinging to them. Using a plastic spatula I collected about a gallon of this muck/detritus, which I then saved for use as fertilizer for my terrestrial plants"

I thought about doing that a while back, but I thought that there would be to much salt content to use on terrestrial plants. any thoughts?

[Tangster]

The salt will burn them if the ammonias and nitrogen doesn't I'd just stick with Miracle grow or Petersons plant food (: its cheap enough

[omard]

The salt buildup will eventually do your plants in.

Have seen in ME where extensive and long term use of supposedly desalinated water killing off plant growth.

Good thought though. Looks/smells like it should be good for something

[Willieo101587]

I wonder if composting it would get rid of the salt...I'm not sure where it would go but you never know.

[Camilsky]

I wonder if composting it would get rid of the salt...I'm not sure where it would go but you never know.

You can desalinate the skimmate by means of crystallization: let the skimate dry in dry place. You will observe separation between organic material and mineral compounds that should create nice small crystals. This technique is used in organic chemistry to separate/purify organic/mineral mixtures.

Cheers! Enjoy the beauty of science

[Tangster]

10-10-10 4.98 a 40 pond bag (:better living through Chemistry is my motto. Raised on a working Tobacco farm and if we did not grow it we did not have it to eat. I recall the way we had to shovel and dilute the fertilizers from the barns , I still hate Barns (: But if they are not mixed they Will burn the plants.. Man I was Happy when Pop got a liquid sprayer rig for the tractor (: So I guess I'm saying that if you do try to use it and get it all desalinated then you run the rick of burning it not knowing the Nitrogen and Phosphate and Ammonia levels of the brew.. PETERSON or !0 10 10 (: I'm just offering some information based on experience with all kinds of plants..All kinds LOL

[crappyballer]

Originally Posted by Tangster

I'm just offering some information based on experience with all kinds of plants..All kinds LOL