Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
View BadgesStaff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2014
- Messages
- 67,498
- Reaction score
- 63,897
Measurably? I can't imagine that's the case, given the levels of K in saltwater and how much cellular fluid we're talking about.
If K in the system is measurably affected by mysis fluid, I would think that N and P would also be to very roughly the same degree, and those are in SW at levels that are about 10x-100x less than that of K (so, the argument not to add the fluid to the tank is much stronger).
You cannot imagine it?
Let me assist your imagination. lol
Why do you believe some folks see potassium decline and others do not?
I’m not claiming this is the only, nor even a proven mechanism, but it is a simple and logical explanation.
In organisms, from bacteria to man, potassium is generally contained inside of cells, and those concentrations are typically far higher than in seawater. In people, potassium is 98% inside of cells where the concentration is about 140 mM. That equates to more than 5,000 ppm. Bacteria are similarly high inside.
Freezing is known to break cell membranes, which would tend to release the internal potassium to the extracellular fluid. On the other hand, freezing does much less to release the N and P that is bound up in large structures such as the cell membranes, proteins, dna, etc.
Thus if one throws away the frozen food liquid, one may be discarding relatively more potassium than N and P.
When that added N and P is used to grow new tissues in fish, corals, etc, the newly created cells will have to take up potassium from the water.
Thus, unless one adds the same basic amount of K per N and P via foods, there will be a trend to declining potassium.
IMO, it is a highly logical and straightforward hypothesis. I have not seen any data to support or refute it, but it is easy to imagine how it might happen.