Potassium dosing

[brian.snell.3]

Couldn't find any threads on this so just a finger point will help. Recently added a humulus and color is slowly moving from a blue to a blueish green. The successful reefer I bought it from suggested I dose potassium. Know nothing of this and wanting to learn if this will help and how much how often. TIA

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Don't dose without testing. Potassium does not deplete in many tanks. Mine, for example.

 

[brian.snell.3]

OK thanks it was recommended as helps with blue colors. I should get first results back from triton in a couple days. I believe they test that. I am a 6 month newbie and still trying to find test kits I have faith in. I found that some test kits have to many variables and opportunity for human error to be real reliable. Thanks for what you do here. It helps knowing I can go somewhere and trust info I get from a complete stranger especially in this hobby where everyone has their opinion and they all COULD be accurate!

 

[TUSI]

I dose pottasium all the time but as randy said don't dose before you test. Depending on the salt you use for water changes you might not need to add any. It all come down to the depletion in your tank.

 

[brian.snell.3]

Reef crystals if that helps and do 10 to 20% water change a week in a 155 bow with 75 gallon sump. I base water change on nitrate test try and keep between 0 and 5 but if I add new fish or feed heavy for some reason they might go between 5 and 10 so I do bigger.

 

[TUSI]

Salifert is what I use for pottasium but lately nobody seem to have them for sale. You might not need to add if you are doing water changes. I would try pottasium iodide it might work better for you. Test first tough. Also test for iodine

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

OK thanks it was recommended as helps with blue colors. I should get first results back from triton in a couple days. I believe they test that. I am a 6 month newbie and still trying to find test kits I have faith in. I found that some test kits have to many variables and opportunity for human error to be real reliable. Thanks for what you do here. It helps knowing I can go somewhere and trust info I get from a complete stranger especially in this hobby where everyone has their opinion and they all COULD be accurate!

I don't agree with folks who think certain additives help with specific colors, but certainly measure it if you think it worth your while. I agree that test kits are often inaccurate, but dosing without testing might make things worse.

I discuss potassium here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...-coral-reef-aquarium-randy-holmes-farley.html

from it:

Potassium


Potassium is listed with the less critical parameters, not because it isn't important, but due to the fact that it does not get rapidly depleted in most aquaria. The majority of reef aquarists do not test for or dose potassium, and likely have adequate amounts from water changes alone. Potassium is important for cellular function, and generally is higher in concentration inside of cells than outside. In people, for example, nearly all of it is inside of cells, with very low concentrations present in the blood.


In marine systems, most cells of organisms have higher concentration of potassium in them than the surrounding seawater. That would make it seem that potassium would be depleted rapidly as organisms grow and add tissue mass, whether they are bacteria, microalgae, macroalgae, fish, or corals. However, there is quite a lot of potassium in seawater and salt mixes, and aquaria are typically being feed foods that also consist largely of cells that once contained potassium. Assuming these cells are not broken open and rinsed free of potassium, a large amount comes in with foods. So the net concentration of potassium in the tank will be a balance between the food and other inputs, and the uptake from tissue mass (whether it is exported or left in the tank).


A number of aquarists have found their aquaria are depleted in potassium and dose it to maintain natural levels. I've not found it to be depleted in my aquarium and I do not dose any. Some people associate depletion with organic carbon dosing to drive bacterial growth, but I've not seen that in my system (perhaps due to the foods that I choose to feed). Of those with depleted potassium, the primary symptom seems to be certain issues with SPS corals such as Montipora. Sometimes it is reported as poor growth and/or greyish coloration. I do not know if that really does relate to low potassium, but if you have such an issue, measuring potassium with a kit and dosing if necessary may be useful. I'd recommend maintaining about 380-420 ppm, but if it already is higher than that level, I would not do anything to try to lower it.

 

[AcroJack]

Don't dose without testing. Potassium does not deplete in many tanks. Mine, for example.

Having same problem and can't get potassium down from 440-450 (Red Sea). Any tricks to reducing it? Haven't dosed it in 6 months.

 

[JimWelsh]

Having same problem and can't get potassium down from 440-450 (Red Sea). Any tricks to reducing it? Haven't dosed it in 6 months.

Addressing the question: You obviously need to dilute with water that has a lower potassium level. If there was a salt brand that was known to be low in potassium, then that might help, but I'm not aware of any particular brand being low in potassium. The alternative (which I have personally done, but don't really recommend to others) is to make up your own potassium-free salt mix.

Begging the question: What is the problem with your slightly elevated potassium level? Why do you need to reduce it quickly? Simply doing regular water changes with your normal salt mix will eventually do the trick.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I agree there's no reasonable way to reduce potassium (although there are some unreasonable ways, such as potassium-specific zeolites and related materials), except water changes with a lower K mix, but lowering it should not be needed.