Potassium Test Kit

[Dowtish]

interesting...i'll have try out using distilled


And has anyone ordered the aqua medic fish trap yet????

 

[rcmike]

Finally made it to aquatic critter and they don't have any test kits, only the supplement. :(

 

[poolkeeper1]

Finally made it to aquatic critter and they don't have any test kits, only the supplement. :(

They got a new order in today and I got a second kit for club use and ordered a Strontium test kit too. After looking at the directions for the potassium test i got a headache but will try it after i eat and think about it some more, It's not a simple test to say the least!
Bill

 

[mixer911]

Bill, watch this Red Sea's New Potassium Pro Test Kit - YouTube it will make it so much easier to use. After you do it with the video, it is not that hard.

Chris, I can order the trap possibly tomorrow.

Jay, I should be done with them possibly this week. I will let you know. Just checking my potassium once a week to see what it is doing over a few weeks.

 

[rcmike]

They got a new order in today and I got a second kit for club use and ordered a Strontium test kit too. After looking at the directions for the potassium test i got a headache but will try it after i eat and think about it some more, It's not a simple test to say the least!
Bill

Thanks. I just went ahead and ordered one. With New Years coming up this weekend it could be another week before I could make it back up there. I was reading about it and it does look a little complicated. Hopefully it is more trustworthy than my Hanna Calcium checker at least. :squigglemouth:

 

[orthokardia]

+1 on watching the video. it helps a lot

 

[Dowtish]

Bill, watch this Red Sea's New Potassium Pro Test Kit - YouTube it will make it so much easier to use. After you do it with the video, it is not that hard.

Chris, I can order the trap possibly tomorrow.

Jay, I should be done with them possibly this week. I will let you know. Just checking my potassium once a week to see what it is doing over a few weeks.

Chris at the critter ordered a trap for us today. It's not the aqua medic trap, but almost the exact same thing.

 

[poolkeeper1]

That helped a lot as it made it much clearer when you see it done. I also see that you need to keep this for a couple of weeks to find your demand, So as soon as I'm finished i will pass it on to another member that wants to check their levels.
Thanks for the guide for us challenged folks
Bill

 

[poolkeeper1]

Well even though i have been dosing Potassium for several months mine was still just a little low in the 350-375 range. So i added 20 ML and will test again in 4 days.
Bill

 

[angrycubano]

Great, now something else to test and dose. When does it ever end............

 

[mixer911]

Great, now something else to test and dose. When does it ever end............

once everything turns white :D

 

[poolkeeper1]

once everything turns white :D

Na, That's not the end Just Reactor Media for free!
Bill

 

[mixer911]

Na, That's not the end Just Reactor Media for free!
Bill

That is true and just starts the whole thing over again.

 

[angrycubano]

I looked at the Red Sea Max Reef Care program video and was wondering if anyone else agrees with their claim. Basically they divide their dosing program into growth and then coloration. It makes sense since I notice my SPS frags first encrust, branch, then color up. If that is the case, should I just worry about maintaining proper levels of Ca, Mg, and Alk instead of worrying about other trace elements? They even have different salt mixes for growth and coloring up. Is there validity to this or are they just trying to double down on selling their products?

 

[rcmike]

I got my test kits yesterday. I did a potassium test this morning and it checked out at 400ppm. I will admit though that I did add a little potassium after I bought the supplement. I have noticed in the last couple of days that some of the corals are getting back to the colors that they are supposed to be. I have even noticed some growth on the sickly orange cap that turned greyish blue.

 

[angrycubano]

I got my test kits yesterday. I did a potassium test this morning and it checked out at 400ppm. I will admit though that I did add a little potassium after I bought the supplement. I have noticed in the last couple of days that some of the corals are getting back to the colors that they are supposed to be. I have even noticed some growth on the sickly orange cap that turned greyish blue.

What supplement/product did you use to add the potassium? Do you just have frags or are they colonies?

 

[rcmike]

I used Red Sea coral colors B. Right now I only have frags. I lost all my colonies a couple of years ago. :squigglemouth:

I will say that the colors of several corals have really improved since adding it. The orange cap that was turning pink is turning back orange again. I also have a red gonipora that had been pinkish for a long time that is getting more reddish. I don't know if this is coincidence but I have noticed I am getting more growth in the last week.

 

[mixer911]

I looked at the Red Sea Max Reef Care program video and was wondering if anyone else agrees with their claim. Basically they divide their dosing program into growth and then coloration. It makes sense since I notice my SPS frags first encrust, branch, then color up. If that is the case, should I just worry about maintaining proper levels of Ca, Mg, and Alk instead of worrying about other trace elements? They even have different salt mixes for growth and coloring up. Is there validity to this or are they just trying to double down on selling their products?

Mitch, I think what they are claiming has some validity to it. They are the first to actually break it all down into the elements that our tanks use and created "care" packages. Now most experienced reefrers already knew most of this and kept most of these elements in check. Where they have steped it up is with the the Coral Coloration Program and the tests. For people with established tanks that already keep their Ca, Mg and Alk in line, this new set of tests can help out a lot. The most important I think will be the potassium. People running bio pellets especailly.
So to answer your question, I think you should mainly just stick to the The foundation elements for now. Once your tank has been established and your water changes are not able to keep up with the demand of the trace elements, then you might need to look at the others. Not saying it would hurt to test for these as you stuff starts growing.

Mike, I started dosing potassium about 3 weeks ago and have noticed a huge difference in my corals. It didnt take much, maybe 150ml to get it back to 400ppm for me. They always had a dull look to them, almost like the Zooxanthellae was not coloring up. Now the Zooxanthellae look a lot better and I can see the veins in the corals. My reds have colored up niely again also. So for me I think it is making a difference.

 

[Dowtish]

Rick, what is the correlation of needing potassium if you are running bio-pellets? Is it being consumed by the pellets?

 

[mixer911]

I read some where a while back that the bacteria consume some potassium in their process's. Potassium Nitrate was specifically mentioned. I will have to see if I can dig it up. I also think Bill had mentioned something that John from Warner Marine also said something similar and he recommended his potaassium suppliment. Bill??