Alternative to sodium silicate.

[Xytrax]

Hello!

I have read Randy Holmes-Farleys instructions regarding silicate dosing using sodium silicate.

However i was only able to find locally 40% potassium silicate "water glass" or silicate supplement for hydroponic farming (https://advancedhydro.com/products/14/advanced-silica), which contains unknown amount of orthosilicic acid and silicon dioxide.

Would it be safe to dose either one for raising silicates in reef tank?

And if dosing 40% potassium silicate, would the dose be same as with 40% sodium silicate?

Thank you

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That is probably OK, depending on whether you do water changes or monitor potassium occasionally.

 

[Xytrax]

That is probably OK, depending on whether you do water changes or monitor potassium occasionally.

Thanks for your answer. Would the rise in potassium be significant? Im doing 10% water change weekly.

 

[Miami Reef]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Slightly off topic. When you observed your silicate concentration rapidly declining after a few days of dosing, do you think this happened because the diatoms/organisms consumed it, or because it just degraded?

I have found from previous experience that dosing silicates doesn’t really increase diatoms, while adding new sand does rapidly. Why do you think that happens?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Slightly off topic. When you observed your silicate concentration rapidly declining after a few days of dosing, do you think this happened because the diatoms/organisms consumed it, or because it just degraded?

I have found from previous experience that dosing silicates doesn’t really increase diatoms, while adding new sand does rapidly. Why do you think that happens?

Consumed.

It should be stable in seawater at those doses without consumption.

New sand can release silicate, even aragonite sand. I'm not sure why you observe what you did, but like any photosynthetic organism, diatoms can be limited by many different trace elements, and perhaps you were sufficiently low on one or more to limit their growth. Even N or P.

Maybe something else used the silicate, or diatoms grew and you just did not detect them.