Does carbon dosing (nopox)causes potassium depletion..???
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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Anything growing does. The more new tissue, the more potassium is taken up by it.
tonizzy22
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Tek I would question the test itself. How can you get accurate readings when the endpoint has so much play in it depending on how much light is in the room. What are Elos's accuracy limits for the test itself? I would try making a new batch of saltwater and test that. Then test your tank water in the same light. See if there is any difference. BTW how much Ca Mg and Alkalinity is your tank consuming? If potassium is used so much in your tank I would assume you are using Ca Mg and Alk like crazy to keep up with growth. Also do you do regular water changes?
marke
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Your dosing 3 times more alk than calcium? Is this something that you have done for a while? What chemicals? Most people dose equal equal amounts of each and then do occasional tweeting with one or the other. Not sure if this has anything to do with potassium? What did you say you try to keep magnesium at?
Tek
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I use Seachem reef builder for ALK at only 1/2 cup a gallon to not oversaturate the container. CA is BRS calcium chloride at 2 1/2 cups per gallon based on the instructions. Mg hovers around 1400 with monthly or biweekly water changes so no dosing is needed. I swap new test kits every 6 months. Tank parameters are very stable via doser at ALK 7.8dkh, CA 430ppm, MG 1380, P04 .04, N03 2.5ppm.
Tek
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Tank is packed with 95% SPS. 250w 10k XM MH with royal blue cree LEDs. I have always had more ALK intake than CA. The dosing was more balanced when I mixed 1 cup per gallon for ALK but I don't like all the powder left at the bottom of the container.
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Presumably that must be because the solutions you made up are not exactly balanced. Another explanation is water changes with a high calcium mix, but normal IO is not such a mix.
Did you make them yourself?
tonizzy22
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The Ca uptake is about 5 ppm a day if you dose 53 mL of brs CaCl2. That is a lot of growth. I still feel that your water changes would make up for any potassium usage that you experienced and leads me to believe that its an inaccurate potassium test.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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From the numbers you quote, you just made your alk additive very dilute relative to the calcium additive. I'd follow an exact recipe for making a two part going forward.
You dose more volume, but aren't needing an excessive amount of alkalinity relative to calcium.
You dose more volume, but aren't needing an excessive amount of alkalinity relative to calcium.
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Tek
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I dose Seachem reef builder and dilute it at 3g per cup as they suggest. At 6g per cup there is too much powder at the bottom not dissolved.
I dose ALK relative to how many grams is needed per day according to the reef calculator. Dosages are spread out 12 times a day. I am not having any issues with ALK or CA being stable. Neither fluctuates through the day.
I just checked and Seachem reef builder also includes magnesium, calcium, strontium, and potassium.
The Elos test is indeed suspect.
I dose ALK relative to how many grams is needed per day according to the reef calculator. Dosages are spread out 12 times a day. I am not having any issues with ALK or CA being stable. Neither fluctuates through the day.
I just checked and Seachem reef builder also includes magnesium, calcium, strontium, and potassium.
The Elos test is indeed suspect.
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OK.
Most people assume you are using something like my DIY recipe (which other places such as BRS now use) or a commercial two part. They all have "equally" concentrated calcium and alkalinity parts, so approximnately equal parts dosing is nearly always appropriate (barring water changes messing with the levels).
Most people assume you are using something like my DIY recipe (which other places such as BRS now use) or a commercial two part. They all have "equally" concentrated calcium and alkalinity parts, so approximnately equal parts dosing is nearly always appropriate (barring water changes messing with the levels).
Tek
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I have had the same reaction when people ask how many ml is dosed. My reef tanks have used seachem reef builder for 15 years. ..force of habit. I did however changed from red sea pro to regular IO to keep my parameters/doser stable between water changes.
marke
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I am not certain you have more uptake or intake of alk than ca. I think its possible your alk is dilluted? You mentioned above 1 cup per gallon of alk. You also mentioned that 1 cup to gallon leaves a powder residue. I may have misread? Most people mix 2 cups of sodium carbonate/sodium bicarbonate alone or blended. When I mix 2 cups to gallon I do not get residue? I get clear solution. So a few questions: What alk chemical are you using? Does it state a purity level? Like USP which means pharmaceutical grade. Or could it be industrial grade which has more impurities that could settle to the bottom? Is the solution clear after mixing, or it is yellow? A sign of impurities. By the way I am a MH fan. Was wondering why you like the 10k XM bulbs? I have used them, then tried their 14 or 15k, then tried the 20k which I still use.
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Tek
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Yes it is diluted. The Seachem mix as I mentioned earlier has extra components and does not mix very clear. Even at 1/2 cup per gallon it is cloudy.
I restarted my tank 3 months ago and the 10K MH is more of an experiment with growth. I normally run a 15k.
It is water change day tomorrow. I am going to test the K in the tank again and the new batch of IO.
I restarted my tank 3 months ago and the 10K MH is more of an experiment with growth. I normally run a 15k.
It is water change day tomorrow. I am going to test the K in the tank again and the new batch of IO.
