Elevated Potassium and Green Coral Fluorescence

[Dana Riddle]

In a conversation some time ago, I was told by an employee at a nationally-known coral farm that they added extra potassium to their grow-out tanks to induce coral fluorescence (I specifically recall him mentioning green fluorescence, but their may have been others.) Anyone else with a similar experience?

 

[Cory]

Ive used seachems salt which has 600 ppm potassium. No such florecence but i dont have much coral..

That said, i read a study saying that corals accumulate terrestial humic runoff that contributed to their flouecence. They actually absorbed it. Was the gbr iirc.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Is that skeletal fluorescence? Seems to be what I recall, but then my memory...

 

[Donovan Joannes]

I am totally on this. The only color I can't keep is yellow, they always turned into slightly green hue. My K+ is slightly elevated, but I dose iron on daily basis.

 

[rushbattle]

I found my corals exhibit greater green color AND fluorescence with elevated iron input. No experience with elevated K.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I found my corals exhibit greater green color AND fluorescence with elevated iron input.

How high? Normal types of iron dosing, or extra high so as to remain detectable?

 

[Abhishek]

Am interested to know this as well .
I do have elevated potassium of 500 according to triton tests now .
Not sure if I see any increase in fluorescence . Does it impact certain fluorescent pigment or all ?

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Salty1962]

Following

 

[rushbattle]

I found my corals exhibit greater green color AND fluorescence with elevated iron input. No experience with elevated K.

How high? Normal types of iron dosing, or extra high so as to remain detectable?

28ug/L per Triton ICP-OES, sample was sent to them because of the strange coloration. I was dosing Fe chelated with EDTA. I think it was Brightwell brand.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Am interested to know this as well .
I do have elevated potassium of 500 according to triton tests now .
Not sure if I see any increase in fluorescence . Does it impact certain fluorescent pigment or all ?

Regards,
Abhishek

I specifically recall green fluorescence (Green Fluorescent Protein, or GFP) being pointed out, although there may be others. There is evidence that metals can increase or decrease (quench) fluorescence of the DsRed protein originally isolated from the false coral Discosoma. See picture - a positive number indicates quenching. while a negative number is an increase.

 

[Abhishek]

I specifically recall green fluorescence (Green Fluorescent Protein, or GFP) being pointed out, although there may be others. There is evidence that metals can increase or decrease (quench) fluorescence of the DsRed protein originally isolated from the false coral Discosoma. See picture - a positive number indicates quenching. while a negative number is an increase.

Amazing and thanks Dana !! I have been asked by triton to dose Mn , Zn , Ni , Mo and Vanadium but do not want to digress the topic .. let's stick to effect of K and I shall create separate thread in other elements .

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[mtraylor]

Be careful with iron dosing if you have tangs. It can kill them.

 

[bdejong1112o]

I will jump in. My triton showed 312mg/l in my sample. They want 400mg/l and recomended the following dosing schedule to bring it up using thier base elements. Which i am doing.

Days 1 through 5 166.86ml each day and on day 6 106.84ml. So basically close to a whole 1000ml bottle.

I will try to discern if i notice and more fluorescence...

 

[Lasse]

With my old aquaria I got some experiences with high levels of potassium - by mistake they was up to 650 - 675 ppm (2 Triton tests with 1 months between.) I lose all of my fishes (many of them had been there for 5 year), snails, shrimps and hermits but my hard corals has never looked better. I was also high, very high in phosphate. I have handled fishes for more than 40 years and my conclusion was that it was not a illness caused by a patogen. It was some intoxication. If it was the high potassium - I can´t say for sure but there was indication of that. But the hard corals looked very good - my anemones did not. If there was a better fluorescence - I can´s say for sure - but overall it looks like the situation benefited the hard corals - but the other stuff - they just died

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Cory]

Is that skeletal fluorescence? Seems to be what I recall, but then my memory...

I dont know for sure. They didnt seem to mention skeletal.