Potassium Hydroxide Dosing??

[special-ops-s2k]

I recently watched this video and found it interesting. Thought I'd share it here and see what @Randy Holmes-Farley thought of it? Is there a pharma grade KOH that would be suitable for dosing? What are the effects of elevating your potassium through the addition of this supplement? I think this is an interesting topic to discuss...

 

[YankeeTankee]

I recently watched this video and found it interesting. Thought I'd share it here and see what @Randy Holmes-Farley thought of it? Is there a pharma grade KOH that would be suitable for dosing? What are the effects of elevating your potassium through the addition of this supplement? I think this is an interesting topic to discuss...

Randy commented on this the other day...
"I really cannot see a reason to use potassium hydroxide since high quality sodium hydroxide is cheap and better (IMO)."

Have you tried kalkwasser?

 

[special-ops-s2k]

Randy commented on this the other day...
"I really cannot see a reason to use potassium hydroxide since high quality sodium hydroxide is cheap and better (IMO)."

Have you tried kalkwasser?

I currently dose Kalk via a stirrer and Kamoer FX-STP... I actually am not having any issues keeping my PH up where I want it to be currently. I do plan on bringing my CaRX online soon so was mostly exploring options for the future / simply interested in learning more about this and other methods. I figured it would make an interesting topic of discussion... I didn't think to check if it was already posted on! Thanks

 

[YankeeTankee]

KOH can raise K pretty quickly. You need more KOH by mass than NaOH to get the same amount of hydroxide plus there's much more Na in seawater so it just makes more sense to use NaOH.

I see this guy claims KOH will raise ph more than CaOH but I do not see why and would think it would actually be the opposite since caoh has 2 hydroxides, maybe randy knows?

 

[Brett S]

There’s a thread here (linked below) by @Reefinmike where he’s dosing both sodium hydroxide and soda ash to try to stabilize his pH. If the pH is low his apex will dose sodium hydroxide and if the pH is higher then it will dose soda ash. He is using an alkatronic to test alkalinity which required a bit of additional programming. I am in the process of trying to do the same thing, although I will be using a trident for my alkalinity testing, which should simplify the programming needed to achieve this.

Integrating the Alkatronic, Apex and Dos for stable alkalinity AND pH.

Jail breaking the alkatronic for apex controlled dosing- chasing stable alkalinity AND pH. I love my apex gear but couldn’t ever sell myself on the trident. Reagent cost is the biggest factor followed by availability, limited value in Ca/Mg testing, colorimeter etc. I’ve had my Alkatronic...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is so sad (IMO) that this is getting such publicity.

There is zero reason to use potassium hydroxide.

Food and other high grades of sodium hydroxide are better choices for a high pH alkalinity supplement, without concerns about excessive potassium.

If you need potassium, using cheap food grade potassium chloride will allow far better control than to try to tie alkalinity dosing and potassium supplementing together.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

KOH can raise K pretty quickly. You need more KOH by mass than NaOH to get the same amount of hydroxide plus there's much more Na in seawater so it just makes more sense to use NaOH.

I see this guy claims KOH will raise ph more than CaOH but I do not see why and would think it would actually be the opposite since caoh has 2 hydroxides, maybe randy knows?

Per unit of alkalinity added, any hydroxide material (potassium, sodium, or calcium) raises pH exactly the same amount.

 

[special-ops-s2k]

It is so sad (IMO) that this is getting such publicity.

There is zero reason to use potassium hydroxide.

Food and other high grades of sodium hydroxide are better choices for a high pH alkalinity supplement, without concerns about excessive potassium.

If you need potassium, using cheap food grade potassium chloride will allow far better control than to try to tie alkalinity dosing and potassium supplementing together.

Thank you for the insight. I as well thought the usual method was using sodium hydroxide and didn't think it was wise to endlessly raise your potassium through the addition of KOH to fill your Alk / PH needs!

This is exactly why I posted the video for discussion, I knew there were better options and you were the guy who could explain why.

Thanks for everything you do.

 

[ReefBeta]

I just learnt about this on reefdude's last live stream. Then I watched the linked video above from reefs. It sounds like he don't really have good understanding on the chemistry behind it, and is just "listening to his chemist friend".

He is very against 2 part dosing, particular using soda ash, because he said "soda ask is the final ingredient to make concrete" and that's the reason for the built-up everyone having in their pipes.

Then now he is using potassium hydroxide for the solo purpose to boost pH. If I understand correctly, it also adds alkalinity. But he don't seem to understand that part, and is continue to run calcium reactor like it was before, and was surprised why the alkalinity jump a lot higher than expected and trying to figure out why. Now I reading through Randy's 2-part recipe with sodium hydroxide, I think he can achieve the same thing by using that 2 part dosing recipe to replace the calcium reactor. And it would be a lot safer than dealing with potassium hydroxide.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I just learnt about this on reefdude's last live stream. Then I watched the linked video above from reefs. It sounds like he don't really have good understanding on the chemistry behind it, and is just "listening to his chemist friend".

He is very against 2 part dosing, particular using soda ash, because he said "soda ask is the final ingredient to make concrete" and that's the reason for the built-up everyone having in their pipes.

Then now he is using potassium hydroxide for the solo purpose to boost pH. If I understand correctly, it also adds alkalinity. But he don't seem to understand that part, and is continue to run calcium reactor like it was before, and was surprised why the alkalinity jump a lot higher than expected and trying to figure out why. Now I reading through Randy's 2-part recipe with sodium hydroxide, I think he can achieve the same thing by using that 2 part dosing recipe to replace the calcium reactor. And it would be a lot safer than dealing with potassium hydroxide.

While I did not listen to the whole video, I agree with all you wrote.

I would also add that ANYTHING that soda ash (carbonate) does for precipitation, hydroxide does even more strongly.

 

[daelie]

While I did not listen to the whole video, I agree with all you wrote.

I would also add that ANYTHING that soda ash (carbonate) does for precipitation, hydroxide does even more strongly.

I watched the video and the misinformation was kind of bad, at one point he asked the guy if he's experienced an alk increase from dosing KOH and the guy responded: "Well no, it doesn't have alkalinity in it at all, calcium hydroxide has calcium and hydroxide, it doesn't have anything to do with your alkalinity." This was followed with a long explanation about how it breaks apart carbonic acid which destroys your carbonates and keeps your carbonates "in solution."

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I watched the video and the misinformation was kind of bad, at one point he asked the guy if he's experienced an alk increase from dosing KOH and the guy responded: "Well no, it doesn't have alkalinity in it at all, calcium hydroxide has calcium and hydroxide, it doesn't have anything to do with your alkalinity." This was followed with a long explanation about how it breaks apart carbonic acid which destroys your carbonates and keeps your carbonates "in solution."

"Everything you read on the internet is always true", -Abraham lincoln - Abe Lincoln - Meme Generator

"Everything you read on the internet is always true", -Abraham lincoln - Abe Lincoln

memegenerator.net

 

[ReefBeta]

I watched the video and the misinformation was kind of bad, at one point he asked the guy if he's experienced an alk increase from dosing KOH and the guy responded: "Well no, it doesn't have alkalinity in it at all, calcium hydroxide has calcium and hydroxide, it doesn't have anything to do with your alkalinity." This was followed with a long explanation about how it breaks apart carbonic acid which destroys your carbonates and keeps your carbonates "in solution."

The scariest thing to me was, I seriously thought what he said was right, and wanted to try. Thus I looked more into it. I would not have realized the flaw if I weren't digging through more threads like this.

 

[Brett S]

The scariest thing to me was, I seriously thought what he said was right, and wanted to try. Thus I looked more into it. I would not have realized the flaw if I weren't digging through more threads like this.

And that just relates back to this recent thread:

Would you trust a face behind a video camera to buy an aquarium product?

Company X wants to push their products more.. Get a heavier social presence. So they go looking at people in the hobby that are "influencers" to be the face of the product. Would you as the consumer believe what the person is pushing? Are we past the age of influencers? Or is shilling a...

www.reef2reef.com

It’s good that you did further research, though, before jumping on board. Honestly with all the misinformation out there you have to do that with everything now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The scariest thing to me was, I seriously thought what he said was right, and wanted to try. Thus I looked more into it. I would not have realized the flaw if I weren't digging through more threads like this.

Sadly, this is why I started reef chemistry forums on various sites over the past 25 years. There are just way too many products and ideas that cannot or do not work as claimed, some of which are still marketed with the faulty claims.

There is little an ordinary reefer can do to defend against seemingly good sounding ideas that just aren't.

 

[daelie]

I called out how bad the info was in the comments, and I got blasted for not "respecting him because he touches more corals in a week than I will in my lifetime" as if touching corals garners respect lol you can easily have a successful reef and have no idea WHY

Yes, I'm the bad guy for telling you the guy has very little good advice in this video. lol

 

[PirateMonkeyReefer]

I called out how bad the info was in the comments, and I got blasted for not "respecting him because he touches more corals in a week than I will in my lifetime" as if touching corals garners respect lol you can easily have a successful reef and have no idea WHY

Yes, I'm the bad guy for telling you the guy has very little good advice in this video. lol

I read your comments and they weren’t disrespectful. It’s crazy to me that some one growing that much coral doesn’t understand how a hydroxide changes in the water.

I’m interested to hear what everyone thinks about the modified information though where concentrated POH Is being used just to get PH high and then maintained with COH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I read your comments and they weren’t disrespectful. It’s crazy to me that some one growing that much coral doesn’t understand how a hydroxide changes in the water.

I’m interested to hear what everyone thinks about the modified information though where concentrated POH Is being used just to get PH high and then maintained with COH.

What is POH and COH?

 

[PirateMonkeyReefer]

I meant KOH potassium and calcium hydroxide I’m probably incorrect in my abbreviation

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I meant KOH potassium and calcium hydroxide I’m probably incorrect in my abbreviation

OK, KOH and Ca(OH)2.

There is nothing special or particularly useful about potassium hydroxide. There are very few situations where I'd use it. Maybe none.

Hydroxide in any form (sodium, potassium, calcium) is a way to boost alkalinity and also pH. It has about twice the pH raising effect per unit of alk added as does sodium carbonate.

No form of hydroxide can raise pH without raising alkalinity.

If the goal is to make an alk corrective boost, then one could use bicarbonate (with very slight pH lowering), carbonate (with substantial pH raising), hydroxide (with bigger pH raising) or any mixture of them that you want (though mixing hydroxide and bicarbonate just gives carbonate).

For routine use, one of course also wants to add calcium. That can be done using any of these along with calcium chloride in a DIY or commercial two aprt or Balling, or one "one part" systems that combine calcium and alkalinity into a single entity such as calcium hydroxide, calcium acetate, or calcium formate.