Red Sea potassium and ATI ICP.

[USMA36]

My ATI ICP came back with a potassium reading of 317. I have Red Sea colors potassium suplimemt but I am not sure how much to dose. ATI recommends dosing 9ml of Kalium for 7 days. If possible I’d like to use the Red Sea which I have on hand instead of buying yet another supplement. I do not know if these are interchangeable. The Red Sea also contains boron which also showed low and recommended a boron supplement of 15ml a day for 2 days.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m sure they are not interchangeable, and I don’t know if Red Sea gives a concentration, but I’d look over their web description for a concentration so we can calculate the dose.

 

[USMA36]

I’m sure they are not interchangeable, and I don’t know if Red Sea gives a concentration, but I’d look over their web description for a concentration so we can calculate the dose.

From the Red Sea web site.
Concentration
Liquid supplement:
1ml will raise the potassium level of 100 liters (25 gal) by1.75ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, so we can use that to determine a dose.

How many gallons of water are in your system?

 

[USMA36]

OK, so we can use that to determine a dose.

How many gallons of water are in your system?

100 gallons total volume.

 

[USMA36]

They don’t list how much boron is in the mixture. Only potassium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You want a rise of 400-317 ppm = 83 ppm potassium

The product says: "1ml will raise the potassium level of 100 liters (25 gal) by1.75ppm"

SO in your system, with 4x the volume, the rise is 1/4 as much, so:

1 ml will raise the potassium level of 100 gal by 0.44 ppm

Thus you want to dose 83 ppm/0.44 ppm/mL = 190 mL.

I'd split that over a few days, but 7 days probably inst necessary.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would not worry about boron. It isn't critical if it is a bit high or low. Potassium is more important.

 

[USMA36]

Thank you for your help @Randy Holmes-Farley you have answer many of my posts on here and I am grateful. ICP says I am low on iodine as well. They recommend 60ppb and I only have 20ppb. I have read some of your posts on here where you state dosing iodine is not necessary, but should I try and maintain the level they are recommending? Or will it not really do anything more for my tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you for your help @Randy Holmes-Farley you have answer many of my posts on here and I am grateful. ICP says I am low on iodine as well. They recommend 60ppb and I only have 20ppb. I have read some of your posts on here where you state dosing iodine is not necessary, but should I try and maintain the level they are recommending? Or will it not really do anything more for my tank?

I think iodide (use that form, IMO) dosing is a fine experiment to try for yourself and see if anything changes. My prediction is it won't, but it is easy to do.