Tested potassium today to find it down at 320

[rock_lobster]

Now that you remind me, that process alone reduces potassium, since those additions boost salinity, and correcting it back to normal over time reduces everything else, including potassium.

Adding 1.1 dkh per day will raise salinity about 32% per year and hence will reduce potassium by about 0.088% per day, or 0.35 ppm per day.

yep thats exactly right! and my salinity stays in check from sharing frags and toping off mostly with RODI(occasionally adding a little reefcrystals). So I am losing all those elements over time except NaCL. Im dosing 3dkh per day into my tank according to BRS carbonate calculator.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

yep thats exactly right! and my salinity stays in check from sharing frags and toping off mostly with RODI(occasionally adding a little reefcrystals). So I am losing all those elements over time except NaCL. Im dosing 3dkh per day into my tank according to BRS carbonate calculator.

OK, so the potassium decline might be from that alone.

 

[rock_lobster]

OK, so the potassium decline might be from that alone.

Yes I expect so. Maybe not much from utilization at all. Judging by how much I am losing I assume the other trace minerals are probably pretty well depleted but I have never had any ill effects the only thing is from potassium, I notice I start to lose color in my sps. Only other thing I test and dose is iodine.

 

[Mattrg02]

Anyone tried using potassium metal?

 

[rock_lobster]

Anyone tried using potassium metal?

Potassium? Or KOH. I already dose NaOH as well so I’m sure you could use KOH if you calculated it appropriately.

 

[Mattrg02]

Potassium? Or KOH. I already dose NaOH as well so I’m sure you could use KOH if you calculated it appropriately.

No, potassium metal. Ought to give you the biggest bang for you buck. Biggest bang anyways.

 

[rock_lobster]

No, potassium metal. Ought to give you the biggest bang for you buck. Biggest bang anyways.

Cost wise? It’s hardly worth bothering. 5$ Of KCl will last about 10 years.

 

[Mattrg02]

Cost wise? It’s hardly worth bothering. 5$ Of KCl will last about 10 years.

Yeah, but pure potassium metal straight into your tank makes dosing much more,
Interesting.

 

[rock_lobster]

Yeah, but pure potassium metal straight into your tank makes dosing much more,
Interesting.

aha my girlfriend may be more interested in trying that experiment lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Anyone tried using potassium metal?

To start fires?

It burns in contact with water.

If you were a pyro, beware it also boosts pH and alk after burning off the hydrogen gas.

2 K + 2  H2O → 2 KOH + H2 → 2K+ + 2OH- + H2

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No, potassium metal. Ought to give you the biggest bang for you buck. Biggest bang anyways.

That's certainly true. Think Hindenberg.

 

[joeyhatch11]

What is the ratio of Potassium Chloride to be mixed with 16oz of rodi to dose a tank? Looking at roughly 180g total volume.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What is the ratio of Potassium Chloride to be mixed with 16oz of rodi to dose a tank? Looking at roughly 180g total volume.

You can mix it at almost any ratio you want. It is very soluble. The solubility limit is around 200-300 grams per liter, depending on temp.

Obviously, if you dissolve more, you dose less. So it depends on what volumes you want to deal with, and what potassium rise you are looking for.

1 gram of KCl (containing 525 mg of potassium) will boost your tank by about 0.77 ppm potassium.