Who checks their tanks for potassium levels?

[YHSublime]

So I've recently started using Zeo's K-Balance. Maybe not the best to start with of zeo products, but they have a good name and people believe what they do works.

 

I have never dosed, anything, and I've always been a firm follower and believer of "don't dose it if you can't test for it." Well, I've broken that rule for the past week, and I've not noticed any of the claims of "K-Balance," which include, but aren't limited to:

 

Polyp extension and expansion within a short period of time & brighter colors, especially in SPS.

 

This is one of their confirmed products that does not need to be used hand in hand with anything else (although I'm sure if I talked to a rep, or investigated further, it would be heavily suggested that I buy other products for best results.

 

I've looked at their website, and they recommend checking for potassium levels (which is pretty much what this product is, I did look into that before purchasing.) So my question is two fold, one, who's using K-Balance, and two, who checks their potassium levels?

[YHSublime]

Further research suggests I'm a chump, and most salt mixes contain enough potassium. With water changes, appropriate levels are reached without additives, like K-Balance.

[Neto]

I started testing for K recently using the Salifert kit. I have been dosking potassium but a very small amount. So far so good, I had a brown birdsnest that started to color back to pink.... But careful, the first day I overdosed and I burned my blue milli's tips...

[YHSublime]

I started testing for K recently using the Salifert kit. I have been dosking potassium but a very small amount. So far so good, I had a brown birdsnest that started to color back to pink.... But careful, the first day I overdosed and I burned my blue milli's tips...

 

No worries on the overdosing, but I had no issues to start with either.

[Big Country]

I check levels occasionally, I was dosing the Brightwell Potassium but didn't really see it do much

[Origami]

Very, very rarely.

[zygote2k]

what's the point?

when are they going to make a selenium product and test kit?

what about a precious metals test? There's gold in natural seawater isn't there?

[Origami]

what's the point?

Plus, it's one of the harder tests to really get a reading since it's based on estimating turbidity.

[Neto]

Plus, it's one of the harder tests to really get a reading since it's based on estimating turbidity.

Well Salifert's new test kit is very easy!

[YHSublime]

I check levels occasionally, I was dosing the Brightwell Potassium but didn't really see it do much

Very, very rarely.

 

Yeah, I presume I've been bamboozled.

 

 

I started testing for K recently using the Salifert kit. I have been dosking potassium but a very small amount. So far so good, I had a brown birdsnest that started to color back to pink.... But careful, the first day I overdosed and I burned my blue milli's tips...

 

I will sell you a bottle of K-Balance for only $20, I've only used 5 teaspoons!

 

<sigh>

[Neto]

Yeah, I presume I've been bamboozled.

 

 

 

I will sell you a bottle of K-Balance for only $20, I've only used 5 teaspoons!

 

<sigh>

 

lol thats a good deal but I have a nano and have a bottle already but thanks!

[YHSublime]

what's the point?

when are they going to make a selenium product and test kit?

what about a precious metals test? There's gold in natural seawater isn't there?

Further research suggests I'm a chump, and most salt mixes contain enough potassium. With water changes, appropriate levels are reached without additives, like K-Balance.

 

A special thanks for Rob, bringing the salt to rub on the wound!  The question is, is it Reef Crystals?

[Curtis Scott]

I test with a Salifert test kit and dose potassium weekly. About 6 months ago I noticed the color of my corals looked faded and someone suggested I test my potassium.  

 

For some reason my tank uses a lot of it. My first test showed 200ppm. From what I've read macro algae can use it as well as corals.

 

When I first started dosing I noticed it really helped bring the colors out on my SPS. When it's in the 400ppm-450ppm range the colors really pop.

 

I started with using brightwell, then tried K balance zeovit, unfortunately it barely maintained the level of potassium. Now I stick with brightwell.

[bulldogtaxi]

i feed my fish some bananas once in a while. keeps potassium levels on point 

[Neto]

K dosing is very important on a zeovit system i believe

[roni]

Check and dose with brightwell.  K used up by macroalgae and ATS filters as well as corals.  Mine usually sits between 390-410 with supplementation.  Prior to that, was at 300-320.  I _believe_ my corals show slightly improved color (though that may also be due to normalization of other values) but I have definitely noticed a more viable ATS with the supplementation.

[zygote2k]

pure coincidence at best. you'd have to run a side by side comparison at the very least to even suggest that Potassium is having an affect on coral coloration. There's simply too many variables to be able to narrow down one source as the reason.

[Origami]

Well Salifert's new test kit is very easy!

That's great. I've not used that kit but just watched it being demonstrated online. It does look much easier to read than the older kits.

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

The new saliferts it's an easy kit. Since I am not doing much water hanging I bought one and some brightwells. My potassium was at 340 and after a about 10 capfuls is at 350... Might need to find a cheaper way of dosing potassium because I will be through the bottle before I bring it anywhere near the suggested level it seems.

[ridetheducati]

My system consumes 20 - 25 ppm of K per month, and I perform 10% water changes per week with Red Sea Blue.  Additionally, I dose 150 ml of Brightwell Potassion every fortnight.  My green Montipora Confusa  and Yellow Highlighter Stag will tell me when levels are low.  I changed salt several years ago because I wanted a salt mix with NSW Potassium levels (390-400 ppm) and low alkalinity.  

 

Instant Ocean K level - 360 ppm

Red Sea Blue - 400 ppm

 

I believe the level of bacterial activity impacts Potassium uptake, not all systems are affected.  There has been some discussion around the type of skimmer, needle wheel versus Beckett, can impact K levels as well. 

Edited December 7, 2013 by ridetheducati

[BowieReefer84]

Does the yellow turn green when it's too high or too low?

[wangspeed]

Does the yellow turn green when it's too high or too low?

It'll turn green if it's too high.

 

 

--

Warren

[ridetheducati]

And the Monti turns grey.

[sachabballi reef]

My system consumes 20 - 25 ppm of K per month, and I perform 10% water changes per week with Red Sea Blue. Additionally, I dose 150 ml of Brightwell Potassion every fortnight. My green Montipora Confusa and Yellow Highlighter Stag will tell me when levels are low. I changed salt several years ago because I wanted a salt mix with NSW Potassium levels (390-400 ppm) and low alkalinity.

 

Instant Ocean K level - 360 ppm

Red Sea Blue - 400 ppm

 

I believe the level of bacterial activity impacts Potassium uptake, not all systems are affected. There has been some discussion around the type of skimmer, needle wheel versus Beckett, can impact K levels as well.

What is the needle wheel/Beckett difference for potassium?

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

 

[ridetheducati]

Anecdotal evidence suggests that low nutrient systems with needle/mesh/pin wheel skimmers depletes Potassium.  A number of hobbyists have tested this theory by switching skimmers and noticed the Beckett does not deplete Potassium.  I do not understand it at an ion level, but it may have something to do with chopping that the pin wheels perform.  Beckett does not develop foam by chopping.  

 

When I had a Beckett, I did not care about K because my systems were not low nutrient.  Animals in low nutrient systems seem to be more sensitive to water quality changes, stability is paramount.  An alk swing in a low nutrient system can trigger a STN or RTN event.