TM Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 Is anyone dosing a Potassium supplement. Would i be right in thinking that in a low nutrient environment and with the addition of carbon sources for bacterial processes (probio), the various trace elements, especially K become more available to be skimmed out, causing a rapid depletion of this element. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 I haven't seen any convincing info one way or the other on dosing potassium. I wouldn't think that it would be particularly susceptible to being skimmed out, kind of like magnesium and sodium aren't. Rapid depletion? I don't know. Potassium's main function is in cellular processes. It's not used like calcium or magnesium in calcification. So there's no large consumer of it in the tank. The only real way to know is to test for it. There is a fair amount of potassium in seawater, so I don't know whether or not depletion is going to matter a whole lot to corals. Maybe the cells need a certain differential across them to function properly? Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted May 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 As far as i no there are no tests for this. Would a lab be able to test for this easily. Potassium is something you don't hear to much about, strange, its up there on the list of elements that are in seawater. ELEMENT PPM IN SEAWATER Chloride 18980 Sodium 10561 Magnesium 1272 Sulfur 884 Calcium 400 Potassium 380 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 A lab should easily be able to test it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 A few of us started dosing it a few months ago, and did notice some good results, most notably enhanced purple colour in sps. However I think many have since stopped dosing it. Cracker sent some water samples to a lab to be tested for it, and found that our NSW contains the correct amount. The reason Potassium dosing started is that almost all artificial salts are deficient in it, or at least lower than NSW levels, sometimes by a large margin. So overseas where most people use ASW, by the time the sps in the tank depleted the potassium further, levels of it could get very low. In these situations an improvement in both colour and growth were noticed if it was dosed. In light of this, Zeovit have put out a potassium supplement called K balance. I dose this myself with nice results, but only a very small amount is needed, and as myself and others are using NSW, the improvements have not been as marked as overseas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 Here's a thread on it in the zeovit forum http://zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php ... =k+balance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 I can get it for you, but it is very expensive to test for. NSW has the correct amount here in NZ. The depletion rate is minor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 1, 2006 Report Share Posted May 1, 2006 so in summary, for best results dose separately if using ASW or dont worry about it if using NSW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEOvitANZ Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 A test kit will be available soon . I will be selling it in May. Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Who supplies it? Merck are one of the few companies which produce a water potassium kit (a pretty crude one though) Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEOvitANZ Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 The potassium test kit is exclusively made for korallenzucht. (Zeovit) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 By what company? KZ obviously aren't in the business of making test kits, or anything remotely related. If one was to purchase this test kit, it'd be nice to know who's research and quality assurance is producing it, regardless of who re-badges it. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 I will be keen to try a kit out and test it. Pm me when available please. Cheers Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 But then again it will probably be expensive!! do you know what the price will be set at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 I'm in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Selling it in May? This is May. Is it coming in the same shipment as the B balance? If so, drop me one of each please Brendan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Is it coming in the same shipment as the B balance don't mention the B-Balance to Brendon (you might upset him ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 No, it's not Brendan Balance! :lol: It's a new product just out, I'm told we will be the first in the world to get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Here is a graph of Potassium levels in NSW, against some of the more common ASW salts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Got any info on the role of potassium in the ocean? I guess the question is, is it important that potassium levels are the same as NSW? Does it occur well in excess of animals requirements in NSW? Is it consumed at a rapid rate? Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Got any info on the role of potassium in the ocean? I guess the question is, is it important that potassium levels are the same as NSW?Layton Not much, just direct observations from several independent users. And that this should be factored in to your thinking. Potassium has been a very understudied element in aquarium water, and there is just not much info, especially laboratory study type info, about it in the context of aquaria. However, It has been said that direct observations from several independent users can be MORE reliable What's MORE reliable is the direct observations from several independent users. And that this should be factored in to your thinking.Layton Does it occur well in excess of animals requirements in NSW?LaytonNo idea, however as dosing it in tanks suffering a deficiency has produced good results in terms of colour & growth, my guess is that keeping correct levels is of benefit. Is it consumed at a rapid rate?Layton Again, I personally have no idea. Cracker, who ran experiments to determine this, does not believe it is. Sorry I cannot provide the true scientific proof you no doubt expect me to provide, but as has been said, if your looking for true scientific proof then you will be sorely disappointed in this hobby. Often the best you will do is finding significant amounts of evidence. (Also you shouldn't bandy the word "proof" around like you do. If your looking for true scientific proof then you will be sorely disappointed in this hobby. Often the best you will do is finding significant amounts of evidence.)Layton That's about as full an answer as I can give at this point, to me anyway, it's a case of "it works, so I'll use it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lduncan Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Could you please stop quoting me completely out of context. I'm not looking for proof (I didn't even mention the word), just information. Nor do I "expect" you to provide it. As far as observations from people using K balance, the first point is that because KZ don't provide information on what is in there products, it's difficult to say whether the results people see with K balance is actually due to potassium. For example, you'll also note that sulfur is another element which is found to be lower than NSW levels in many salts. So say that KZ use a potassium sulfate salt in their mix, how do you know that it's the potassium, and not the sulfate which is causing any effect? The second thing i guess is what prompted the development of the product? Was there any research behind it? If so, what was it? Was it a case of this paper suggests that potassium is important in this process in corals, and that lower than NSW levels of potassium can effect this process? Maybe we should test for potassium? What happens if we add potassium? Or was it a case of if we add this stuff to the tank then there is an effect on the corals, and because this stuff happens to have potassium in it, it must be the potassium which causes the changes? I have no opinion one way or the other at the moment on the usefulness of dosing potassium. But it would be useful to know what potassium is used for, and how it relates to better growth and colour. One thing that i think is important if you are going to dose it, is to be able to test for it. Layton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 special K interesting topic, keep to the point and I might actually learn something here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 Could you please stop quoting me completely out of context. Layton Didn't quote you out of context at all. Never have. I used the principles you stated in another thread, to assist you to answer your own questions in this one. The meaning of what you said is unchanged. Please don't get all defensive and turn this into another arguing thread. As far as observations from people using K balance, the first point is that because KZ don't provide information on what is in there products, it's difficult to say whether the results people see with K balance is actually due to potassium. For example, you'll also note that sulfur is another element which is found to be lower than NSW levels in many salts. So say that KZ use a potassium sulfate salt in their mix, how do you know that it's the potassium, and not the sulfate which is causing any effect? Layton As previously stated, I have answered the question as fully as I can, I just don't have a lot of info. I wouldn't worry too much about KZ, some of the people I referred to did not even use the KZ potassium. The second thing i guess is what prompted the development of the product? Was there any research behind it? If so, what was it? Layton I've already said why KZ developed the product, the answer is on page 1. Was there any research? obviously. What was it? No idea I don't work there. I have no opinion one way or the other at the moment on the usefulness of dosing potassium. But it would be useful to know what potassium is used for, and how it relates to better growth and colour. Layton I don't know if you have an opinion or not. I'll agree that it would be useful to know what it is used for. One thing that i think is important if you are going to dose it, is to be able to test for it. LaytonThat might be why KZ have put out a test kit for it As for the other questions in your post, I don't know the answers. I told you before I've answered you as fully as I can. I am not a walking dictionary on all things! :lol: Bottom line, I don't know what potassium does, how it works, and whatever. But dosing it as needed has been shown to give nice results. And you should know me by now, "If it works, I'll use it" :lol: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZEOvitANZ Posted May 3, 2006 Report Share Posted May 3, 2006 By what company? KZ obviously aren't in the business of making test kits, or anything remotely related. If one was to purchase this test kit, it'd be nice to know who's research and quality assurance is producing it, regardless of who re-badges it. Layton :roll: I'm sorry I didn't explain fully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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