why high Potassium?

[jill]

Hi Boomer,

I just got my test results from Aqua-Medic and my Potassium tested at 515 mg, well above the 350-450 range.

I have a 300 g mixed reef tank with fish, acropora, montipora, sinosa, some zoas, digitata etc and also some cardinal shrimp. Everyone is fine and the corals continue to grow and look good.

Calcium is low (298), Alk is low (1.8), Strontium high (13.1) and Mg high (1625).

My other parameters are normal:

Ammonia 0
Nitrite .006
Nitrate .4
Phosphate .05
Silica .1
Boron 3.1
Molybdenum .1
Iodine .06
Copper .02

My salinity runs 50 to 53, pH is around 8.1 and my temp runs 77-79.

I use DD H2Ocean Pro salt and only dose with Aquavitro Calcium, Ions (Mg) and 8-4.

My questions are:

1. Is high Potassium a big danger? How high is truly dangerous?

2. What can I do about it?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[jill]

Oh, I also have a 30g nano that I do exactly the same way and its numbers were all well within the parameters - EXCEPT for Potassium which was 564!!

 

[Boomer]

Hi Jill

First, why is there such a span My salinity runs 50 to 53 that is 33 - 35 ppt ?

Aqua-Medic and my Potassium tested at 515 mg, well above the 350-450 range.

Have you added any K+ sup's ? If not I do not trust that reading. Myself and Randy are not all to fond about these K+ test kits.

Calcium is low (298), Alk is low (1.8), Strontium high (13.1) and Mg high (1625).

Somethingis verryyyyyyy wrong and looks like a bad testing error.

An what on earth did you measure Moly and Boron with ???

 

[jill]

Thanks Boomer-

Aqua-Medic is a mailorder company where they send you a prepaid box with 2 bottles and they run lab grade tests and email you the results as soon as they do 14 different tests.

I have had good luck with them before but this time I think my samples must have been too small - instead of filling both bottles with a sample from one tank I used one for each tank. I am hoping that was what caused the weird readings because it really doesn't make sense. I don't supplement for K+.

I do weekly 30 gallon water changes on my 300 gallon system and thought that a change in salinity +/- 1 was okay. If not what range is acceptable? And do you recommend a certain salinity? Also I just looked at your sticky for salinity and downloaded the table but its pretty hard to read.

Jill

 

[Frankie]

Hello Jill
Is it possible for you to scan your test result sheet and post a copy of it here? It may be easier this way to read it properly.

 

[jill]

Hi Frankie,

Really nothing to scan - its text and this is it

Potassium (K)
Natural Seawater Value: 390 mg/L
Acceptable Range: 350 to 450 mg/L
Tested: 564 mg/L
(HIGH) Your potassium level is too high. We recommend the suspension of any additives
containing potassium until this level stabilizes. Excessive levels of potassium are found in
many commercial salt mixes, so we recommend using only high quality salts for make-up
water. Potassium is an important plant nutrient, and is required for macro algae

 

[Frankie]

Thanks for the reply,
It is being said by other DD users that this salt needs to mix for 24 hrs+ for proper mixture. How long are you mixing for?
Here is a very accurate test result I found on the DD salt and what it is coming in at using Salifert test kits:
D-D H20
Temperature - 26c
Salinity - 35ppt
pH (Salifert) - 8.60
pH (Pinpoint) - 8.90
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Phosphate P - 0ppm
Potassium - 370ppm
Strontium - 4ppm
Calcium - 415ppm
Magnesium - 1350ppm

I don't really like the Pin Point being used in this test but it was the best list of results of that salt I could find.
Are you testing your makeup water prior to water changes?

Also, when you receive the salt I would recommend thoroughly mixing the dry salt incase of settling.

I'm looking for info on the Seachem products your dosing and suspect that you are adding K+ through this product. I'll let you know if I find any data on it.

 

[jill]

Interesting.

I did read the ingredients of DD because I had been using Tropic Marin and it didn't have ANY K+ . I was surprised to see DD listed K+.

Yes I mix my salt for at least a day and usually two. I mix with a powerhead and also set a heater in it. Before I use it I adjust for pH and salinity.
I don't do other tests on the mix water... is that really necessary of one always uses the same salt?

Thanks for the Salfert test results on DD- use Salifert for everything except Nitrate (Elos) and pH.

Incidently, I use the mail order Aqua Medic lab tests only occasionly to give myself a double check. My tests always are within parameters - but I don't check K+ myself at home.

Why don't you like the Pin Point pH monitor?

I will start to mix my dry salt, this is something I have never done.

As far as the Aquavitro I did check labels and K+ isn't listed. Also I have been using them since I started my system 2 and 1/2 years ago and never had these kinds of test
results but I would appreciate any info you find.

 

[Boomer]

Jill

This is your issue

Aqua-Medic is a mailorder company where they send you a prepaid box with 2 bottles and they run lab grade tests and email you the results as soon as they do 14 different tests.

Aqua-Medic owns AWT ( Aquarium Water Testing). They do not like what we, especially me and Randy Holmes Farley have said about their methods. They are always putting out nonsense nubmers for Ca++, Mg++ and Silica, as they are clueless as to what they are doing. AM tried to hide AWT but I see now they are calling it Division of AM. However, that was us that blew the whistle on them. One of my reasoning was AM sells a sea salt and now they are going to test different brands of sea salt and when you get the wrong numbers are they tell you "Hey, have you tried AM sea salt mix" :lol: Aqua-Medic always been one of my favoire companies but they really need to drop this AWT thing. There are COUNTLESS threads and posts on forums with bad numbers, to include here

An example here

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/f72/accuracy-test-kits-awt-54053/

ON RC there are miles of posts and threads on AWT

 

[jill]

Okay!
Thanks Boomer. I haven't gotten their salt sales pitch...yet. But I won't use them anymore.

My other questions for you are:

Is there a problem with using my Pinpoint for pH?

What salinity do you recommend and can't I vary it 1 point +/- every week? Its hard to keep salinity totally constant but I will if I have too - I am striving for that as I
continue to perfect my maintenance schedule.

 

[DonW]

AM tried to hide AWT but I see now they are calling it Division of AM.

True, I think I figured that out the first week they were in business. Boomer what was the name of that other company that did a better job? I remember they had a really bland web site but did good work.

Don

 

[Boomer]

Don

It was Aquatic Labs but sadly they closed it down long ago They used the real stuff to tests, like ICP . They were a subdivision of a giant Canadian chemical and instrument supply company.

 

[Boomer]

Jill

Is there a problem with using my Pinpoint for pH?

pH (Salifert) - 8.60
pH (Pinpoint) - 8.90

I missed this What are you adding to have such a high pH

What salinity do you recommend and can't I vary it 1 point +/- every week? Its hard to keep salinity totally constant but I will if I have too - I am striving for that as I
continue to perfect my maintenance schedule.


Your water is evaporating daily do you add RO/DI water back ? 1 ppt /week is fine but not 2 ppt. Are you adding lots of sups dial to get it up to 2 ppt. ?