Potassium Nitrate

[H@rry]

I'm going to start dosing Potassium Nitrate to get my nitrates up. Will I also see any benefit on the potassium levels?

 

[Miami Reef]

I'm going to start dosing Potassium Nitrate to get my nitrates up. Will I also see any benefit on the potassium levels?

If you are deficient in potassium, dosing KNO3 is a great way to cover that deficiency while also supplying nitrates.

If your Potassium levels are already high, dosing sodium nitrate (NANO3) would be better.

In summary: potassium nitrate will raise potassium as well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, if you are not monitoring it, potassium nitrate is a poor choice as it adds substantial potassium.

If you add 2 ppm of nitrate a day, you are adding 1.3 ppm of potassium a day.

Better choices are sodium or calcium nitrate, IMO.

 

[H@rry]

That sounds good. My potassium number today was 200 and nitrate < 1.

 

[Miami Reef]

That sounds good. My potassium number today was 200 and nitrate < 1.

How did you test it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That sounds good. My potassium number today was 200 and nitrate < 1.

That does not sound likely to be accurate to me. I expect it is a test error. I've never seen a real reading that low.

 

[H@rry]

I think you're probably right. I used a Salifert test kit that I found in the cabinet. It expired in 2015.;Vomit

I'll order a new one. What brand do you suggest?

 

[Miami Reef]

I see Red Sea has one that has an accuracy of +/- 3ppm which seems very accurate to me. It apparently can go as low as 150ppm to 450ppm.

I never purchased it but I feel like I would trust it if the need to monitor my K ever arose.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think you're probably right. I used a Salifert test kit that I found in the cabinet. It expired in 2015.;Vomit

I'll order a new one. What brand do you suggest?

I don't have any info on which ones are best.

In my tank, it never depleted when tested by ICP:

Potassium (K). Many people are worried about potassium in their aquaria. About 4 ½ years ago, not long after I started using organic carbon dosing, I decided I should test to see if potassium was depleted in my aquarium. I compared my tank water to a true natural seawater sample and found about the same level in the standard as in my aquarium using a commercial test kit. The Triton result (397 ppm) confirms that earlier conclusion: my aquarium is not becoming depleted in potassium despite skimming, growing macroalgae, and organic carbon dosing. Presumably, the foods and water changes are adequate to maintain the potassium level.