Raising Potassium with Potassium chloride?

[thebun]

I want to try and raise my potassium levels with potassium chloride. Not knowing much about chemistry and I hope this isn't too stupid a question.

Can I substitute Calcium chloride in Randys old recipe with potassium chloride to make a solution. ( 500grams KCl to make 1 gallon) and then use a reef chemistry calculator to find out how much I need to up my levels from 350 to 390ppm?

Cheers
Simon

 

[bertoni]

Well, I'm not sure that dosing potassium chloride is going to be safe, but to raise potassium 40 ppm requires about 40 mg/L of added potassium. So that's roughly 76 mg/L of KCl required. The next step is to get a reasonable guess as to the tank's capacity.

The calcium line in the calculator is going to be a bit off.

 

[thebun]

I wasn't too sure about adding KCl too, but using other K additives was getting a little expensive. So I bought KCl from a local chemical company, and the rep told me the KCl was a tech grade and should be fine in a reef tank. I wasn't sure what else to ask him.

So far I have added 80ml of the above solution in my 70-75g system and have seen no negative response from my corals.

 

[bertoni]

Okay, as long as the animals are fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure I'd rely on a rep from a chemical company to decide what is suitable for a reef or not.

Potassium chloride is fine if it is adequately pure, and anything intended for people to consume is likely adequate. Tech grade may or may not be OK, depending on how pure it really is, what's in it, and how much you intend to boost potassium.

FWIW, I do not have high confidence in hobby potassium kits.

 

[Steve1714]

how about this potassium chloride?

used in water softeners, would that haft to be food grade?

or how about this potassium bicarbonate!

this must be food grade, you can buffer your system and increase the potassium.

any thoughts on these Randy?

Steve G

 

[Boomer]

Here is our long thread on both. The bicarbonate will more than likely jack up the Alk to much if you are trying to achieve K+ levels. It would be fine as a buffer just like baking soda, if used as a Alk sup and give some K+.

The chloride would be the way to go but to boost levels but it is the how is it going to be tested and is it really needed.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=957770&highlight=potassium+bicarbonate