NEW K-Balance Kalium mix

[danny]

http://www.korallen-zucht.de/index.p...t_products=344

I've just orderd a bottle anyone here who has tried it yet?
Are their any testkits availeble for Kalium?

[SEAREEF]

danny
what exactly is it ???

[danny]

Kalium is an element which is present in seawater at 380 ppm almost as much as Calcium. In the product info is stated that a shortage can lead to STN at the base of SPS. It is supposed to be an element needed for good health for our corals. Their is more info in the link but info is only provided in German at this point. Maybe Alexander can tell us more about the product. And in a few weeks I can to

[SEAREEF]

Thanks bro
Is it avail to the states yet

[danny]

I have no idea but if it isn't it will be soon.

[nyfireman3097]

WOW amazing how theres always something new to use lol

[cookie extreme]

if i remember correctly the english word for kalium is potassium.

[Ger]

Cookie extreme is correct, kalium is the German word for potassium. As Danny stated, it is a major element in sea water and the concentration is around 380-389 mg/l. Thomas believes that many tanks lack this element and therefore offers this supplement. It contains various potassium salts and the maximum dosing amount should not exceed 1 ml/25 gallons per day. I don't know if there are any hobby test kits that work with salt water. The product is not available in the US, yet. It will probably be another few weeks until we have it available for sale.

[Aged Salt]

K-Balance is a K+ zeo-supplement for reefs in which potassium may become deficit resulting in washed-out[lightened] Acropora appearance, especially, lost of blue coloration, weak growth, & tissue recession-->TN, despite all the parameters being inline & stable. Stylophora, Pocillopora, Seriatopora, & Montipora may react first with color fading. There are not any test kits for K+ level at the hobbyist's level, so dosing is dictated by blue color strengthening, & overall color enhancement. Once coral darkening occurs, the maxpoint in K-Balance has been reached & the dosing should be discontinued until indicated by weakened coral colors. The dosage per K-Z is 1 ml/25g[100ltrs]/day. In most reefs with great coral color, lower doses of K-Balance may be used for growth, but may not affect coloration further. Bob

[G.Alexander]

Good explanation Bob

A potassium leak[deficiency] is relative easy to indicate. It first starts with a fading pink on Stylophora, Pocilopora & Seriatopora, followed by weak / no growth an STN in this corals.

After this you notice weak / no growth in Montipora, especially plate forming, with fading coloration turning to brown, followed by STN.

Acropora stop growth, fading to brown, become lighter tissue with washed out coloration, followed by tissue lost (STN or RTN). Blue corals only show light blue coloration.

Corals also loose their possibility to stay in strong light, tissue get burned in corals they are placed in the highlight areas, while normally they where healthy.

This situation can be caused by different things, for example heavy stocked tanks (lots of consumers), a leak of this element in the used salt mix, export via strong skimmer etc.

I had exactly those problems and within a week, after dosing K-Balance the problems have gone. I use the product since 2 month and my corals come back to how they looked before. My tank is heavy stocked and strong skimmed. In the back of the tank I have a strong / wild growth of Montipora digitata which has become very huge over the years. It looks like Montipora corals consume more potassium than others.

A hobby test kit is not available, and it also looks like that most of the K-test kits available on the market (Merck) can only be used for freshwater. Hopefully a company producing hobby test kits will realize the importance of this element to measure.

While I had a massive potassium leak, I have dosed 50 ml for three days, followed by a 10 ml dosage daily for a two week period (320 gal system). Now, after everything looks fine (growth & coloration, stop of STN & RTN) I cut the dosage down to 5 ml twice weekly. I have not observed darker tissue with this dosage. A strong accumulation of potassium can be indicated by tissue lost, beginning from the tips.

I highly would recommend to adjust the dosing regiment for this product to blue coloration & a normal growth of corals. If both is OK, the dosage should be stopped for a while until the problems can be observed again.

G.Alexander

[danny]

I don't have a problem yet! But I'm very happy that if one occurs I've got something on the shelf to solve it Lets hope a test kit comes available in the near future.

[nyfireman3097]

funny i was just asked from my friend about pottasium he has the b-ionic 1% pottasium and he asked me what it does for the corals and for once I couldnt help him lol

[gqjeff]

Is this avail in the states yet?

[wasp]

Would people using NSW need it?

[G.Alexander]

Alastair, as many elements, potassium is consumed by corals, exported by skimming or carbon filtration. I would compare it to Ca. If you do constant, big water changes with or without NSW and your tank is not stocked to strong with consumers, a CaCO2 reactor for example would not be necessary to keep the Ca level inline. Its hard to say if it should be used with NSW or not, because this depends to the water changes, also the quantity of potassium which is contained in the water. Last but not least to the quantity of the consumers. If you notice the described indicators in your tank, maybe the potassium level is lower then needed.

G.Alexander