Potassium levels? Anyone?

prolude006

prolude006

Senior Member-Wheres My Discount!
Oct 3, 2008
288
0
0
44
Central Vermont
So I have a water softener for my well water. I currently use sodium chloride to charge the system, however, I am switching to potassium chloride so that
our sodium intake is less. I have noticed on searching some other aquarium forums that people are using the softened water with their tanks of fish and plants with no ill effects.
My seachem products (flourish) have potassium chloride in them...so anyone have any thoughts on this.
I am ok if my plants die but not my discus.
Its very inconvenient to bypass my water softener for daily water changes.
And I have to use cold water only because I would have to empty my hot water tank to not get the softened water during water changes.

What would be an acceptable level of potassium and what does potassium effect in high amounts in a tank? How does it effect fish?

Thanks....if anyone knows.
 
Potassium is relatively harmless, I think you'll be fine switching to KCl. But I hate to say it, if your Discus are juveniles, you still need the un-softened water, since Ca and Mg are important in growth.
 
Wont the discus get the minerals they need from their food? I know there is plenty of both Ca and Mg in them. I also add them with my seachem products I dose with.
Any other problems with using the KCL softened water?
 
Nobody has determined what the ideal level of potassium is for plants, and there is no data to suggest it is used to a great extent by lower plant forms, ie algae, and there are very few test kits for potassium. So for years advanced hobbyists have played it by ear and gone on the assumption that more is better and poses no real risk. It is an essential macro nutrient used in photosynthesis, so if you are lacking in light or C02, your plants are not pearling, then the plants probably are not going to use much potassium. The amount of potassium in water softner products would barely be enough to feed plants with low light, and definetly not enough for a high light set ups
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom