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Thread: Potassium bicarbonate

  1. #1
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    The normal practise is to use Baking Soda (NaHCO3) to adjust KH but this will accumulate sodium (salt) in the tank. Whereas potassium bicarbonate allow KH adjustment while adding some K which the plant will consume.

    Anyone know here to get this?
    Last edited by benny; 23rd Aug 2006 at 11:06.

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    You can get it from Poon Huat. A Shop that sell bakery stuff, carry Red Man brand.
    Last edited by benny; 23rd Aug 2006 at 11:07.

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    Hmm... perhaps he is attempting to up his KH and K at the same time?

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    I think its used to buff ph too

  5. #5
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    I am selling my Potassium Bicarbonate. Its from Sera. Huge bottle. Will last quite a while if you use it on a small tank.
    Cheerio,
    Sleepy_lancs
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  6. #6
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    Is it the Sera KH/PH Plus ? How do you know the content is potassium bicarbonate and not sodium bicarbonate ?
    Does it state the composition on the bottle ? I check Sera web site but there is no details.

  7. #7
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    Yes. Its stated on the bottle its potassium Carbonate.
    Cheerio,
    Sleepy_lancs
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    An afternoon trimming my watery garden is better
    then an afternoon with a therapist
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    Does potassium bicarbonate contain anything that will cause the Co2 results to be not accurate if you're looking at the Ph/Kh chart cos i understand that there are substances that will affect the accuracy of the chart?

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    You got to be kidding. Potassium is needed for plants. And Cabonate is to buffer the water from drastic PH changes. That bottle of stuff has nothing but those.....
    Cheerio,
    Sleepy_lancs
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    Quote Originally Posted by aquarius
    Does potassium bicarbonate contain anything that will cause the Co2 results to be not accurate if you're looking at the Ph/Kh chart cos i understand that there are substances that will affect the accuracy of the chart?
    Bicarbonates/carbonates will not affect the pH/KH. BTW, bicarbonates/carbonates = KH.

    BC

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    Apparently ADA's Brighty K raises kH.
    So it has Potassium and Bicarbonate or Carbonate or both.
    Could it be potassium bicarbonate?

    Regards

    Stan
    You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sleepy_lancs
    You got to be kidding. Potassium is needed for plants. And Cabonate is to buffer the water from drastic PH changes. That bottle of stuff has nothing but those.....
    Potassium you can get from seachem or ferka, carbonate from baking soda. If you add potassium bicarbonate what is the amt of ml you need to add into the water to increase the kh by 1dkh?

    And if you add only potassium bicarbonate to increase the kh to 4dkh won't the potassium be overdosed?

  13. #13
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    Extra Potassium will not create problems for your tank. The same concept for baking soda. With Baking soda you add Sodium which neither the plant nor the fish needs if your statement is true, then the sodium would have been a problem too.
    Cheerio,
    Sleepy_lancs
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  14. #14
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    Should be close enough to NaHCO3 dosage which if you dose for increase of 1 degree KH will give about 7ppm Na.

    Edited : from some old thread, some folks tested that using KHCO3 to raise KH, every degree came with 14ppm Potassium.
    Last edited by dc88; 18th Aug 2006 at 21:40.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sleepy_lancs
    Yes. Its stated on the bottle its potassium Carbonate.
    I went to a shop and checked out the Sera KH/PH plus bottle but there is no indication there that said the compoisiton is Potassium Bicarbonate.
    Can you post a picture of the label on your bottle ?

  16. #16
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    Sorry no cameras to help you. But it states on my bottle clearly that the ingredient is Potassium Carbonate. Anyway, the original price was SGD $108. And I am selling it dirt cheap for half a bottle. The price sticky is still there and its from PetMart.
    Cheerio,
    Sleepy_lancs
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    An afternoon trimming my watery garden is better
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  17. #17
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    If your tap water has enough KH say 1dKH, you don't need to add anymore. pH/KH is just a mere relationship to measure CO2. Once dial in, all you need to watch is the rate of injection. If I remember correctly, plants do need some sodium as a nutrient. (Your weekly water changes will remove that as well and will not buildup to toxic levels even if you dose.)

    Regards
    Peter Gwee
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

  18. #18
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    OK I will stay with Baking Soda. Is just $1.80 a bottle.
    Anyway I only add enough for +1dKH (1/2 tsp) each week after the 50% water change. I calculated that it will give a maximum constant of about 15ppm Sodium giving the weekly water change. Not sure hows that as a salinity level.

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    "In concentrations greater than 0.5%, KHCO3 can have phytotoxic effects on plants (potassium bicarbonate has widespread use in crops, especially for neutralizing acidic soil)"

    Phytotoxic Effect ?

    so is it safe to use it in planted tank
    Attached Images Attached Images

  20. #20
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    Sodium is not a plant essential element. Or is it now? I read that plants assimilate them for some reason (for transport or something), but they fine without it also.

    0.5% of KHCO3 is quite a heavy dosage isn't it? that's 5g a litre of water?? i.e. One 3 feet tank you need to pour ~ one bag in!

    ck

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