# Replacing brighty k?



## gmaniac (Apr 8, 2004)

Hi all

Im all out of my ADA brighty k.. I typically dose 6 squirts per day foe my ada 90p
I have some dry ferts.. Purchased way back.. Including k2so4.
Does anyone have a simple recipe to make my own potassium soln to replace. I have access to an accurate scale ans distilled or deionized water

Thanks! 
Gmaniac

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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

It is made of potassium carbonate but you can use potassium sulphate as well. Make a solution in a way that each ml adds 3.4 ppm potassium. Can calculate later, but not on my pc right now.


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## gmaniac (Apr 8, 2004)

Thanks! I'd appreciate it greatly 





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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Use the fertilator here at APC
It will show you how many grams or teaspoons of K2SO4 will add how much K to the tank. 

To make a big batch, like to refill your bottle will take a bit of work, but once it is done you need never go back to buying wet fertilizers again.

1) How many gallons is the tank?
2) How many squirts are in one bottle? 
3) How many squirts do you give your tank?

From these numbers figure out how big a tank you could dose if you dumped the whole bottle of brighty K in all at one time. Use that for the tank size in the fertilator. 
Play around with the grams or teaspoons that you add to get the level of K that you want. 

Put that many teaspoons or grams of K2SO4 into the squirt bottle. Fill with tap water or distilled or RO. 

Now you can use the squirt bottle to dose the way you have been. 

If you have been adding more than just a couple of squirts you might want to make it stronger, then it will take less squirts, and the bottle will last longer. 
For example, if it has been taking 10 squirts, and you make it double strength then you would only need to use 5 squirts.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

When you make a solution with 152 g/L K2SO4, you'll get the same amount potassium as on the bottle (1ml per 20L adds 3.4 ppm potassium). Good luck!


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

I follow a lot of Japanese blogs (they are really into Blogs rather than forums it seems) with Google Translator enabled. It's really rough but you get the gist of what they are saying, and the someone determined that it's about a 10% solution of Potassium carbonate. One website (I want to say Aquamind Laboratory, maybe?) sells little DIY Brighty K kits lol. 

Dissolve 50 grams of potassium carbonate in 500 mL of DI water and you have your own DIY Brighty K. You can make it at different strengths by for a stronger solution (100 grams per 500 mL would let you dose 3 pumps rather than 6, for example.)

ADA uses potassium carbonate rather than other forms of potassium to help buffer the kH lowered by aquasoil. Potassium carbonate is used in soap making and costs like $10 for a whole pound or so online.


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## gmaniac (Apr 8, 2004)

Thanks all very much!! Extremely helpful info. Im sure many ofhers will also benefit from this.

I will look around for some sources of potassium carbonate online and get cracking  




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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

JustLikeAPill said:


> Dissolve 50 grams of potassium carbonate in 500 mL of DI water and you have your own DIY Brighty K. You can make it at different strengths by for a stronger solution (100 grams per 500 mL would let you dose 3 pumps rather than 6, for example.)
> 
> ADA uses potassium carbonate rather than other forms of potassium to help buffer the kH lowered by aquasoil. Potassium carbonate is used in soap making and costs like $10 for a whole pound or so online.


I calculated about 60 gram of K2CO3 per 500mL or if KHCO3 is used 86 gram per 500 mL. Using K2CO3 you can make a solution 6 times stronger and dose only 1 squirt. Making a bottle last 6 times longer. 
With potassium sulphate (K2SO4) you can't make a solution of 152 g/L. It won't dissolve! (forgot to mention that in my last post). The max that would dissolve is 120g/L so you need to make a solution of 76 g/L and add 12 squirts each day (per 20L)


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

I was pretty close lol!

BTW, Wikipedia says the solubility is 112 grams/100 mL H20 at 20C (68 F). It shouldn't precipitate unlike other fertilizers since it is so soluble, so people making their own can make it as strong as they want/need.


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## gmaniac (Apr 8, 2004)

I hate to ask this.. But I cant seem to find kco3 at my usual dry ferts places. Does anyone have a lead on a trustworthy online source? 

Thanks again! 

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## gmaniac (Apr 8, 2004)

Sorry I meant K2CO3


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## gmaniac (Apr 8, 2004)

I found this online and ordered.. A little pricey but should last for awhile.

http://www.amazon.com/Potassium-Carbonate-High-Purity-grams/dp/B008E95VFI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_indust_6


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

I think you can find cheaper, but you still save a lot of money compared to the real stuff


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