# PPS Pro Questions: ---> KCl Substitution, and GSA



## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Hi All,

If I worked out the math correctly, the amount of Potassium in K2SO4 is very similar to the amount of Potassium in KCl, weight for weight. Roughly 50% of K in both compounds.

So due to a lack of K2SO4, at start-up of a new 20G tank last week, I've been substituting KCl (No-Salt) for the K2SO4 in PPS Pro. It's a brand new tank, today is the 5th dosing day.

*Tank Spec's:*


*Size:* 20G
*CO2:* ~20ppm measured with drop-checker with 4dKH indicator sol'n. DIY w/ 1L bottle.
*pH:* 6.8 (msm't w/ API test kit)
*Hardness:* Very hard water (Houston tap).
*Dechlor:* Prime.
*Light:* About 55W of CFL's, two 3000K's and one 5000K.
*Macros:* 2mL of PPS-Pro Macro solution, with KCl in place of K2SO4, per day.
*Micro's:* 1.5mL of Nutrafin Iron-enriched Plant Gro, at full concentration, per day. (Does this sound right? I was shooting for ~0.05ppm Fe/day and letting everything else fall where it may.)
*Flora:* about 40% planted with new samples of Bacopa monnieri, Sagittaria graminea, Hydrocotyle verticillata, and couple of Ludwigia's (spear-shaped small-leaf kind, and top-water kind). All plants were from local creeks and ponds in the area (West side of Houston, TX, USA).
*Fauna:* None. I'd like this to be a plant-only experiment tank for now. Get it going and stable before adding sensitive creatures with gills ; )

Day 5 and there is already a light dusting of GSA over the entire back wall of the tank, where light is maximum. I figure that in another 3 weeks the whole thing will be a slime-covered wreck. I very much hope I'm wrong!!

Thank you.


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## goldier (Feb 13, 2010)

As for KCl dosing, you can use the Fertilator calculator (above top bar) at this site to check how much is needed. For the amount of iron that you aim at 0.05 ppm/day, 1.5 ml sounds right. If this is a new planting, the plants would take some time to get up their speed of absorbing the nutrients. To avoid algae bloom during the first few weeks, I would go lightly with the dosing, and use floating plants like duckweed/hornwort/water lectuce.


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Makes good sense to me. I will definitely do that, starting tomorrow morning. I figure I'll drop to 30% dosages for now...

I'm not sure why I didn't think to use the Fertilator...but yep, KCl and K2SO4 are quite close. 

By Weight:
K2SO4 - 44.9%
KCl - 52.4%


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Good move going planted-only the first time around. I wish I had. 

How are you cleaning up those plants before adding them to the tank?


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Hi Philosophos,

A good shake to remove mud & debris at the natural habitat, then just a quick wash (grab plant out of bucket, hold under sink) in Cl tap water. There is definitely some (not much) green slime remaining on the plants after it goes in the tank...if that's what you're getting at. What would you recommend?

WOW, I'm not believing my eyes with this tank though. Every plant I have in here is pearling, the Ludwigia has increased 30% in size since I put it in, and I found what I think is Dwarf Riccia Fluitans yesterday at Cullinan Park near Sugarland, TX. It is already pearling too, little O2 bubbles coming off the tips just like in all the pictures!! I've never seen such beauty. 

I just hope I can ward the algae off.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

You may want to let things age a good few months before the fauna goes in then. You can get some real nasty critters from wild plants.

Potassium permanganate is best, but you'll probably have to special order. Apparently it gets used for synthesizing methamphetamine (same reason I can't buy a scale or lab equipment at a retail store in this state, I just get looked at like a junkie for asking >.< ) so it's being heavily discouraged from being sold where it was once available nation-wide.

I'm glad you've got pearling going on. Keep in mind that it can take about a month for plants to fully adapt to their new conditions, so it takes a while to be sure if you're doing things right.

Good find on the plants. If you need an ID for the riccia then definitely start a thread up; there are other liverworts/bladderworts that can look similar, and nature offers some interesting morphology at times. I've also found that plants.usda.gov offers a good first glance at a plant and its general range. Keep in mind though that just because your plant isn't supposed to be in your state, doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. You'd be surprised at how poorly surveyed some states are.


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## Pyrotrons (Dec 12, 2009)

Thanks very much for the advice.

Come to think of it, I have Potassium Permanganate! It is sold in a lot of the smaller hardware stores as a filter regenerator (precipitates out the Fe and other metals). The local Ace HW has it, but I got mine off the ever-popular internet auction site.

Ha, that's the solution: Ban scales from the shelves! That'll fix the drug problem  In reality, such things "fix" the amateur science "problems" before they fix anything else. Kids, students, creative individuals thinking outside the box then start to have a lack of real tools readily available to them for their own research. And everything just slides downhill, slowly enough that no-one notices, until its too late.

Anyhow...

Maybe I can give the tank a little KMnO4 treatment before adding the fish....but I'm glad you said something, because I add low-maintenance "creek plants" directly to our other tanks (WITH fish) on a regular basis. "Somebody up there still likes our fish". 

I'll try to be patient while everything settles, but for now I'm in awe of the raw biochemistry on the shelf in my living room  Too cool.


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Here's hoping the Ace Hardware around here caries it then. I really hate paying shipping when I don't have to.

I'm glad you've got PP hanging around. It's invaluable. I go out for plants sometimes, and come back with a couple dozen leeches crawling around, snail eggs everywhere, etc. You can definitely dose it into the column for a while.

Oh, and it's too late here. This would be one of those states where they won't sell hairspray to minors because of the huffing potential, but they're encouraged to learn the use of firearms.


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