# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Too much K...not enough NO3



## imported_George (Mar 28, 2003)

I recently received a detailed analysis of the water that eventually makes it's way to my tap. The water was sampled from one of the wells that are used to supply water to our area. I'm assumming that the water was not treated before the analysis....may not be the case. Anyway, Roger Miller pointed out a very weird and unusual analysis result.....K=80.7 mg/L. Other water parameters include:

pH-9.38
Total Alkalinity-198.9 mg/L as CaCO3
Total Hardness-8.2 mg/L as CaCO3
Nitrate-N-zero mg/L
Na-56 mg/L
and others.

The potential problems with the very high K and the plants inability to assimalate Ca and Mg have been pointed out. Additional K should not be added through feritization. 

Now to my other problem: I have a pressured CO2 system and the plants are loving it but I can not detect any nitrate even after two weeks without a water change. The plants are pearling heavily and, apparently, using all the nitrate that is available. This is probably resulting in a nitrate deficiency. Is there another common source availbale to increase NO3 without the additional K increase that comes with potassium nitrate. Any sugguestions will be appreciated.

George


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## imported_George (Mar 28, 2003)

I recently received a detailed analysis of the water that eventually makes it's way to my tap. The water was sampled from one of the wells that are used to supply water to our area. I'm assumming that the water was not treated before the analysis....may not be the case. Anyway, Roger Miller pointed out a very weird and unusual analysis result.....K=80.7 mg/L. Other water parameters include:

pH-9.38
Total Alkalinity-198.9 mg/L as CaCO3
Total Hardness-8.2 mg/L as CaCO3
Nitrate-N-zero mg/L
Na-56 mg/L
and others.

The potential problems with the very high K and the plants inability to assimalate Ca and Mg have been pointed out. Additional K should not be added through feritization. 

Now to my other problem: I have a pressured CO2 system and the plants are loving it but I can not detect any nitrate even after two weeks without a water change. The plants are pearling heavily and, apparently, using all the nitrate that is available. This is probably resulting in a nitrate deficiency. Is there another common source availbale to increase NO3 without the additional K increase that comes with potassium nitrate. Any sugguestions will be appreciated.

George


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## anonapersona (Mar 11, 2004)

More fish?


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

CaNO3 - calcium nitrate

*My Digital Gallery*


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## George Willms (Jul 28, 2004)

Calcium nitrate may raise his Kh higher than he wants it though.

George

Tank specs in profile


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by George Willms:
> Calcium nitrate may raise his Kh higher than he wants it though.
> George


nope, I disagree!

1/4tsp per 20 gal (say 75 litre) tank, would give you 5.3ppm calcium and 16.8ppm nitrate

He would have to add over 50ppm of NO3 to raise the GH buy about 1 degree!

*My Digital Gallery*


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## ekim (Jan 31, 2004)

George Willms, also Ca will not raise KH, FYI

*My Digital Gallery*


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## perrush (Feb 24, 2003)

NH4NO3 in very small portions ? because too much at once could set NH3 free

HNO3 also in very very small portion. If you have a little room with your KH, the HNO3 would convert some KH into CO2. If KH is low, you'll have to add NaHCO3 to keep the KH up.

But if you're not confident with chemistry, but solution aren't that good because much damage with both can be done.

other more 'normal' options are :
Ca(NO3)2 and Mg(NO3)2 but both will raise GH too

--
English isn't my native language, but I guess you already noticed that ))
--

Perrush


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## imported_George (Mar 28, 2003)

According to the test kits, my tap water has a 6-7 dKH and <1 dGH. The pH is pretty steady at 6.9-7.0 with pressurized CO2. I have been slowly adding Epsom salts and CaCl to raise the GH, currently at 2.5-3 dGH. It sounds like if I replace the CaCl with CaNO3 I can increase the NO3 and as well as the GH...correct?

Will simply adding additional Ca and Mg help avoid a possible Ca/Mg deficiency in the plants because of the very high K(80.7 mg/L)? At this point, I'm not interested in trying to reduce the K through mixing with R/O water and having to restore the other important water parameters.

I briefly searched for local sources of CaNO3 and it seems it comes as a component of fertizilers with other elments or compounds that I do not want to add to the aquarium. Any sugguests? I found a source from the internet for 500g, lab, for $19.99....seems high.

Thanks again.

George

[This message was edited by George on Sat August 30 2003 at 04:34 AM.]

[This message was edited by George on Sat August 30 2003 at 04:37 AM.]


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## imported_Fred (Feb 1, 2003)

George,
That is the parameters for just one well.... combined with the other sources that make up your tap water you could have much different results.

Fred


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## imported_George (Mar 28, 2003)

Fred,

I thought about that possibility. I looked into having my tap water tested just as a cross-check to the analysis I received. I found several commercial labs that test water but none of them indicated that testing for potassium was part of their available analyzes. Perhahps, a special analysis request is possible....for the right price. I think Lamotte, apology in advance if it's the wrong vendor, sells a potassium test kit but reading the instructions...online...sugguests that the test result is a "little" subjective, at best. The ppm of K is dependent on the ability to see a "black dot". I believe the K is precipitated and the turbidity of the solution is an indication of ppm K. If this is not exactly correct...sorry. I think I'll continue checking out real labs that can run the test. The potassium question, is 80.7 mg/L coming out of my tap, has to be answered. It's beginning to festor and really bug-me. 

George


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

Fourish Nitrogen is another option, I used it for a year before switching to potassium nitrate, works well IMO.

Giancarlo Podio


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