Quote:
Originally Posted by Delphinus
Potassium is one of the last frontiers for me. Tell me about your dosing regimen .. I'm a little hesitant to dose anything without testing. I do have a Potassium test kit ( this one) but it is inordinately the most difficult test kit to read. Basically, you're guessing the value based on how opaque the liquid is. I thought comparing colours was a subjective guess, this is worse!! Basically if in the end you're just guessing the overall value you can just guess without spending the cash.  However, I think it's more or less the only test kit for K and if you're anything like me, it's just a more comfort zone knowing you can test when you're actively dosing something (because it's generally imperative to know when to stop, IME).
Right now I am cleaning the glass every day. If I don't do it every day, it gets harder to clean with every day that goes by.
I do wonder about the K thing. It's just that I tested it and .. well, I think the end reading was about 400 (top of the scale). So either I guessed wrong, or K isn't really the issue. |
I was a little hesitant on dosing without testing too. I based my decision to go ahead with it based on anecdotal evidence that I found in several threads on various forums. The symptoms seemed to match the low K experiences of others. Tony, you are not the only one who has indicated uncertainty with the test kits, it seems that most of them are pretty subjective to get results and are therefore somewhat unreliable. Still, I'd like to know what my K levels really are.
I have the Pohl's K Balance Strong. The directions for dosing are 1ml per 25 gallons daily, so based on that, I'd dosing 6ml every morning. From what I've read, you'd really have to go crazy with this stuff to OD it, but yes it is a concern to not go overboard with it just the same.
Just wanted to add to this: I don't have the low Mg issue like you. I have been dosing additional Mg and have had reasonably stable wter parameters for Ca, Kh and Mg, so it is still possible that your situation is from other factors than low K or perhaps in addition to it.