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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V5 #413
"Ghazanfar Ghori" <ghori at ghori_net> wrote:
> Has anyone used ESPOMA brand Sulphate of Potash as a
> source of K? I found some at the local garden center
> 5lb bag for $3.99. I've been using K2SO4 from a
> hygroponics supply in the past but since I do 50%
water
> changes weekly I go through a lot of K.
> The K2SO4 from hygoponics was a white crystals. I was
> expecting the Sulphate of Potash to be similar but I
> was mistaken. It looks like pink/brown granules with
> small-gravel sized specks of what I THINK is sulphur.
> Is this safe to use in my tanks? Has anyone used
> Espoma brand Sulphate of Potash?
>
> BTW - No chemical analysis in the MSDS on Espoma's
website.
> They claim its not required.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> Ghazanfar Ghori
Ghazanfar,
I'm using this same thing in my garden pond for a couple
years now. It works fine in the pond as a source of K,
but leaves a lot of pink residue at the bottom of the
filter where I put it. The problem though is that it also
leaves a lot of oily, filmy residue floating at the water
surface. The film releases a strong smell of turpentine or
the like. I believe is a leftover from the mining process.
This product is definitely not a good choice if you require
any degree of purity from your chemicals.
Although it didn't harm my pond so far (the film seems to
go away after a few hours), I wouldn't use it in my
aquariums. For those, I'm still sticking with the
hydroponics stuff.
- Ivo Busko
Baltimore, MD
"Buy a fish, Save a tree !"
Project Piaba: http://www.angelfire.com/pq/piaba/