Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V5 #413

[busko at stsci_edu]

"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/