# Mono Potassium Phosphate Question...



## Earro (Apr 27, 2008)

Hey Everyone,

I recently bought Mono Potassium Phosphate (KH2PO4) from _AquariumFertilizer.com_ along with other fertilizers. This is the first time I've purchased KH2PO4 and I was wondering if it is suppose to be blue/light blue. 
I've read that KH2PO4 is a white powdered substance. Is this product suppose to be bluish?

I've been dosing my planted aquarium with this product to raise my Nitrates to an appropriate level for a couple of weeks&#8230; and my nitrate level has stayed at a minimum.

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to raise my nitrates to about 15-20ppm?

Thanks
Earro.


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Blue? I've never seen it blue before. 

KH2PO4 is for dosing phosphates not nitrates. That's why you haven't seen a raise in nitrates. 

KNO3 is what is most people use to dose for nitrates.

I would not use it if its blue. Where did you get it?


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## Earro (Apr 27, 2008)

I've bee dosing KNO3 as well with no nitrate levels going up.

Dosing Method: 
1/2 tea spoon of KNO3 2 x a week 
1/8 of tea spoon of KH2PO4 2x a week 
Flourish 2.5ml 2x a week


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

I find test kits really don't work with ferts. If you are certian that what is going into the tank is NO3 then it's in there. 

Try this method to test your kit

Take 1000ml of water. Dissolve 6.5 grams of KNO3 in it. 
Take 1 gallon of water. Each ml of the above solution will add 1 ppm of NO3. 
Add 5 ml, test. Your test kit should show 5 ppm. 
Add 5 more ml, test. Your test kit should show 10 ppm 
Repeat through the range of your test kit.

If your test does not reflect this then its faulty. Or is not true NO3.

I still am suprised that your KH2PO4 is blue... I would get that checked out.


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## I_dude (May 9, 2008)

Where does one acquire KNO3 or indeed any dry ferts

Thanks


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

I Dude,

here you go,

http://www.hydroponics.com/nutrient/sixpack.html

this is where I get mine form


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

This is the same place but further into their website. It's somewhat difficult to find on the website.

http://www.hydroponics.com/info/aquatics/PoorMansDosingDrops.html

More stuff http://www.hydroponics.com/info/aquatics/index.html

Locations - http://www.hydroponics.com/distributors/index.html

You can also call and see if they have it here
http://www.hydrotechhydroponics.com/


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## I_dude (May 9, 2008)

Cheers guys for the links

It funny I have a bunch of different plant species in my tank and they are all thriving except one.
It a broad lead Hygro. The leaves always have holes in them.
I can't figure out whether its a nurient defecincy or just the fish taking chunks out of the plant.
I suspect the later as I have quite a few red leaved plants and they are all growing like mad. But anyways thats why I was looking into dry ferts just to be sure

Sorry for the aside don't mean to hijack your thread


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

It could be potassium deficiency. In old leaves - Pinholes appear which slowly enlarge
Yellow patches
Curling leaves
Stunted growth

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/deficiencies.htm


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## I_dude (May 9, 2008)

So out of the symptoms listed

Pinholes appear which slowly enlarge - Got that
Yellow patches - Don't have that
Curling leaves - Don't have that either leaves are nice and straight
Stunted growth - definetly don't have that. The plant is putting out more leaves. The younger leaves don't have any holes. Just the large broad one.

Is it the fish?
What would you dose for potassium deficiency?

Thanks


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

KH2PO4 should be white. Here is a scary thought; blue is indicative of hydrated copper compounds


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## XbrandonX (Nov 22, 2007)

jrs said:


> KH2PO4 should be white. Here is a scary thought; blue is indicative of hydrated copper compounds


lol, I have no idea what that means or insinuates.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

I would give the company an email or a call to make sure that you've received the proper compound. They might have just shipped you the wrong thing, or have added dyes to the compound to make it easier to keep track of once you're mixed up a solution.


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## Earro (Apr 27, 2008)

Thank you for all your replies.

I will be testing this product as you have instructed *planter*.
And I hope that this isn't a hydrated copper compounds *jrs*. Would there be a way to test this?

I've emailed the company and asked my questions this morning.

Thanks
Earro


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## Earro (Apr 27, 2008)

Here is the response that I got.

"Hi, 

Good questions, I guess we should go back to including the inserts we were sending. 

Here is the situation: I can't believe that this isn't a major news subject, but there is a worldwide shortage of MKP. It is mined in Israel and China, and I guess China is using most of theirs. We were lucky to find this version of mono potassium phosphate. This phosphate is intended to be used as a foliar spray on an agricultural level...it comes in 50 pound bags. I have read the ingredients, and all it contains is Potash (potassium), and phosphate. It has a small amount of a few trace elements that are not added but come as a part of mining the stuff, and it has zero copper. As an aside, I can't understand what all this concern about copper is. Both Tom Barr and Greg Watson advise me, and they both say that aquatic plants need about 4 to 6 times as much copper as to terrestrial plants. Tom Barr's developing a custom micro-nutrient max that will have 6 times the amount of copper as TMG because he believes aquatic need that much. I currently have an experienced aquarist testing CSM+B and its components to determining if copper really is a problem for shrimp.

Anyway, I don't understand what the advantage to farmers is about having foliar sprays be blue instead of clear, but the blue color is of course a dye...a food dye. Heck, they aren't about to spray something toxic on their food crop. 

Don't worry, what you got is blue MKP. It won't hurt your tank or turn it blue. Your bag should last you the rest of your life. The other thing to consider is that you are using such a tiny amount that it could (but doesn't) contain traces of arsenic or virtually any other toxic substance, and at the 1 or 2 parts per billion it would be, it wouldn't effect your tank!

May your tanks glow green and bubble!

Alan at AquariumFertilizer.com"


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

Arrogant son of a gun isn't he  

- this version of monopotassium phosphate?????

- who is the experienced aquarist who is testing Cu with inverts, I will be awaiting the results

- there is no doubt that some Cu at a micro level is needed but kH2PO4 is dosed at the macro level hence the question

- he is right he should be including inserts with his ferts, did he thing that this would go unquestioned?

- what % purity are these samples?

- what are the exact impurities present and in what concentration?


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

_"Anyway, I don't understand what the advantage to farmers is about having foliar sprays be blue instead of clear, but the blue color is of course a dye...a food dye."_

The blue dye is so they can see the concentration at a glance to make sure they didn't make a mixing mistake. When using my sprayer on my outdoor plants I can see what level the fertilizer is at in the container easier.

_"Heck, they aren't about to spray something toxic on their food crop."_

Yeah nothing like DDT in the 50's 60's and 70's. 

_"Arrogant son of a gun isn't he_ "

He sure is lmaoooo


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Monopotassium phosphate should be white in color in it's "relatively" pure state. The blue coloring is _*generally*_ due to copper sulphate contamination and too high to causing problems for plants and inverts.

To err on the side of caution, I do not recommend using it in the fert regimin.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Lol, good luck with testing copper on shrimps. I wonder how many shrimp he'll kill.

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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

If they are using it as a dye to help differentiate b/w other fert products...they should be adding a label to indicate that and prevent confusion and assumptions. 

Come to think of it, looking at the various arrays for plant ferts that my wife uses...they are different in color and is clearly labled.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Ah, my first post in a long while (it's been busy with exams, then graduation, and now work).

Anyways, pretty much everything has been said, KH2PO4 should be white or off white at best, not (pale) blue.

As jrs mentioned, the blue colouration is likely due to the presence of copper compounds (say copper sulfate comes immediately to ind).


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