Calcium Nitrate Side Effects

[liudachris]

Hi all,

I apologize if this question has been answered already. I have been searching the forum and couldn’t find a clear answer.

I am thinking about using calcium nitrate to dose my nitrate limited system. Are there any side effects to long term dosing of this? Will it change my alkalinity? Will it raise my calcium levels over time? I am assuming that since calcium is consumed by coral I may just need to dose less calcium 2 part.

I also see a lot of people using sodium nitrate which is OOS at loudwolf. If I use this option, does sodium or salinity creep up over time?

Thanks in advance

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Calcium nitrate dosing adds calcium and alkalinity in a balanced fashion, just like a two part or limewater/kalkwasser.

There are no other effects, aside from the obvious slight reduction in the amount of two part needed in a situation like yours.

The addition is small. 2.3 dKH for each 50 ppm of nitrate dosed and consumed.

 

[GARRIGA]

Calcium nitrate dosing adds calcium and alkalinity in a balanced fashion, just like a two part or limewater/kalkwasser.

There are no other effects, aside from the obvious slight reduction in the amount of two part needed in a situation like yours.

The addition is small. 2.3 dKH for each 50 ppm of nitrate dosed and consumed.

Randy,

How much calcium does this add and I'm assuming one should supplement with Balling Part C for balance?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy,

How much calcium does this add and I'm assuming one should supplement with Balling Part C for balance?

No need for Balling Part. C. It is exactly akin to kalkwasser.

Each 50 ppm of nitrate added boosts calcium by 16.1 ppm.

 

[GARRIGA]

No need for Balling Part. C. It is exactly akin to kalkwasser.

Each 50 ppm of nitrate added boosts calcium by 16.1 ppm.

Is there a reason then why this isn't as popular as Kalk? Assuming one can convert the nitrates. Aside from the pH boost of Kalk

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is there a reason then why this isn't as popular as Kalk? Assuming one can convert the nitrates. Aside from the pH boost of Kalk

The effect is very small and few people have enough nitrate to routinely consume.

Limewater dosed at 2% of the tank volume daily adds 2.3 dKH and 16 ppm of calcium per DAY, and still that isn't enough for many reef tanks.

You'd need to consume 50 ppm of nitrate every day to just match that.

 

[liudachris]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
Thanks Randy for the insight!
For phosphate additive, I see sodium triphosphate which is 94% pure and trisodium phosphate which is 99.9% pure on the loud wolf website.
Which do you recommend? (I was thinking sodium triphosphate because I'll be adding less sodium into the tank).
Do I have to worry about salinity issues with this?

Thanks again!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
Thanks Randy for the insight!
If I also add sodium triphosphate, will it affect salinity or throw NaCL off?
Do I have to make any adjustments?
Thanks again!

Those additions are generally insignificant to anything except phosphate.

 

[liudachris]

Those additions are generally insignificant to anything except phosphate.

Hi Randy,
Sorry I think I edited my post right before you responded. Do you recommend trisodium phosphate or sodium triphosphate?
Chris

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi Randy,
Sorry I think I edited my post right before you responded. Do you recommend trisodium phosphate or sodium triphosphate?
Chris

I'd pick trisodium phosphate.

 

[ak21]

I'd pick trisodium phosphate.

I was searching trisodium phosphate vs sodium triphosphate to raise my phosphates levels in my reef tank and what is better. You said its trisodium phosphate. Any reason for that? mass percentage wise triphosphate has more P and less sodium compare to tri sodium phosphate. so why? if reason is sensitivity to weight the sodium triphosphate then i agree but is there anything else which I'm missing? Im researching all your threads of traces, nitrate and phosphate dosing. Thanks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was searching trisodium phosphate vs sodium triphosphate to raise my phosphates levels in my reef tank and what is better. You said its trisodium phosphate. Any reason for that? mass percentage wise triphosphate has more P and less sodium compare to tri sodium phosphate. so why? if reason is sensitivity to weight the sodium triphosphate then i agree but is there anything else which I'm missing? Im researching all your threads of traces, nitrate and phosphate dosing. Thanks.

Triphosphate (3 phosphate entities covalently linked together) is a different chemical molecule than phosphate that may not be detected by many kits and I am not certain how bioavailable it is prior to breakdown.

sodium triphosphate:

Trisodium phosphate:

 

[ak21]

Triphosphate (3 phosphate entities covalently linked together) is a different chemical molecule than phosphate that may not be detected by many kits and I am not certain how bioavailable it is prior to breakdown.

sodium triphosphate:

Trisodium phosphate:

Trisodium phosphate it is then.

Thanks