Raising Nitrates without Disturbing Phosphates

[ClutchCityReefer]

@Randy Holmes-Farley can you help explain how to best use the dosing calculator to dose the sodium nitrate? (James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator). The sodium nitrate finally arrived yesterday and I have a beaker and magnetic stirrer so I should be ready to mix. My system is approximately 100 gallons.

FWIW I increased my feeding and was at least able to get some nitrate in the system (1ppm currently per Hanna HR tester), the issue is that you were correct and this caused my phosphate to spike and it went from .08 to .6.

One concern I have is that with the Thanksgiving holiday upcoming I leave Sunday for a week. I am a little hesitant to begin dosing then just leave, do you think it is safe to dose some nitrates now or should I just wait until I return from thanksgiving vacation?

Thanks again

 

[Lasse]

The calculator is for freshwater plants and they need potassium - therefore it is no sodium nitrate within the calculator but this is no rocket science. I use to mix 40 g of Sodium or potassium nitrate with RO water up to 500 ml. 1 ml of this solution will rise 100 L aquarium water with around 0.5 ppm. This around and close enough IMO The exact figures for sodium nitrate is that 1 ml of this stock solution will rise the NO3 concentration in 100 L with 0,54 ppm and if it was potassium nitrate - the same ml will rise NO3 concentration in 100 L with 0.49 ppm - it means that if you use KNO3 in the calculator and use NaNO3 instead - you should multiply the result (ppm rise) with around 1.1

Amount of water to mix with - is your stock solution amount (the volume in ml of your mixed KNO3 and RO water)

In this example - if you use NaNO3 instead - you should multiply the ppm nitrate with 1.1 -> 0.54 ppm nitrate

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Since it is trial and error (dose and measure) anyway, the small correction that Lasse shows is really not necessary.

Just use sodium nitrate and electing "nitrate from potassium nitrate" in the calculator.

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

Thanks so much for helping with an illustrative example! Since my tank is about 100 US gallons, not liters, I should use the calculator as follows, correct?

 

[Crabby48]

This is what I used and others I know

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

And do you guys think it is risky to dose the nitrate on a Friday and to then leave town for a week on a Sunday? How would you recommend dosing? i.e. what levels would you target, what would you dose to get there, when, etc.?

Sorry for the dumb questions but I am extremely new at this.

THANK YOU BOTH SOOOO MUCH!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That looks good.

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

Also do you have any tips for mixing for a novice? I know to use RO so should I just put 500mL in a 2000mL beaker, add the 140 grams, then turn on the magnetic stirrer?

I haven't done anything like this since high school chemistry 20 years ago so I wasn't sure if there were any tips or if there was anything I'm missing...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Also do you have any tips for mixing for a novice? I know to use RO so should I just put 500mL in a 2000mL beaker, add the 140 grams, then turn on the magnetic stirrer?

I haven't done anything like this since high school chemistry 20 years ago so I wasn't sure if there were any tips or if there was anything I'm missing...

Sodium nitrate is very soluble. Should mix in easily. The procedure you suggest would be fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is what I used and others I know

Calcium nitrate itself is a fine way to go. In some ways it is best since it adds both calcium and alkalinity in a balanced fashion.

My only concern with a product lacking a purity grade is just that, is it adequately pure for a reef aquarium.

That, and cost, is why I recommend food grade sodium nitrate.

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

So how would you suggest going about the dosing schedule? Since 1 ml should equate to about a 0.5ppm nitrate rise in my system, should I add 4 ml after work this evening to try to raise levels to 3 ppm? Should I only do 1 ml today and test, then add 2 ml tomorrow, test, etc.?

How does travel on Sunday impact this schedule?

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd dose 2 ppm a day and see what happens, and there's no risk from missing some days or not monitoring closely.

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

Thank you, much appreciated!

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

@Randy Holmes-Farley and @Lasse, my sodium nitrate solution is mixing and I will be ready to dose 4 ml soon to raise my nitrate by approximately 2ppm. My question is this, should I just does the 4 ml all at once to a highflow area of my sump or is it better to dose it more slowly over a few hours (I don't have a dosing pump)? Also, is it better to dose into my powerheads in the display or a high flow area of the sump? Thanks!

 

[Lasse]

IMO - you can do it the way that is best for you- I always prefer to dose in the sump but there is not any right or wrong here IMO

Sincerely Lasse

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

Thanks Lasse! I dosed into the sump last night and tested again this morning and it seems to be doing its thing. Levels rose from 1.0 to 2.1! I will continue with this daily regimen (dosing and then testing) until it's time to head for thanksgiving. Here is to hoping I don't return to a tank full of dinos/cyano when I return!

 

[Lasse]

Take it slowly

Sincerely Lasse

 

[ClutchCityReefer]

Will do. Would you skip some days then or is it ok to do about the 2 ppm dose/day?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Will do. Would you skip some days then or is it ok to do about the 2 ppm dose/day?

It will rise and fall with po4 depending on your demand and substrate, so only you will know along with testing...

 

[WereAllNegan]

If you really want to increase nitrate and not phosphate, feeding any food (including phyto) will not do it. It contains both N and P. Dosing of nitrate is the way, as mentioned above.

If you still need help with the calculator, I'm happy to do so.

I'm bringing my Nitrates up with the use of food grade sodium nitrate, my phosphates are currently at 0.03. Will dosing nitrates lower my phosphate to near zero? Should I wait for my Phos to go up before dosing the Nitrate? Thank you Randy