Dosing nitrate
- Thread starter nly04
- Start date
Coral reefer
Past President
What about changing your nutrient removal strategy so it’s not 0 in a more natural way?
That is great idea. I feed twice a day with pellet, once a week with frozen food. I don't dose any thing to remove NO3, I use the first section of my 70gal sump (around 10gal water) as refugium with chaeto and only turn light on at night from 9pm-9am. Few option here, what do you think what should work best base on your experience?
1/ add more fish.
2/ feed more food.
3/ reduce light time on refugium.
4/ reduce skimmer time (I am using bubble king DC180 on my 150gal DT).
5/ dose nitrate.
RandyC
Supporting Member
I would first try to feeding more and reducing time on fuge first. Adding fish is an option too.
If you do dose, I currently use reagent grade Sodium Nitrate from Amazon. I mix 25 grams for every liter of RODI. For every 1ml of this mixture, it will increase nitrate by 0.8ppm per 5 gallons of saltwater.
Sodium Nitrate, Reagent Grade (chemically Pure) – 1 lb. Bag https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0190TO...i_i_1Q85ESS6AV88CE3R12SF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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I dose Brightwell NeoNitro. I like additives that are made for the hobby personally, especially those like this that will be dosed in relatively small amounts anyway so there isn’t much real cost savings to going off-road. If you do use something not made for the hobby, do your research and pick something that is pharma-grade, used and trusted by lots of hobbyists. The one linked by Randy may well fit the criteria.
Nitrate can be added without being too exact. Unlike some other parameters you can just add it whenever it looks low, like once a week or whatever, all in one shot. Start by following the directions and doing the math, and you’ll get a feel for what your tank needs pretty quickly. I just squirt some in without measuring exactly when my nitrate is below 1 ppm.
In general I agree with natural methods, but if you just feed more you’ll increase your phosphate too, which right now is perfect. If your tank is like mine and just routinely uses up a higher N to P ratio than the ratio my food provides, then if you just keep feeding to keep your N above 0 you’ll be constantly increasing P and eventually have a problem.
Nitrate can be added without being too exact. Unlike some other parameters you can just add it whenever it looks low, like once a week or whatever, all in one shot. Start by following the directions and doing the math, and you’ll get a feel for what your tank needs pretty quickly. I just squirt some in without measuring exactly when my nitrate is below 1 ppm.
In general I agree with natural methods, but if you just feed more you’ll increase your phosphate too, which right now is perfect. If your tank is like mine and just routinely uses up a higher N to P ratio than the ratio my food provides, then if you just keep feeding to keep your N above 0 you’ll be constantly increasing P and eventually have a problem.
Oakland Evan
Guest
I like to dose a very small amount of nitrate every day. Not enough to really bring my nitrate levels up, but enough to make sure I never hit 0.
Thanks @RandyC . Just want to understand correctly. Do you mean you mix 25g of Sodium Nitrate that you get on the link to 1 liter of RODI. Is the whole liter will only increase 0.8ppm per 5gal of saltwater? or what the dosing amount to get 5 gal of saltwater to get 0.8ppm? 1ml or 10 ml or a whole liter?
The easy way to dose nitrate incrementally is just dump it in your ATO water. Ballpark how much you want to add, measured in filling bottle caps or squirts versus scientific ml measurements, and pour it into the ATO. That means the dosing only happens due to water evap, but that's probably better anyway since that means during the day when coral are growing they get more.
I use both Redsea and Salifer, both showing 0. Also my corals look pale, too.
RandyC
Supporting Member
Sorry, I left out important info. Make a mixture of 25g of the sodium nitrate with 1 liter of RODI. For every 1ml of this mixture you made will increase nitrates by 0.8ppm for every 5 gallons of tank volume.
SaltwaterAddict
Guest
Yes! I started adding reef roids and AB+ and both of these brought my nitrates up.
I use these once a week when I mix frozen food. Like @JVU said if feeding too much phosphate will go up, too.
Mike Yasin
Guest
Good suggestions here - don’t feed more just yet to prevent higher undesirable effects.
i make my own NANO3 as well, just find a legit grade source like Randy’s link.
this is good calculator to use: just use the potassium nitrate drop down. http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm
also, there is a difference in dosing what your
coral will need vs. Dosing to get a consistent reading- two very different things. Don’t overshoot it, depending on your corals, they may use XXppm a day, and you still won’t get a reading on your test. Go by how your system responds.
I have a heavy SPS load, add 6ppm per day and always test below 1ppm. I do carbon dose and add bacteria as well, so your application will be different. Start small and go from there.
i make my own NANO3 as well, just find a legit grade source like Randy’s link.
this is good calculator to use: just use the potassium nitrate drop down. http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm
also, there is a difference in dosing what your
coral will need vs. Dosing to get a consistent reading- two very different things. Don’t overshoot it, depending on your corals, they may use XXppm a day, and you still won’t get a reading on your test. Go by how your system responds.
I have a heavy SPS load, add 6ppm per day and always test below 1ppm. I do carbon dose and add bacteria as well, so your application will be different. Start small and go from there.
Great suggestion. I think I have some Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate let that I will make some up and start dosing.
i have some greenleaf kno3 if you wanna try that. i have it as back up if my no3 ever dropped, but it never did. same link as @Mike Yasin posted for the calculations.
Coral reefer
Past President
I wouldn’t say feed more as that’s going to impact phosphate more than nitrate ime
I would say more fish or less skimmer or Refugium. Not sure if less hours of light maybe pull more chaeto out more often so there is less in there growing would be better
I would say more fish or less skimmer or Refugium. Not sure if less hours of light maybe pull more chaeto out more often so there is less in there growing would be better
Coral reefer
Past President
Pretty much all phosphate heavy ime
Chromis
Supporting Member
Acropower is 100% N (if there is excess that corals don’t use)