Question about Spectracide Stump Remover dosing

[tcoyle]

So one negative thing I have noticed is one of my plating monti's is turning grey. Randy, is it possible that my potassium level dropped from dosing potassium nitrate? I would think it would have gone up if anything. So far my nitrates are around 1.5ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I doubt it will move potassium much one way or the other in the short term. If anything, it may cause a small and slow rise.

The K:N ratio in potassium nitrate (2.8) is higher than the K:N ratio in macroalgae (maybe 0.05 to 0.5), for example, so adding KNO3 and thereby boosting macroalgae growth should not be able to cause a decline in potassium.

 

[Pete polyp]

Looks like I need to juice my tank. ...

 

[sfg]

*skeet skeet

 

[malira]

Once a person starts dosing do they get off? If you have a low nutrient system, and you don't want one, you still haven't solved the underlying issue. Is this a quick fix or a way of reefing that some just have to do?

 

[sfg]

I started dosing as I wanted to know if nitrates was the underlying issue with my SPS turning pale and the recent slow growth I've noticed. All my parameters were in check and I couldn't narrow down what the issue was. I never started into this with the assumption that I would be dosing nitrates for the long term.

One I started I quickly realized (within days) that the lack of was indeed my issue.

I got into SPS with the understanding that 0 nutrient was the ideal target. Come to find out that's not the case.

What I didn't try way cutting back on my macro algae. I always pushed to have as much as I could to help with the export process.

With a consistent 2 weeks of dosing every other day and a combination of slowly cutting back on the macro I believe I've come to a balance. I haven't dosed now in about a week and my nitrates have held steady at around 5ppm. Other than cutting back on my macro I haven't changed anything else.

I'm still testing every other day and will continue to do so for a few more weeks. If in the end I don't have to dose i will feel comfortable with just leaving things as they are and continue to keep the amount of macro as it stands today... About 1/3 of what I originally had.

A few here from what I understand continue to dose when they see tell tell signs of fading with their acros.

 

[malira]

I started dosing as I wanted to know if nitrates was the underlying issue with my SPS turning pale and the recent slow growth I've noticed. All my parameters were in check and I couldn't narrow down what the issue was. I never started into this with the assumption that I would be dosing nitrates for the long term.

One I started I quickly realized (within days) that the lack of was indeed my issue.

I got into SPS with the understanding that 0 nutrient was the ideal target. Come to find out that's not the case.

What I didn't try way cutting back on my macro algae. I always pushed to have as much as I could to help with the export process.

With a consistent 2 weeks of dosing every other day and a combination of slowly cutting back on the macro I believe I've come to a balance. I haven't dosed now in about a week and my nitrates have held steady at around 5ppm. Other than cutting back on my macro I haven't changed anything else.

I'm still testing every other day and will continue to do so for a few more weeks. If in the end I don't have to dose i will feel comfortable with just leaving things as they are and continue to keep the amount of macro as it stands today... About 1/3 of what I originally had.

A few here from what I understand continue to dose when they see tell tell signs of fading with their acros.

That makes sense. I dug myself a hole that I'm been trying to get out of for about 5 weeks. Things have been coming around slowly. Still no nitrates or phosphates but color is coming back strong. At it's worse it took algae over 2 weeks to go on my glass. No w I'm at 4 to 5 days.
I think my corals are soaking up my nitrates all they can right now.
I need more fish to ease my feeding schedule but until then I'll feed, feed, feed.

 

[Pete polyp]

Once a person starts dosing do they get off? If you have a low nutrient system, and you don't want one, you still haven't solved the underlying issue. Is this a quick fix or a way of reefing that some just have to do?

In my situation I might have to dose for long term.

 

[malira]

In my situation I might have to dose for long term.

Do you see your way out?

 

[twilliard]

Once a person starts dosing do they get off? If you have a low nutrient system, and you don't want one, you still haven't solved the underlying issue. Is this a quick fix or a way of reefing that some just have to do?

Its all about tank balance. The underlying issue is export, import and uptake
There are a lot of people who just feed more, get more fish and so on but in turn adds other issues like increased po4
To avoid that increase of po4 which algae loves then dose no3 and cut back on the feedings

 

[twilliard]

In my situation I might have to dose for long term.

Yes if you don't want to add more equipment to pull po4 then yes dosing no3 should be just another part of your dosing system.

 

[shane reef]

Ok so now I wanna play. I have bought all items need to make the potion. So I have zero nitrates and wanna raise to 5ppm . I have a will call it 75gal total volume. How many ml do I need to add to raise it to my desired of 5ppm?

 

[twilliard]

Ok so now I wanna play. I have bought all items need to make the potion. So I have zero nitrates and wanna raise to 5ppm . I have a will call it 75gal total volume. How many ml do I need to add to raise it to my desired of 5ppm?

Follow my directions up top and you will have what you are looking for

 

[Pete polyp]

Do you see your way out?

There is no way out for me. I have been dosing kno3 for a year now. This is my test results after no water change in 4 months, 11 fish dying in my system in the last 2 months, 40 dead sps. I didn't remove the fish after they died. I didn't dose kno3 for 2 weeks.

 

[Pete polyp]

Yes if you don't want to add more equipment to pull po4 then yes dosing no3 should be just another part of your dosing system.

I really don't think you understand. It's essential for me to dose kno3 because nothing else can be done about it. I do have equipment to remove Po4.

 

[shane reef]

Going up to 5 ppm in at once ok to do? Or should I do it slowly?

 

[Pete polyp]

Going up to 5 ppm in at once ok to do? Or should I do it slowly?

Trying to increase it that much at once could lead to an overdose. As far as effects on livestock there really shouldn't be any to increase 5pm at once. I would strongly suggest trying to increase it 1ppm at a time though. That way if you overdose to 6ppm it's no big deal. Accidentally dosing to 50ppm would more than likely be a problem.

 

[malira]

There is no way out for me. I have been dosing kno3 for a year now. This is my test results after no water change in 4 months, 11 fish dying in my system in the last 2 months, 40 dead sps. I didn't remove the fish after they died. I didn't dose kno3 for 2 weeks.

What happened? 11 fish? 40 sps?

I had to remove my bio-pellets and most of the phosguard and carbon (for now). I'm feeding a lot 2 to 3 times a day, just to dig out of my hole. Right now feeding is working. Color is coming back.

 

[Pete polyp]

Dinoflagellates wiped out my tank

 

[vuqdao]

Is it due to the dosing?