Adding ESV Nitrate | Ca(NO₃)₂ to ESV Transitional Elements

[Dennis Cartier]

Anyone see any issue with combining ESV Nitrate - Ca(NO₃)₂ with their ESV Transitional Elements (Fe,Zn,Mn)? I want to auto dose small amounts of them during my photo period and it would be easiest to just to use a single dosing vessel/head. I know that BRS mixes the TM K+ elements, which contain these same elements among others, into the Calcium Chloride in their Hybrid Balling method, but that does not include Nitrate. The mixture would last a month, so it would need to be stable for that period. Any issues with these 2 products?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Anyone see any issue with combining ESV Nitrate - Ca(NO₃)₂ with their ESV Transitional Elements (Fe,Zn,Mn)? I want to auto dose small amounts of them during my photo period and it would be easiest to just to use a single dosing vessel/head. I know that BRS mixes the TM K+ elements, which contain these same elements among others, into the Calcium Chloride in their Hybrid Balling method, but that does not include Nitrate. The mixture would last a month, so it would need to be stable for that period. Any issues with these 2 products?

ESV B-Ionic Transition Elements
IONIC CONTENTS: Chloride*, sodium*, citrate, sulfate*, iron, potassium*,, manganese, sorbate**, zinc

You might precipitate out some calcium sulfate, but that's not a problem if that's all that happens. :)

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Cool. Thanks Randy.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I went ahead and tried combining the two together. I mixed up 60 ml of the solution, and hooked it up to a dosing pump to dose 2 ml/day. Just priming the tubing took about 35 ml of the starting dose.

I had to refill today, but I found that the syringe would not pull back to full extension, so I am guessing that calcium sulfate was precipitated. I don't really want to have to use a new syringe each time, so I have resorted to only using calcium nitrate and foregoing the Transition Elements for now. I can add a second syringe and dosing head if I want to re-start the Transition Elements. I want to run with just calcium nitrate first to check something, though it will take about 2 weeks for the mixed solution to clear the tubing before it becomes 100% calcium nitrate.

While doing the swap, I found a split in one of the hoses connecting to the dosing pump. There was some sticky residue where it had pooled, over a few days, on top of the Masterflexes.

After I fixed the leak, today's high point for pH was 8.41. I had noticed that my high had dropped off recently and was only hitting 8.34 - 8.35. So perhaps the lack of the small bump to nitrate, and the lowering of growth, was the source of the lower daily pH. I will know in 2 weeks when the 100% calcium nitrate reaches the end of the dosing line and if I am right, causes my daily high to jump a bit higher. The daily dose of calcium nitrate is +0.25 ppm, but will jump to +0.50 ppm after the100% calcium nitrate reaches the sump.

 

[csund]

I use transition elements plus along with their nitrate product. This keeps phosphates down without bottoming out nitrates first. It works surprisingly well! I use to use lanthanum and gfo together and phosphates would always creep back up over .1. Now I’m worried I’m going to be too low on phosphates, last night they were .02. Every solution creates a new problem!

I do dose them separately though.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I use transition elements plus along with their nitrate product. This keeps phosphates down without bottoming out nitrates first. It works surprisingly well! I use to use lanthanum and gfo together and phosphates would always creep back up over .1. Now I’m worried I’m going to be too low on phosphates, last night they were .02. Every solution creates a new problem!

I do dose them separately though.

Ah, that is a neat spin on carbon dosing, providing the nitrate for the carbon to utilize. I may steal that idea in the future. For the moment my nitrate is always around 0.2 ppm, but when that changes, I will look to switch to the Plus version.

 

[lesismore]

I use transition elements plus along with their nitrate product. This keeps phosphates down without bottoming out nitrates first. It works surprisingly well! I use to use lanthanum and gfo together and phosphates would always creep back up over .1. Now I’m worried I’m going to be too low on phosphates, last night they were .02. Every solution creates a new problem!

I do dose them separately though.

Hi! Do you still use the transition plus? It would be nice hearing how things have progressed long term. Also, do you find it has any off putting side effects? I used tropic marin’s version of carbon dosing for a time but was going through so much reef at fleece and had some cyano so I just try to use chaeto and consistent water changes to manage nitrate these days. This approach has lead to nitrates in the 30’s range. I’m trying to feed less to see if I can lower things further.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi! Do you still use the transition plus? It would be nice hearing how things have progressed long term. Also, do you find it has any off putting side effects? I used tropic marin’s version of carbon dosing for a time but was going through so much reef at fleece and had some cyano so I just try to use chaeto and consistent water changes to manage nitrate these days. This approach has lead to nitrates in the 30’s range. I’m trying to feed less to see if I can lower things further.

I don’t have anything to add on these products except that 30 ppm nitrate is within my target range of 5-50 ppm nitrate. :)

 

[lesismore]

I don’t have anything to add on these products except that 30 ppm nitrate is within my target range of 5-50 ppm nitrate. :)

I’m learning so much, largely from you Randy so thank you as always. I do have a large system with 350 total gallons. I have been doing 20% monthly water changes. Do you think that’s adequate or should I consider making it a biweekly thing, perhaps at a little lower % changed? Nitrate is usually somehwehere in the 30’s when I test it, which as you say is right in your safe range.

Salt gets a bit $ for a big tank, so I’m trying to be efficient, but I want to be open minded. I’m running gfo 24/7, my phosphate ranges between .08-.14. I have tried to use reasonably modest amounts of gfo to keep things stabile and consistent. My alk, cal and mag are all where I want them as well. My coral and many fish all look well to me. My system is 13 months old, and I’m still fine tuning things, but my chaeto is huge and grows very fast. All in all, I’m pretty happy with how things are going and the display looks clean and healthy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Water changes are a contentious topic, but I think changing a reasonable amount is a good idea, mostly from an export standpoint. I change about 1% daily with an AWC (auto water change) system, and on a system your size, that’s how I would go.

It doesn’t really do much for nitrate and phosphate, and those are more readily controlled other ways (unless the tank is very small). The chaeto is a good plan, IMO.

 

[lesismore]

Water changes are a contentious topic, but I think changing a reasonable amount is a good idea, mostly from an export standpoint. I change about 1% daily with an AWC (auto water change) system, and on a system your size, that’s how I would go.

It doesn’t really do much for nitrate and phosphate, and those are more readily controlled other ways (unless the tank is very small). The chaeto is a good plan, IMO.

Thank you Randy. I will try to take that approach.