Calcium Nitrate Solubility Limit in Water

[Billys_reef]

Hi @Randy Holmes-Farley

I've been battling 0 nitrates for the past couple months on a 3 year mixed reef. SPS seems to be losing colors and some of my euphyllias and zoas are not as opened as they used to be. Phosphates are currently sitting around 0.04-0.06ppm according to the hanna ULR Phosphate checker.

Nitrates show up 0 on the salifert test kit and also confirmed by fauna marin icp showing as 0.15mg/L 2 months ago and is now at 0.58mg/L during the most recent ICP.

During the past couple months, I have tried upping feeding, added acropower, and also added reef roids. There's a lot of uneaten food now that I upped my feedings and acropower/reef roids is getting costly for me as this is a 175g system.

I have decided to try dosing calcium nitrate. Here is the link that I got it from.

https://i.gyazo.com/df2ddddce1dbc9184cb5c2f38c38e886.png

It isn't pure calcium nitrate from my understanding and there is about 1% of ammoniacal nitrogen (it is almost impossible to get any other type of potassium/sodium nitrate in Canada as it is banned). I think this may be beneficial as I'll be dosing ammonia and nitrogen at the same time.

According to the James' Planted Tank Calculator :
Tank Volume = 175g
Nutrient = I used potassium nitrate (there was no entry for calcium nitrate)
Amount to add = 100grams
Amount of water to mix with = 500mL
It says that 0.1mL of solution will increase my nitrate by 0.02.
I will be dosing 24 times a day which means 0.02ppm * 24 = 0.48ppm nitrate.
This will be my starting dose.

The question is what the solubility of calcium nitrate is in water? I don't want to keep refilling my bottles so I would like a stronger dose and according to the calculator this seems like the perfect dose. I'm just not sure if adding this much calcium nitrate in 500mL of water is possible.

Any insight would be appreciated.


Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why not dose ammonium bicarbonate? Lots of people having success with it.

That said, calcium nitrate is extremely soluble. More calcium nitrate than water in a saturated solution.

 

[Billys_reef]

Why not dose ammonium bicarbonate? Lots of people having success with it.

That said, calcium nitrate is extremely soluble. More calcium nitrate than water in a saturated solution.

Okay thank you, that is reassuring that I won't be going anywhere near the saturation point.

I have considered ammonium bicarbonate but there doesn't seem to be any results showing up on Amazon when I type " ammonium bicarbonate ". This is the results I get. Does ammonium carbonate work also?

https://i.gyazo.com/380fa4f1a13d3ee3df1dcd84dd2a0a70.png

Is there another common name for this? Seems like in Canada there isn't much of a selection.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Okay thank you, that is reassuring that I won't be going anywhere near the saturation point.

I have considered ammonium bicarbonate but there doesn't seem to be any results showing up on Amazon when I type " ammonium bicarbonate ". This is the results I get. Does ammonium carbonate work also?

https://i.gyazo.com/380fa4f1a13d3ee3df1dcd84dd2a0a70.png

Is there another common name for this? Seems like in Canada there isn't much of a selection.

Look for baking ammonia.

 

[Billys_reef]

Look for baking ammonia.

Searched baking ammonia and it seems like Amazon only carries ammonium carbonate.Is that the same as ammonium bicarbonate and can I use the same formula for 20g in 1L of water?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Searched baking ammonia and it seems like Amazon only carries ammonium carbonate.Is that the same as ammonium bicarbonate and can I use the same formula for 20g in 1L of water?

It’s close and ok. It may smell a bit more than ammonium bicarbonate, but the in tank functionality is the same.

 

[Billys_reef]

It’s close and ok. It may smell a bit more than ammonium bicarbonate, but the in tank functionality is the same.

Thank you Randy, I have decided to dose ammonium carbonate instead since it is similar. This is what I am planning to buy,

According to the calculations, I should be mixing 20g of ammonium carbonate to 1L of rodi. Dosing 0.3ppm of ammonia ( 6.9mL) should add a little over 1ppm of nitrates spread over 24 doses a day in a 175g system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you Randy, I have decided to dose ammonium carbonate instead since it is similar. This is what I am planning to buy,

According to the calculations, I should be mixing 20g of ammonium carbonate to 1L of rodi. Dosing 0.3ppm of ammonia ( 6.9mL) should add a little over 1ppm of nitrates spread over 24 doses a day in a 175g system.

The ammonium carbonate is a little less weight potent since both products are ammonia plus CO2 and the carbonate just has less CO2, but the recipe as is will be fine.

 

[Billys_reef]

The ammonium carbonate is a little less weight potent since both products are ammonia plus CO2 and the carbonate just has less CO2, but the recipe as is will be fine.

Thank you Randy, I will give that a try!

 

[KStatefan]

Searched baking ammonia and it seems like Amazon only carries ammonium carbonate.Is that the same as ammonium bicarbonate and can I use the same formula for 20g in 1L of water?

Link for ammonia bicarb that I use from azm.

 

[Billys_reef]

Link for ammonia bicarb that I use from azm.

I've tried the link and it takes me to the american amazon but unfortunately they do not ship to Canada. I'm not sure why amazon canada does not sell any ammonium bicarbonate.