Could dosing ammonium bicarbonate mix increase NO3 consumption?

[Patx]

Hi!
Just wondering.
Could dosing ammonium bicarbonate solution increase NO3 consumption?
That seems contradictory.


My NO3 was decreasing, so I started gentle dose of NH4.
On average, my NO3 consumption was about -2 ppm/week.
Today, in just one day, the NO3 decreased by 1.4 ppm! Huh!?
Alk demand have also increase.

For now, I'm going to add 1/3+ food and increase NO3 with the NYOS I have on hand.
And up ALK +0.2 whit sodium bicarbonate.

(Could also be cheato related etc... but manual NH⁴ dose are "brand new" in my routine)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is possible that the ammonia dosing encouraged something to grow that then also took up more nitrate when it was larger. A macroalgae is a good candidate. It may also just be coincidence or test error.

 

[Patx]

It is possible that the ammonia dosing encouraged something to grow that then also took up more nitrate when it was larger. A macroalgae is a good candidate. It may also just be coincidence or test error.

It's just came to mind now...

i stop dosing diy nannochloropsis (~70ml/day)
Uv off for 2 hours then back on...
somewhere near the 28 mars.


Thk