DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

[PedroYoung]

I’ve been dosing 25ml stock sol’n of Ammonia bicarbonate in 250G tank, saw immediate increase in algae on the glass (went from maybe 1x week clean to every day) and some macro algae coming out of the live rock. Still 0 NO3. Anyone else have experience with this type of reaction? I’m guessing it might settle out but the constant daily maintenance on glass is not going to be sustainable for me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve been dosing 25ml stock sol’n of Ammonia bicarbonate in 250G tank, saw immediate increase in algae on the glass (went from maybe 1x week clean to every day) and some macro algae coming out of the live rock. Still 0 NO3. Anyone else have experience with this type of reaction? I’m guessing it might settle out but the constant daily maintenance on glass is not going to be sustainable for me.

No other apparent changes?

 

[ThePicc]

Hi everyone. I am dosing three doses of 0.1 ppm. How long after a dose do you test for ammonium? After a few hours my value is 0.15/0.20 ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi everyone. I am dosing three doses of 0.1 ppm. How long after a dose do you test for ammonium? After a few hours my value is 0.15/0.20 ppm

That’s plausible if you dose 0.3 ppm. How did you measure it?

 

[BriDroid]

I’ve been dosing 25ml stock sol’n of Ammonia bicarbonate in 250G tank, saw immediate increase in algae on the glass (went from maybe 1x week clean to every day) and some macro algae coming out of the live rock. Still 0 NO3. Anyone else have experience with this type of reaction? I’m guessing it might settle out but the constant daily maintenance on glass is not going to be sustainable for me.

Same for me. My nano is in my office and I was cleaning the glass once or twice a day, no measurable N either.

Now that I’m dosing aminos, the algae on the glass has gone way down. It’s still way too early to say for sure, but I have been scraping a lot less. Still no measurable N either.

 

[M4sonic]

Sorry if this has been answered somewhere in the last 72 pages, but does it matter if it's dosed during daylight hours or at night?

 

[PedroYoung]

No other apparent changes?

Hard to say, I wouldn’t expect obvious changes in coloration etc in the corals after a week. A couple of my LPS are somewhat distressed, not fully expanding. I discontinued dosing after a week and I am contemplating resuming. The algae growth has slowed down but more than prior to dosing. I’m still unclear on what causes a tank to be NO3 limited? Is it overactive bio filter? Never thought I’d struggle with low nutrients, now scared of Dino’s.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry if this has been answered somewhere in the last 72 pages, but does it matter if it's dosed during daylight hours or at night?

It may be taken up more during the day by corals, but that’s not 100% clear.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hard to say, I wouldn’t expect obvious changes in coloration etc in the corals after a week. A couple of my LPS are somewhat distressed, not fully expanding. I discontinued dosing after a week and I am contemplating resuming. The algae growth has slowed down but more than prior to dosing. I’m still unclear on what causes a tank to be NO3 limited? Is it overactive bio filter? Never thought I’d struggle with low nutrients, now scared of Dino’s.

Might just be more consumers than producers. :)

 

[ThePicc]

That’s plausible if you dose 0.3 ppm. How did you measure it?

By Salifert NH3 test

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

By Salifert NH3 test

I’m not sure how accurate it is at those levels, but it might be. In any case, it seems fine. :)

 

[Luminous74]

I wonder how ammonium dosing affects the bacterial population. I've experimented a lot with NP Plus and similar products—not very scientifically, but my animals always reacted poorly.

Could ammonium dosing, given sufficient carbon, simply boost bacterial growth, preventing enough nitrogen from reaching the corals? That might explain why some tanks struggle with undetectable NO₃
.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Could ammonium dosing, given sufficient carbon, simply boost bacterial growth, preventing enough nitrogen from reaching the corals? That might explain why some tanks struggle with undetectable NO₃
.

I'd be surprised if bacteria are generally nitrogen limited in a reef tank, but it certainly can be the case that there's not enough ammonia to go around.

 

[Dan Reef]

Is it safe to add ammonium chloride and vinegar to the calcium chloride solution, as Coral Euphoria does ?

He mixes:

- 200ml vinegar
- 1g ammonia chloride

To 1 gallon of Calcium chloride solution.

If safe, can I switch to ammonium bicarbonate ?

Video reference:

 

[tbrown]

Is it safe to add ammonium chloride and vinegar to the calcium chloride solution, as Coral Euphoria does ?

He mixes:

- 200ml vinegar
- 1g ammonia chloride

To 1 gallon of Calcium chloride solution.

If safe, can I switch to ammonium bicarbonate ?

Video reference:

Chlorine and Ammonia mixed causes toxic fumes. Do Ammonium and Chloride?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is it safe to add ammonium chloride and vinegar to the calcium chloride solution, as Coral Euphoria does ?

He mixes:

- 200ml vinegar
- 1g ammonia chloride

To 1 gallon of Calcium chloride solution.

If safe, can I switch to ammonium bicarbonate ?

Probably. The small amount of bicarbonate is likely ok with the vinegar bringing down the pH. Without vinegar I would not.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Chlorine and Ammonia mixed causes toxic fumes. Do Ammonium and Chloride?

No, chloride is not reactive in that way. :)

 

[Dan Reef]

Probably. The small amount of bicarbonate is likely ok with the vinegar bringing down the pH. Without vinegar I would not.

Hi Randy

To better understand, the ammonium chloride would definitely work and ammonium bicarbonate would probably work?

What’s the risk of using bicarbonate ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy

To better understand, the ammonium chloride would definitely work and ammonium bicarbonate would probably work?

What’s the risk of using bicarbonate ?

Calcium carbonate precipitation is the concern. The lower pH from the vinegar makes that less likely, keeping more if the bicarbonate as bicarbonate and not carbonate.

 

[Dan Reef]

And ammonium chloride would be ok?

Sorry to bother, just want to be sure before using