DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Since I have been dosing Ammonium Bicarbonate I have noticed a slight drop in pH and a 0.5 increase in dKH. Is that coincidence, or is there a biochemical reaction happening that I dont know about or understand? I dose two part and the amounts added to the tank have not changed.

I do not know of a reason for alk to rise unless nitrate is dropping. pH is controlled by a lot of variable factors, from people to weather to cooking, but the dosing of ammonia bicarbonate should have very little direct pH effect.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For those that have been dosing Ammonium Bicarb and have a Red Sea ReefMat and ATO+, do you find you must clean the contact sensors more often? My ATO+ started having false readings a lot. Also, the ReefMat sensor stop detecting the overflow. Cleaning in citric acid and brushing helped, but now it seems I can only go a week or so before I must clean again.

What do the deposits look like?

 

[JulesH]

For those that have been dosing Ammonium Bicarb and have a Red Sea ReefMat and ATO+, do you find you must clean the contact sensors more often? My ATO+ started having false readings a lot. Also, the ReefMat sensor stop detecting the overflow. Cleaning in citric acid and brushing helped, but now it seems I can only go a week or so before I must clean again.

I use a Clarisea filter roller, and I have not noticed any differences in its operation. Having said that I do dose down stream of the filter roller.

 

[BR260354]

What do the deposits look like?

What I received from Red Sea support.

Our initial assessment found that the sensor readings were inaccurate due to a significant buildup on the sensor probes. Once this buildup was scraped off, the accuracy of the sensor readings was restored.

Do you dose any supplements in the return chamber near the sensor, and do you have any stray voltage in the aquarium? A faulty piece of equipment or improper grounding can cause a rapid accumulation of mineral deposits on the sensor probes, affecting the sensor accuracy.


I hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

 

[reefsanz]

I have noticed that I have to clean the windows every two days, before it was once a week, there is a greenish biofilm on the windows and the consumption of core7 has increased. I am now adding at least 30ml of ammonium and the nitrates are maintaining at 2.6

 

[drawman]

I have noticed that I have to clean the windows every two days, before it was once a week, there is a greenish biofilm on the windows and the consumption of core7 has increased. I am now adding at least 30ml of ammonium and the nitrates are maintaining at 2.6

30mL a day in what size tank?

 

[buruskeee]

I didn’t see this asked, maybe I missed it, and I assume it’s safe - can I use a plastic ATO container to hold my solution?

Also, I have a 150g system, for 0.1ppm daily dose, assuming I dose about 1g per day from my ATO, will 35ml of the solution in my 10G ATO equate to 0.1ppm at 1g per day? Just want my math to be peer reviewed lol.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I didn’t see this asked, maybe I missed it, and I assume it’s safe - can I use a plastic ATO container to hold my solution?

Also, I have a 150g system, for 0.1ppm daily dose, assuming I dose about 1g per day from my ATO, will 35ml of the solution in my 10G ATO equate to 0.1ppm at 1g per day? Just want my math to be peer reviewed lol.

Yes, plastic that can ordinarily hold water is fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I didn’t see this asked, maybe I missed it, and I assume it’s safe - can I use a plastic ATO container to hold my solution?

Also, I have a 150g system, for 0.1ppm daily dose, assuming I dose about 1g per day from my ATO, will 35ml of the solution in my 10G ATO equate to 0.1ppm at 1g per day? Just want my math to be peer reviewed lol.

My recipe:
To add 0.1 mg/L ammonia to an aquarium, you would need to add 2.3 mL of either stock solution to a 100 L (26 gallon) aquarium. You may need to add this amount multiply times per day to dose enough.

35 mL in 10 gallons and dosing 1 gallon is dosing 3.5 mL.

3.5 mL dosed to 150 gallons is the same as dosing 0.61 mL per 26 gallons.

That is .61/2.3 = 0.26 times what I suggested. Thus, it is well below 0.1 ppm per day.

 

[buruskeee]

100 L (26 gallon) aquarium.

Ahhh.. read this as 100G not 100L. Thanks for helping me catch that. So basically 6x my calcs.

 

[KStatefan]

Ahhh.. read this as 100G not 100L. Thanks for helping me catch that. So basically 6x my calcs.

2.3 ml/26 gallons * 150 gallons = 13.3 ml of ammonia solution/ 1 gallon of ATO * 10 gallon ATO = 133 ml of ammonia solution.

 

[BriDroid]

I posted in the other ammonia thread that my corals have more color and appear happier since I started dosing ammonia vs the NeoNitro I was before. While my Goldenrod was growing before, it never really extended its pretty purple polyps. After just a few days of dosing ammonia at 0.2ppm 2 to 3 times a day, I have great polyp extension on all my corals, and the Goldenrod is really sticking them out. It seems that dosing ammonia is no joke! My inverts and fish don't seem to mind one bit either.

 

[buruskeee]

Does anyone notice any smells at all for those holding the solutions mixed into their ATO?

 

[buruskeee]

So I calculated my ATO will have a concentration of 13ppm of ammonia (using ammonium bicarbonate), will that smell at all at that concentration? What concentration starts to noticeably smell?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I calculated my ATO will have a concentration of 13ppm of ammonia (using ammonium bicarbonate), will that smell at all at that concentration? What concentration starts to noticeably smell?

I think it will be easier and more useful for you to make it and test the smell yourself. I don’t think one can easily look it up or calculate it. Do not just look up ammonia concentrations in general because pH had a huge effect on release of ammonia to the air.

 

[Pjot]

Hi, I am wondering if I can make the solution 10x stronger by using 135g in 1000ml of water or will it not dissolve???
The reason for that is that my system is fairly big and I would need to dose about 600ml for each dose of your recipe. The system is approx 26000 litres. I have nitrate at 1ppm and phosphate at 0,14ppm.
Thanks alot for all your recipes Randy, they make my reef grow and thrive.

 

[Pjot]

Hi, I am wondering if I can make the solution 10x stronger by using 135g in 1000ml of water or will it not dissolve???
The reason for that is that my system is fairly big and I would need to dose about 600ml for each dose of your recipe. The system is approx 26000 litres. I have nitrate at 1ppm and phosphate at 0,14ppm.
Thanks alot for all your recipes Randy, they make my reef grow and thrive.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, that concentration will dissolve. Just keep it closed between uses.

 

[buruskeee]

Is anyone here dosing via ATO?

Please share thoughts on results so far and maintenance with the ATO if any.

Any noticeable smell stuck in the container?

Any problems with ATO dosing swings via return chamber sudden water level dropping?

 

[drawman]

Is anyone here dosing via ATO?

Please share thoughts on results so far and maintenance with the ATO if any.

Any noticeable smell stuck in the container?

Any problems with ATO dosing swings via return chamber sudden water level dropping?

I'm curious as well. I would but living in Florida I can't really cover my ATO because it will grow mold.