DIY Nitrate Dosing Recipe

[rishma]

The price is up significantly, but this is what I bought and it is still available to me:

https://a.co/d/5Iv9O77

Ouch. I guess I’ll go with calcium nitrate and ask you if I can mix them 2 years from now when I’ve forgotten the answer.

 

[Sm1nts2escape]

Ouch. I guess I’ll go with calcium nitrate and ask you if I can mix them 2 years from now when I’ve forgotten the answer.

This is half the cost and lab grade Amazon product ASIN B0F3G5585S

 

[Sm1nts2escape]

Here’s a quick guide of the DIY nitrate recipes we commonly use for reef tanks.


Sodium nitrate and calcium nitrate are the most common materials used. It’s crucial to ensure that these compounds are food-grade or have a purity rating. Sourcing pure chemicals is more economical than purchasing hobby-grade products with no purity ratings.

Avoid using stump remover or potassium nitrate. Stump remover can contain various unknown byproducts, and both substances will likely boost potassium levels excessively.



Sodium Nitrate:

Food-grade sources are readily available online or on Amazon.

Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) is 73% nitrate by weight.


To achieve 1 ppm of nitrate (NO3) in 100 L, we need 100 mg of Nitrate.


Since sodium nitrate is 73% nitrate:


100 mg / 0.729 = 137 mg NaNO3 needed.


To make the solution, dissolve 137 g of sodium nitrate in 1 L of RO/DI or purified water.


1 mL of this solution will raise nitrate by 1 ppm in 100 L.




Calcium Nitrate:

Calcium nitrate is a bit harder to source. Most compounds are used for plant fertilizer.

However, Loudwolf sells 99% pure reagent-grade calcium nitrate tetrahydrate which is suitable for this purpose.

Calcium nitrate won’t skew the calcium:alkalinity ratio because the nitrate consumption will add back the balanced alk.


Calcium Nitrate Tetrahydrate Recipe:


Calcium nitrate tetrahydrate Ca(NO3)2 • 4H2O is 52.5% nitrate by weight.


To achieve 1 ppm of nitrate (NO3) in 100 L, we need 100 mg of Nitrate.


Since calcium nitrate tetrahydrate is 52.5% nitrate:


100 mg / 0.525 = 190.47mg Ca(NO3)2 • 4H2O needed.


To make the solution, dissolve 190.5 g of calcium nitrate tetrahydrate in 1 L of RO/DI or purified water.


1 mL of this solution will raise nitrate by 1 ppm in 100 L.




Note: Consuming 50 ppm of NO3 through dosing nitrate adds 2.3 dKH of alkalinity. However, the significance of this increase may vary depending on your nitrate demand. In most cases, you’d hardly notice it, if at all.

Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’d be wary of “lab grade” unless they specify what that means since that has no specific meaning.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Is this a suitable product for this recipe?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0825BC4N9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3EG7IM6GCE7TJ&psc=1

Edit: saw your respond above @Randy Holmes-Farley. Do you have a suggestions for a cheaper alternative available on azon?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is this a suitable product for this recipe?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0825BC4N9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3EG7IM6GCE7TJ&psc=1

Edit: saw your respond above @Randy Holmes-Farley. Do you have a suggestions for a cheaper alternative available on azon?

That product is a fine choice. I have used it.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

That product is a fine choice. I have used it.

Ordered.

Is this recipe a similar concentration to NeoNitro? I saw a YT video yesterday that telegraham put out where he recommends only 42.x grams of powder to 1L...so not sure which concentration to use to replace my Neonitro when it runs out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ordered.

Is this recipe a similar concentration to NeoNitro? I saw a YT video yesterday that telegraham put out where he recommends only 42.x grams of powder to 1L...so not sure which concentration to use to replace my Neonitro when it runs out.

No, it is not designed to match any other recipe.

What is your nitrate now?

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

No, it is not designed to match any other recipe.

What is your nitrate now?

Nitrates are running around 7-10 ppm. Been dosing NeoNitro at around 5-7 ml per day (will check my doser when I get home to confirm) to maintain those numbers.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

Nitrates are running around 7-10 ppm. Been dosing NeoNitro at around 5-7 ml per day (will check my doser when I get home to confirm) to maintain those numbers.

Trying to determine the relative strength of this solution compared to NeoNitro.

Neonitro will raise nitrate as follows: 1 ml will increase Nitrate by 7.5 ppm when added to 3.8L (1 gal). So, if my math is correct 1 ml will raise nitrate by .28 ppm (7.5/26.4) in 100L (~26.4 gal).

So this solution is roughly 3.5x stronger than NeoNitro.

Am I correct in this math?

If so, I may only need 2 ml of this solution to replace 7 ml of Neonitro or I could dilute it down to the equivalency of NeoNitro, which would roughly line up with @Telegrahams figures of using 42 g of sodium nitrate to create the mixture.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The math is correct, yes. I do not know about anyone else’s solution potency.

 

[BryanM]

Is there a preference on which way to go betweeen ammonia dosing or sodium nitrate or whatever the other product was?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use ammonium bicarbonate for daily support of N, and use sodium nitrate if I get into a situation where I’d like a 5 or 10 ppm boost all at once, which cannot be done with the ammonia.

 

[H.herry]

I use ammonium bicarbonate for daily support of N, and use sodium nitrate if I get into a situation where I’d like a 5 or 10 ppm boost all at once, which cannot be done with the ammonia.

I having a hard time finding sodium nitrat food grade, I came across Seller stated chemical pure. Is that safe to use?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I having a hard time finding sodium nitrat food grade, I came across Seller stated chemical pure. Is that safe to use?

No way to know from that description. Are you able to get baking ammonia, ammonium bicarbonate? That’s what I dose.

 

[jonelder68]

You should try ammonia dosing @08TRDOFFROAD it’s well documented and proven ammonia is preferred over NO3. As @Randy Holmes-Farley and I do add ammonia to doser and use sodium nitrate mixture to correct NO3 if needed until ammonia dose is dialed it.

 

[H.herry]

No way to know from that description. Are you able to get baking ammonia, ammonium bicarbonate? That’s what I dose.

Yes, ammoniuk bicarbonate foodgrade I can get those.

 

[08TRDOFFROAD]

You should try ammonia dosing @08TRDOFFROAD it’s well documented and proven ammonia is preferred over NO3. As @Randy Holmes-Farley and I do add ammonia to doser and use sodium nitrate mixture to correct NO3 if needed until ammonia dose is dialed it.

What product are you using to ammonia dose?

 

[jonelder68]

What product are you using to ammonia dose?

Amazon product ASIN B0731Y3GSR
If the link doesn’t work….this brand off Amazon

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Amazon product ASIN B0731Y3GSR
If the link doesn’t work….this brand off Amazon

I use that as well. :)