Dosing sodium nitrate

[Reefchris28]

Hey Randy, I was over my buddy house today and he was telling me that you could get me the link to the 100% food grade sodium nitrate to raise the nitrate levels in my system. I currently have 0 detectable nitrates via Lamotte test kit and would like to raise them up to around 5-7. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[lariat8099]

I got mine on amazon

 

[Reefchris28]

I got mine on amazon

Thank you, I’ll take a look

 

[James Robert]

Thank you, I’ll take a look

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That's the most commonly available brand. :)

 

[Reefchris28]

That's the most commonly available brand. :)

Thank you guys, it’s ordered

 

[James Robert]

I have researched that brand, it even stated, can use in planted tanks. Just made me feel better.

 

[Reefchris28]

Now the question is, how do I go about dosing this stuff. As in, how much sodium nitrate must I add to X amount of water and so forth to achieve my desired level of nitrate? So my total water volume is 60~gallons and I have 0 nitrates and want to raise to 5ppm by dosing, how do I achieve that?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Now the question is, how do I go about dosing this stuff. As in, how much sodium nitrate must I add to X amount of water and so forth to achieve my desired level of nitrate? So my total water volume is 60~gallons and I have 0 nitrates and want to raise to 5ppm by dosing, how do I achieve that?

Follow this calculator and use the entry for potassium nitrate.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

If you want to be "perfect", use 19% less than it says because sodium nitrate is a little more potent than potassium nitrate. So instead of 1 g, use 0.81 g. Or instead of dosing 100 mL, dose 81 mL.

 

[Reefchris28]

Follow this calculator and use the entry for potassium nitrate.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

If you want to be "perfect", use 19% less than it says because sodium nitrate is a little more potent than potassium nitrate. So instead of 1 g, use 0.81 g. Or instead of dosing 100 mL, dose 81 mL.

Thank you very much, I appreciate and will do just that. Thanks for the help!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you very much, I appreciate and will do just that. Thanks for the help!

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing. :)

 

[Tobe71]

Ok, I’m feeling a little brain dead so excuse me if this is simpler than I’m making it.
If I wanted to make a stock solution using the entire bottle of Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate (113g) and 500ml of RO/DI water, I’d start by dividing the 113g by .81 to get the equaivalent of Potassium Nitrate so the Calculator will work correctly?
And then using a tank volume of 10 gallons and a dosage size of 1 ml, my instructions for future use would state that 1ml will raise 10 gallons by 4.52ppm?

 

[James Robert]

FWIW, My system is 210 gal, Was getting 0 No3.
I only mixed 2 tablespoons to a 1/2 gal ro/di water. Adjusted doseage to about
18 ml a day. Tested regular. I didnt even use all of the mix. Took about 3 weeks to a month. Each system is different. There is really no set rule. Just a starting point .

 

[Tobe71]

FWIW, My system is 210 gal, Was getting 0 No3.
I only mixed 2 tablespoons to a 1/2 gal ro/di water. Adjusted doseage to about
18 ml a day. Tested regular. I didnt even use all of the mix. Took about 3 weeks to a month. Each system is different. There is really no set rule. Just a starting point .

I just wanted someone to confirm my math. I’m sure there are infinite ways of approaching this.
And, out of curiosity, what Nitrate level are you trying to maintain?

 

[Rukk]

Just want to say that this conversation has helped me figure out how much to dose sodium nitrate. I searched and found an answer. R2R is good stuff...

 

[Reefchris28]

I just wanted someone to confirm my math. I’m sure there are infinite ways of approaching this.
And, out of curiosity, what Nitrate level are you trying to maintain?

I’m trying to reach 5-7ppm in my system and that’s the reason I started this thread. Your math seems right but I would start off slow and test regularly than try to up your level overnight. Slow and steady wins the race :)

 

[James Robert]

I just wanted someone to confirm my math. I’m sure there are infinite ways of approaching this.
And, out of curiosity, what Nitrate level are you trying to maintain?

Between 5 to 10 ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ok, I’m feeling a little brain dead so excuse me if this is simpler than I’m making it.
If I wanted to make a stock solution using the entire bottle of Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate (113g) and 500ml of RO/DI water, I’d start by dividing the 113g by .81 to get the equaivalent of Potassium Nitrate so the Calculator will work correctly?
And then using a tank volume of 10 gallons and a dosage size of 1 ml, my instructions for future use would state that 1ml will raise 10 gallons by 4.52ppm?

No, you multiply by 0.81, not divide. So you enter 91.5 g.

FWIW, you'll never detect the difference, but I presume the calculator assumes the total volume after adding 500 mL water is 500 mL. That will not be correct when making very concentrated solutions (500 ml water + 91 g sodium nitrate will not be 500 mL), but to get an actual value, you'd need a table of the density of such sodium nitrate solutions (which are around, but not worth the effort).

 

[Tobe71]

No, you multiply by 0.81, not divide. So you enter 91.5 g.

FWIW, you'll never detect the difference, but I presume the calculator assumes the total volume after adding 500 mL water is 500 mL. That will not be correct when making very concentrated solutions (500 ml water + 91 g sodium nitrate will not be 500 mL), but to get an actual value, you'd need a table of the density of such sodium nitrate solutions (which are around, but not worth the effort).

If Sodium Nitrate is more potent, wouldn’t you need more Potassium Nitrate than Sodium Nitrate to get the same result? Thus my conclusion of 139.5 grams of potassium nitrate needing to be entered into the calculator to get it to tell me the concentration/dosage information of my solution using all 113g of the Loudwolf bottle of Sodium Nitrate?