Help with ammonia dosing for nitrate

[Maho.B]

Hello. Is there ever a reason why dosing ammonium would not work to increase nitrate? If nitrate is being consumed faster than the dose and I can't safely increase ammonium so I add other nitrate sources? Over the last couple of weeks I have watched my nitrate go from mid 5's to 0 all while continuing to dose 10 ml of ammonium per day in my 110 gallon system (5 ml twice a day).

I started dosing to get nutrients up to help combat amphidinium dino's and now with nitrates back to zero I'm worried they will get worse.

Any advice for additional ways to increase nitrates are welcomed. I have 6 fish that I feed pretty heavy so I'm looking for other ways to increase nitrate. Thanks.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I'm sorry if I completely misunderstand, but why not dose nitrate if you want more nitrate?

 

[DanyL]

The trick with dosing Ammonia when you need more than it is safe to dose at once is to split the dose a few hours apart.

If you have a free dosing pump head you can use for this, than it’s pretty easy to automate, although I would be cautious of pump failures.

I dose 3-5 times a day manually, and if and when I miss dosing, I dose the equivalent in NaNo3 all at once at the end of the day to compensate.

 

[Maho.B]

Thanks. How do I determine what the max "safe" dose is per day?

 

[Maho.B]

I'm sorry if I completely misunderstand, but why not dose nitrate if you want more nitrate?

I just don't want to dose a dangerous level for my fish

 

[Troylee]

Thanks. How do I determine what the max "safe" dose is per day?

I’d start with 5ml daily per 100gal and see where it goes.. just keep testing nitrates till you figure out what the dose is you need or want.

 

[Troylee]

I just don't want to dose a dangerous level for my fish

It’s really hard to od.. it’s also better to dose small amounts over the day.. if you do a single shot the nitrifying bacteria will build up to take it out faster.

 

[Maho.B]

I’d start with 5ml daily per 100gal and see where it goes.. just keep testing nitrates till you figure out what the dose is you need or want.

Right now I'm dosing 10 ml per day in my 110, assuming its actually closer to 90-95 gallons taking the sand and rock into account. I dose 5ml in the morning and 5ml in the evening and still had my nitrate fall to 0

 

[Troylee]

Right now I'm dosing 10 ml per day in my 110, assuming its actually closer to 90-95 gallons taking the sand and rock into account. I dose 5ml in the morning and 5ml in the evening and still had my nitrate fall to 0

Then keep upping the dose till it balances out.. I’m running 30ml daily in my tank and I have to keep adjusting it up.

 

[Maho.B]

It’s really hard to od.. it’s also better to dose small amounts over the day.. if you do a single shot the nitrifying bacteria will build up to take it out faster.

Thanks. So maybe buying another dosing pump for it? I work away from home so dosing twice a day manually is sort of my only option

 

[Maho.B]

It’s really hard to od.. it’s also better to dose small amounts over the day.. if you do a single shot the nitrifying bacteria will build up to take it out faster.

What size is your aquarium?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are exact recipes, dosing recommendations, and dozens of user experiences in this thread:

DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

Some reef aquaria have chronic low nitrogen availability. One indicator is very low nitrate. Nitrate dosing is a fine remedy, but it is possible that ammonia dosing may be more beneficial for some organisms since ammonia can be energetically easier to assimilate than is nitrate. For this...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm sorry if I completely misunderstand, but why not dose nitrate if you want more nitrate?

Corals and other organisms may prefer to take up ammonia than nitrate, and use less energy to use it.

 

[Maho.B]

There are exact recipes, dosing recommendations, and dozens of user experiences in this thread:

DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

Some reef aquaria have chronic low nitrogen availability. One indicator is very low nitrate. Nitrate dosing is a fine remedy, but it is possible that ammonia dosing may be more beneficial for some organisms since ammonia can be energetically easier to assimilate than is nitrate. For this...

www.reef2reef.com

I will start increasing the dose slowly and as spread out as possible. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I will start increasing the dose slowly and as spread out as possible. Thanks

I know it goes against decades of reefing lore to be concerned about ammonia, but that's largely unjustified at the sorts of levels folks would dose:

Ammonia is Our Friend!

Ammonia is Our Friend By Randy Holmes-Farley Yes, I know the title is provocative, and likely goes against much of what you read and hear in the reef aquarium hobby. I believe, however, that the hobby may have been harmed by the continual...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Maho.B]

Exactly! Ammonia in aquariums has been a no no forever! Thank you

 

[DanyL]

I know it goes against decades of reefing lore to be concerned about ammonia, but that's largely unjustified at the sorts of levels folks would dose:

Ammonia is Our Friend!

Ammonia is Our Friend By Randy Holmes-Farley Yes, I know the title is provocative, and likely goes against much of what you read and hear in the reef aquarium hobby. I believe, however, that the hobby may have been harmed by the continual...

www.reef2reef.com

It’s usually the side effects of having rising ammonia in the water that can cause suffocation from what I’m understanding.
Because this will induce over nitrification and an increased consumption of O2.

At least when PH is in normal range (not extremely high), than it in by itself shouldn’t be toxic.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s usually the side effects of having rising ammonia in the water that can cause suffocation from what I’m understanding.
Because this will induce over nitrification and an increased consumption of O2.

At least when PH is in normal range (not extremely high), than it in by itself shouldn’t be toxic.

In a typical reef tank, I'm not even sure the ammonia we dose undergoes nitrification, and the effect on O2 if it does is not large. 0.1 ppm ammonia would only consume about 0.4 ppm of O2 even if it is all nitrified, and that will be spread out in time. It's a smaller effect on O2 than typical organic carbon dosing.

No one worries about adding another fish to an established tank. Same lack of concern should apply to recommended ammonia doses.

 

[DanyL]

In a typical reef tank, I'm not even sure the ammonia we dose undergoes nitrification, and the effect on O2 if it does is not large. 0.1 ppm ammonia would only consume about 0.4 ppm of O2 even if it is all nitrified, and that will be spread out in time. It's a smaller effect on O2 than typical organic carbon dosing.

No one worries about adding another fish to an established tank. Same lack of concern should apply to recommended ammonia doses.

Sorry, I should have been more clear in my last reply.

What I meant is in a scenario where the Ammonia is raipidly rising, meaning in conditions of a crashing tank for example, where the increase in ammonia would likely cause more harm from secondary processes (O2 depletion in this case) than its presence in by itself.

I agree that the amounts we dose purposefully are negligible in that regard.