How much Ammonia Chloride to dose -

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Randy or @Miami Reef -
I’m going to mix up ammonia chloride today based on below - 27 grams of ammonia chloride with 2,000 ml of RODI.

I just can’t figure out how much I should dose.

525 gallons, my po4 is .10 and my no3 is 7.0. I want to build my no3 up higher. I have a very very intense full spectrum period that is also long. The top of my rocks are getting >900 par and none of my rocks really break past 1/3 up the water column. My display turnover is >125. So it’s a very high energy SPS dominate system. I’d like to get to 15-20 and stay there and see how the tank is reacting. I’m losing ground and backing up, I feed frozen 5 times a day and flake 4 times a day. So while my fish are fat, my no3 is shrinking.

What would be a recommended dosing amount to start with?

Should you dose all day? During photo period only? Or before photo period starts?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd start at 0.1 ppm ammonia per day, and use the recipe I gave on the left above. :)

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I'd start at 0.1 ppm ammonia per day, and use the recipe I gave on the left above. :)

So .1 = .36 PPM of No3. So 23 ml of the solution =.1 for roughly my system. So, 2300 ml would be 10 ppm. I guess I am just not getting how I dosing .1 ppm a day will get my no3 up by at least 10ppm over time if my system is using more than I am currently putting in. Sorry, I’m only in cup number 2 this AM.

 

[Miami Reef]

So .1 = .36 PPM of No3. So 23 ml of the solution =.1 for roughly my system. So, 2300 ml would be 10 ppm. I guess I am just not getting how I dosing .1 ppm a day will get my no3 up by at least 10ppm over time if my system is using more than I am currently putting in. Sorry, I’m only in cup number 2 this AM.

You can add 0.1 ppm several times per day, spaced out.

When you dose ammonia, the nitrate level isn’t important because studies show corals and macroalgae prefer ammonia over it when both are available.

So you can be rest assured you aren’t nitrogen limited.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

You can add 0.1 ppm several times per day, spaced out.

When you dose ammonia, the nitrate level isn’t important because studies show corals and macroalgae prefer ammonia over it when both are available.

So you can be rest assured you aren’t nitrogen limited.

Super helpful. Thanks!

 

[Miami Reef]

Of course! :)

 

[rishma]

You can add 0.1 ppm several times per day, spaced out.

When you dose ammonia, the nitrate level isn’t important because studies show corals and macroalgae prefer ammonia over it when both are available.

So you can be rest assured you aren’t nitrogen limited.

You can add 0.1 ppm several times per day, spaced out.

When you dose ammonia, the nitrate level isn’t important because studies show corals and macroalgae prefer ammonia over it when both are available.

So you can be rest assured you aren’t nitrogen limited.

This is good advice. I think the best way to know if you’re adding enough ammonia (or too much) as by watching the corals. After a couple of months of dosing my LPS got very dark in color. After I stopped dosing, it took a month or two for the brighter colors to return. Randy surprised that the increased nitrogen availability was causing additional zooxanthellae in the coral tissue. When I try it again, I’m gonna dose half as much as I did the first time and see what happens.

 

[Miami Reef]

This is good advice. I think the best way to know if you’re adding enough ammonia (or too much) as by watching the corals. After a couple of months of dosing my LPS got very dark in color. After I stopped dosing, it took a month or two for the brighter colors to return. Randy surprised that the increased nitrogen availability was causing additional zooxanthellae in the coral tissue. When I try it again, I’m gonna dose half as much as I did the first time and see what happens.

Hans said this in 2022

Sorry, I did not go through the thread but want to answer your question directly: Phosphate doesn't make corals brown or brownish, it are the nitrogen compounds like nitrate or ammonium.

Very easy test: Carefully dose ammonium but avoid such miscalculations under all circumstances. You will notice an almost immediate darkening of corals, in just one or two days. Exception: Other nutrients like iron are limiting and avoiding browning.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Hans said this in 2022

Hans Gruber had a killer tank back home.

 

[rishma]

Hans said this in 2022

Yes he did!! I recall he warned me it might happen…he was right. I totally forgot. I think he told me later than 2022 but I remember the warning now.

Edit: I’m referring to Hans-Werner

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Hans Gruber is a little over bearing though.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

@Miami Reef - are there reports of algae outbreaks when dosing ammonia? This is day 5. On day 1 I had a little cyano, but it was a lot less intense on day two. However on day 4, and much more today, I have algae on my rocks and sand. In a matter of a day I have 1” long strands everywhere. I’m thinking not feeding for 24 hours so my fish will graze and maybe stop this ammonia dosing? Or, does this go away?

 

[Miami Reef]

If algae was nitrogen limited, then yes, ammonia dosing can make them grow.

Do you have any herbivores like tangs and foxface fish?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Oh yeah, around 8 tangs and 2 fox.

 

[Miami Reef]

Can you show pictures of the algae?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Can you show pictures of the algae?

You are going to say I am bat poop crazy. Ok, well maybe I am. But, in the photos (not the frag tank) those are examples of the algae. I left the house for 2 hours and prior to leaving there had to be 1k of these 1” dark black like algae hairs blowing in the water from every rock and surface. They were not there this AM. I just went to snap some pictures and they are like mostly gone. I don’t get it. In the frag tank picture, that GHA wasn’t here yesterday either.

 

[Miami Reef]

Haha. The fish went to work.

If the algae was limited by nitrogen, it’s possible the corals were, too. Keep up the dosing.

Are phosphates detectable?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

11 no3 .11 po4. I’m dosing 70mil of the solution Randy’s recipe makes. My system is somewhere around 525g.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

What does that mean “limited by nitrogen”? Not to sound stupid, lol. I understand stand the literal meaning.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I have 28 fish I think in total.