Increasing Nitrates in the reef tank

[editour2]

http://www.dudadiesel.com/choose_it...MI4ZiV0K_a4AIViZ6zCh124QXcEAYYAyABEgL55_D_BwE

5lbs sodium nitrate $8.39. Is this an acceptable product to use for our purposes?



Based on reading through this thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-to-use-to-dose-nitrate.344294/page-2#post-5742562


in particular Randy's statement regarding sodium nitrate vs potassium nitrate....I am assuming that sodium nitrate is 16% stronger than the potassium nitrate and as such 16% less is required when using plant calculator link provided. I make the following statement: if I mix 95 grams (113 grams in the Loudwolf bottle x .84 = 95 grams) with 1 quart of water (946ml) then for every 15ml dosed in my 300 gal system the nitrates will rise by 1.03 ppm.

 

[RegalMark]

I have ULNS with mixed reef without SPS so i just dose more amino acids etc i dont know why people want to increase nitrate why bother if your tank is not starving or bleaching.

 

[Dom]

I'm currently dealing with a zero nitrate issue.

I've pulled my Chaeto out of the fuge and still no change. Now I will reduce the frequency of the water changes from 1x per week to 1x every other week.

Why not take steps like this first before dosing?

 

[RegalMark]

Yes good point im using Aquaforest method so have it all already.

What test kit do you use for testing that low nitrate?

Is your test kit trust worthy?

 

[LouieP]

http://www.dudadiesel.com/choose_it...MI4ZiV0K_a4AIViZ6zCh124QXcEAYYAyABEgL55_D_BwE

5lbs sodium nitrate $8.39. Is this an acceptable product to use for our purposes?



Based on reading through this thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-to-use-to-dose-nitrate.344294/page-2#post-5742562


in particular Randy's statement regarding sodium nitrate vs potassium nitrate....I am assuming that sodium nitrate is 16% stronger than the potassium nitrate and as such 16% less is required when using plant calculator link provided. I make the following statement: if I mix 95 grams (113 grams in the Loudwolf bottle x .84 = 95 grams) with 1 quart of water (946ml) then for every 15ml dosed in my 300 gal system the nitrates will rise by 1.03 ppm.

I believe he recommends NaNo3 vs KNo3 because both will increase Na & K along with No3 & our tanks have a lot more Na 10k than K 400 so you can overdose K.

The NaNo3 is a pellet vs granular, which granular be easier to dissolve.

 

[editour2]

Here's the thing guys.....my phosphates are high--- .91, my nitrates are zero (undetectable). The .91 is after doing a 25 gallon water change every other day for about 2 weeks. The problem started when I noticed an issue with some of my acros, (I don't know what it's called but I had to brush them off every day ....I've had this issue in the past when my phosphates were elevated and eventually if not addressed the corals die, {dinoflagelattes?})....I discovered that my skimmer was not properly working and that my automatic feeder was dumping a lot of dry food in my tank which I believe both contributed to the problem if not the full cause. I then measured my phosphates and found it to be over 1, (red sea test kit). I have since fixed both of the issues and continue to do a lot of water changes in an attempt to get the phosphates down. My coral is looking a lot better and some have recovered (others were lost). I have approximately 300 gals total system volume. I dose vinegar ....approximately 170ml per day, I have a refugium with macro algae, I run an algae turf scrubber and yet my phosphates are high. I also have a hanna phosphate checker and that's where the .91 reading came from. I have a BRS dual reactor which in the past I used GAC and GFO but I no longer am an advocate for GFO so I only use GAC in both chambers.

I've read that ultra low nitrates is not beneficial and often a by-product of increasing nitrates is a reduction to phosphates. Thus I have been attempting to get my nitrates up to around 2ppm and get the phosphates down to .2. I've been dosing NeoNitro....60ml every other day and testing in between but nitrates are still undetectable and phophates are slowly coming down, (but that can be due to all my water changes). I've tested my "water change mix" and I'm good there so I know it's just my tank water.
I am not a fan of doing anything too quickly so I start slow and usually dose half of whatever the recommendation is.

The reason I posted the link to sodium nitrate pellets is because that is significantly cheaper than the neonitro and I wanted to know if: 1) that was a good product for our hobby and 2) if my calculation on the solution make up was correct in the event I choose to continue with this path.
thanks,
Frank

 

[Shinister]

IME dosing nitrates helped with phosphate reduction. I had a chaeto reactor and my nitrates were 0 and phosphates at .2-.25. I started dosing potassium nitrate (stump remover) raising it to around 3.5 ppm of nitrates. Nitrates went to 0 in a day or two but phosphates remained the same. After a few weeks of dosing, my phosphates went down to .16 and stayed there for the following few weeks. I came across a good deal on an algae scrubber. It was just in time as I was getting tired of messing with chaeto and coraline started growing on the reactor walls (more maintenance). After about 2-3 weeks, continuing to dose nitrates, my phosphates went down to .08. I read somewhere that the algae scrubber will grow a different type of algae that will consume the phosphates once nitrates are depleted so I stopped dosing nitrates. The little bit of algae I had on the DT disappeared but my phosphates went up to .12. So I started dosing nitrates again.

 

[editour2]

Any other opinions? What does everyone think about the sodium nitrate product I linked?

 

[Fourstars]

That’s what I use in my top off. I like to have control of nitrate instead of it controlling me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have ULNS with mixed reef without SPS so i just dose more amino acids etc i dont know why people want to increase nitrate why bother if your tank is not starving or bleaching.

They do it because they are concerned about starving and about dinos. That's why I recommend it when nitrate is very low (less than 0.1 ppm).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Any other opinions? What does everyone think about the sodium nitrate product I linked?

Link doesn't work today, but I'd use food grade or ACS reagent grade.

 

[editour2]

The link was working now...anyway the product is listed as tech grade, (which I'm guessing is lower purity). I've been dosing the Neo Nitro (60ml) every other day and I still don't see an increase in nitrates (undetectable to at best .25ppm per Red Sea test). Phosphates still reading .91 (per Hannah checker) despite all the stepped up water changes. My RODI water is .04 PO4. Other parameters: Salinity=1.026, KH=7.0 (slightly lower), Mg=1300, Calcium=350, temp= 78 degrees, (total system volume= approx. 320 gals......215 DT, 120gal sump half filled, 40 gal refugium w/macro algae & ATS, 20 gal frag tank). I dose via a Pacific Sun Kore 5 doser the following: Potassium (25ml 2ce weekly), ESV trace elements (25ml daily), Vinegar (175ml daily) and Magnesium (25ml 2ce weekly). I also just started dosing Acropower, (60ml week).

 

[editour2]

How about this product, (1lb for $16):
https://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Nitra...odium+nitrate&qid=1551897727&s=gateway&sr=8-6
They also sell a 5lb bag for $27 but I'm not sure if I'd use that much before the 2 year shelf life was up.

What would the proper mixture be to make a solution to effectuate nitrate increase in my tank?

 

[SaracensRugby]

https://www.loudwolf.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=69

Try this one. Randy recommended it to me in the past, and it works fine for me. Also cheaper than neonitro, which is cost prohibitive for my 160 gallon system.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

I use this calculator as well.

 

[Skydvr]

How old are those test kits?
I thought I had high phosphates and no nitrates until I checked the batch number on the Red Sea website and realized the kits were out of date.

I bought new test kits and it turns out I was sitting at 10ppm nitrate and barely detectable phosphate (Nyos and Salifert, forgot I bought the Nyos kits previously).


If your phosphate is elevated, it binds to the rock and sand in your system, so it will take time to come down. After a water change, the phosphate will leach back out until it reaches equilibrium with the levels in the water.

I saw recommendations earlier about reducing be 16% for NaNO3 when using the KNO3 calculator. There are some other discussions near the top of the Chemistry forums right now where Randy discusses this.

 

[editour2]

Yes Skydvr I read that sodium nitrate was 16% more potent than the potassium based product. I did purchase the red sea kit refills for the reagents within the last year (I think), but I will do as you suggest and check the batch # on the website. Got to love this hobby !!!!!

 

[editour2]

Saracens....I did see that product but the link I provided above is double the amount for about the same price and it is Reagent grade as Randy had suggested.

 

[SaracensRugby]

Saracens....I did see that product but the link I provided above is double the amount for about the same price and it is Reagent grade as Randy had suggested.

Awesome, I will add it for my next purchase. Thanks for pointing it out again!

 

[editour2]

Skydver: My reagents on the test kits were purchased in May of 2018...how do I check their shelf life? I don't see anything on the Red Sea website..........