Question about Spectracide Stump Remover dosing

[Lovefish77]

How everyone. I know it has been a while for this thread. But here is my situation:
- I am stuck in zero nitrates quadrant because of nitrate export things I have ( marine pure media and algae scrubber)
- I tried raising nitrates before using tree stump remover and Randy's formula but all my sps crashed probably due to impurities in that product.

Now I see an ongoing discussing favoring Sodium Nitrate over Porassium Nitrate. So my questions are:
1. Is Sodium nitrate the preferred route?
2. Where to get quality food grade sodium nitrate powder?
3. What is the recipe for using it to raise nitrates?

Thanks a lot

 

[jasonrusso]

How everyone. I know it has been a while for this thread. But here is my situation:
- I am stuck in zero nitrates quadrant because of nitrate export things I have ( marine pure media and algae scrubber)
- I tried raising nitrates before using tree stump remover and Randy's formula but all my sps crashed probably due to impurities in that product.

Now I see an ongoing discussing favoring Sodium Nitrate over Porassium Nitrate. So my questions are:
1. Is Sodium nitrate the preferred route?
2. Where to get quality food grade sodium nitrate powder?
3. What is the recipe for using it to raise nitrates?

Thanks a lot

Sodium is so plentiful in the aquarium, you won't move the needle. Potassium can be affected by dosing.

 

[Lovefish77]

Thank you. So this is the one you are using in your tank?
What is the recipe?

 

[jasonrusso]

Thank you. So this is the one you are using in your tank?
What is the recipe?

I looked it up a few years ago. I don't use much and I have a small tank. If I remember correctly, it's 2x more concentrated than the KNO3. There is information on it. I wrote on the bottle the ml per ppm for my small tank.

 

[Lovefish77]

I looked it up a few years ago. I don't use much and I have a small tank. If I remember correctly, it's 2x more concentrated than the KNO3. There is information on it. I wrote on the bottle the ml per ppm for my small tank.

Ok thanks so maybe I will wait for Randy to chime in on the formula specifics.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Reagent grade is a good choice (the amazon link), as is food grade.

 

[Lovefish77]

Reagent grade is a good choice (the amazon link), as is food grade.

Thanks Randy, I posted this question for you on another thread, what is the formula for dosing?
Like how many grams to add to 1 L of Rodi?
How much to use of that solution per gallon of tank water to raise nitrates by like 1ppm?
Thanks a lot

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Answered there. Use the James planted tank calculator, and if you r really focused on precise dosing, use 15% less than indicated for KNO3.

 

[jasonrusso]

Thanks Randy, I posted this question for you on another thread, what is the formula for dosing?
Like how many grams to add to 1 L of Rodi?
How much to use of that solution per gallon of tank water to raise nitrates by like 1ppm?
Thanks a lot

I've always been a dose and measure person. Take a measurement, dose X amount of solution, wait 10 minutes then test again. Now you known how many ppm 1, 5, 10ml will change the tank level.

 

[NabberNate]

So I totally understand the rationale for sodium nitrate but what about calcium nitrate? Would that supplement dosing you might otherwise do? Definitely not a chemist here.

Thanks... presently trying the stump remover and isn't moving the needle.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So I totally understand the rationale for sodium nitrate but what about calcium nitrate? Would that supplement dosing you might otherwise do? Definitely not a chemist here.

Thanks... presently trying the stump remover and isn't moving the needle.

Adequately pure calcium nitrate is a perfectly fine choice. Maybe better than sodium nitrate, but it is not always available DIY. It will not be more potent than sodium or potassium nitrate.

 

[NabberNate]

Yeah checked out where to get that and I would have to "pretend" to be a school or research lab. Trains exploding in Iowa carrying calcium nitrate isn't helping.

 

[NabberNate]

So why not use the brightwell neonitro instead of the modernist pantry sodium nitrate?

Also would an API nitrate test not register anything for these products for some reason? Does it only register from the conversion of nitrite?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So why not use the brightwell neonitro instead of the modernist pantry sodium nitrate?

Also would an API nitrate test not register anything for these products for some reason? Does it only register from the conversion of nitrite?

Cost?

Known purity of the food grade?

Brightwell, is not claiming any specific purity, and seems to gets things confused on chemistry issues any way.

Nitrate is nitrate. Any functioning kit can detect it. They do it by conversion of a portion of it to nitrite.

 

[NabberNate]

Thanks Randy. I bought the item you recommended plus a few others. I'm just confused because 10ml in 1 gallon of rodi isn't registering anything and I figured it should definitely show at that concentration. Even got another test kit to make sure.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy. I bought the item you recommended plus a few others. I'm just confused because 10ml in 1 gallon of rodi isn't registering anything and I figured it should definitely show at that concentration. Even got another test kit to make sure.

Can you clarify what you mean by 10 mL in a gallon of RO/DI?

You are trying to test the stock solution itself, consisting of 10 dry powder mL in a gallon of RO/DI?

 

[NabberNate]

Precisely. I haven't tested the sodium nitrate yet but I've tested both the stump remover and neo nitrate and neither register at that concentration. I thought it would definitely register at that concentration.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Precisely. I haven't tested the sodium nitrate yet but I've tested both the stump remover and neo nitrate and neither register at that concentration. I thought it would definitely register at that concentration.

What concentration? What kit?

 

[NabberNate]

I used the same Concentration of 10ml or 10 grams (neo nitro is liquid stump remover is grams) per 1 gallon. The kit I'm using for testing is API. Probably not the best kit out there but during cycling I measured up to 40 ppm. Regardless I'm going to test the sodium nitrate too. I'm shooting for 5ppm in a system with total volume of about 200 gallons.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not know the neonitro concentration.

Did you use the James planted tank calculator to make a dosing solution?

James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

Use the entry for "nitrate from potassium nitrate" as it is close enough.