Raising No3 Via Spectracide Stump Remover (Potassium Nitrate)

[ReeferMadness80G]

There is no Hanna nitrate test, they do have a nitrite checker.

You guys are tempting me. My tank is a re-build after a move and has been set up 11 months. My SPS is doing pretty well. Some have great color, some are so-so. No bleaching problems at all. I have 9 fish including a fairly large purple tang. Feed 1-2 cubes Hikari mysis, approx 2 cube equivalent of LRS daily and 1/2 sheet of nori 4 days/ week. Tank is 72x24x21, total water volume with sump is approx 160 gallons

Parameters: pH 8.15-8.3, Calcium 410, Mg 1400, Alk 8.0, Nitrates undetectable (Red Sea/Salifert), PO4 0.01-0.03.

I have zero algae problems but do have a heavy biofilm on the glass requiring cleaning every other day.

If I start dosing NO3 am I going to have algae issues? Will it affect the biofilm issue I'm having?

I don’t think you will have algae issues with it but I couldn’t speak scientifically on whether it will directly affect your biofilm. I actually started to feed heavy instead of dosing KNO3 and it’s caused a a bacterial bloom as well as a film on the glass. I think you could stand to either get more fish if feeding that heavily or start dosing KNO3. I’ve heard people say that fish poop gives better colors than dosing potassium nitrate but I saw some pretty great colors using the stuff and so far trying to balance it out naturally has caused me issues. I would give it a shot. You might be able to cut your feeding in half.

 

[techhnyne]

ok so huge **** up here, I went and got myself a new test and i have well over 100ppm now

how the heck can 3 tests show 0ppm thats just crazy!! so not i have to do a water change and fix this hahaha

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

ok so huge **** up here, I went and got myself a new test and i have well over 100ppm now

how the heck can 3 tests show 0ppm thats just crazy!! so not i have to do a water change and fix this hahaha

Well at least I know I’m not crazy now..glad you didn’t lose hope. Keep us updated

 

[techhnyne]

Green aglae is not covering the rocks. I had zero algae before but i am still going to be dosing h2o2 for another 3 days because i had planned to dose for 7 days for the dinos
But green algae is covering the rocks there the dinos were

A buncha corals are open again so i am happier now

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I personally would just wait for it to come down on its own, doing whatever normal water changes you do, but not especially big ones. The nitrate isn't going to cause a massive problem. Many nice tanks have very high nitrate.

 

[techhnyne]

I personally would just wait for it to come down on its own, doing whatever normal water changes you do, but not especially big ones. The nitrate isn't going to cause a massive problem. Many nice tanks have very high nitrate.

Yea i can not do large water changes i do not have a water/mix station to do. So if i do i can do like 20 gallons max and will take a whole day to do

 

[Mike220]

Hello Randy and Reefer Madness80g.

Do you guys know or have problem when dosing stump remover ( potassium nitrate ) will have algae or brown sand ?
I think anytime I dosing potassium nitrate. I have brown sand .
How you guys fix and get off brown sand.

Thanks

 

[Rakie]

This is anecdotal -- but I would get kno3 from a freshwater planted merchant, like NilocG. In my experience, Spectracide smells of chemicals, NilocG has zero odor.

The smell worries me, and I notice people who use spectracide can have the issues you mentioned, while those using planted tank ferts haven't had those issue -- Again, all anecdotal.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello Randy and Reefer Madness80g.

Do you guys know or have problem when dosing stump remover ( potassium nitrate ) will have algae or brown sand ?
I think anytime I dosing potassium nitrate. I have brown sand .
How you guys fix and get off brown sand.

Thanks

Raising nutrients can certainly help most anything photosynthetic grow faster if it was in short supply previously.