Anyone use calcium nitrate?

[reefer4816]

anyone use calcium nitrate instead of potassium nitrate (stump remover)

Pros and cons between the two would be appreciated!

Looking forward to what @Randy Holmes-Farley thinks about this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Calcium nitrate, if adequately pure, is a perfect choice. It is actually a balanced calcium and alkalinity additive system if the nitrate is consumed.

But I can't tell anything about the purity of this specific material. Some such materials actually also contain a lot of ammonia.

 

[sghera64]

anyone use calcium nitrate instead of potassium nitrate (stump remover)

Pros and cons between the two would be appreciated!

Looking forward to what @Randy Holmes-Farley thinks about this.

I’ve used it. No problems. Go slow as it has that delay factor (adding without seeing NO3 accumulation. . . Then bammm, you see lots of it).

Note: I moved away from adding NO3 and just feed heavy and added a macro algae ‘fuge. I have no detectable P or N but corals are healthy. Go figure.

 

[Atu]

Calcium nitrate, if adequately pure, is a perfect choice. It is actually a balanced calcium and alkalinity additive system if the nitrate is consumed.

But I can't tell anything about the purity of this specific material. Some such materials actually also contain a lot of ammonia.

This is the information I've been looking for. Currently I'm dosing potassium nitrate (15ml of a 2M solution to an almost 2000L system), which have worked great for me, but I recently got a salifert potassium test kit and it reads 470ppm. I want to change to other nitrate source, and thought this one would be ideal. I just got some, and the lab analysis reads (the percentages are mass fractions):

-Ca(NO3)2 ≥76%
-Humidity ≤0,50%
-NH4NO3 6-10%
-Water insolubles ≤0,20%

It proceeds with the calcium and nitrogen percentages, clarifying the sources of the later, which I think are non important.

Is this purity good enough? I'm worried about the ammonium. I'm guessing this would skew the calcium-alkalinity balance also? Should I try to get a better purity?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

6-10% ammonium nitrate sounds substantial.

I'd get food grade (or reagent or AR grade) sodium or calcium nitrate. Amazon has some of these.

 

[Atu]

I’m from Argentina, so sadly Amazon is not an option.

I’ve found another source with 1-1,2% ammonium nitrate. Is that good enough? If not which range am I looking for? I don’t know yet if it contains other impurities.

I also found a lab grade source, albeit a lot more expensive, >99% calcium nitrate. I’m guessing this would be the preferred option.

I’ve read on another post of you that for each 0,5 ppm of nitrates consumed 2,3 dKh are added. I’ve been dosing 1ppm nitrate almost daily (15ml of a 2M KNO3 solution to a 2000L system) for a few months now, why are my calcium levels not dropping? Or they are dropping only that very slowly? I’m skimming heavily, might that be a factor?

I’m sorry to bother you with such boring questions, on the plus side I found some photos of the aquarium before the nitrate dosing and the difference is remarkable.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That level of ammonia is sufficiently low, that it is probably OK, as long as you do not add too much nitrate at once. If you add 2 ppm nitrate per day, the amount of ammonia added is probably not any concern.

"I’ve read on another post of you that for each 0,5 ppm of nitrates consumed 2,3 dKh are added"

No, it is 50 ppm of nitrate per 2.3 dKH.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

That level of ammonia is sufficiently low, that it is probably OK, as long as you do not add too much nitrate at once. If you add 2 ppm nitrate per day, the amount of ammonia added is probably not any concern.

"I’ve read on another post of you that for each 0,5 ppm of nitrates consumed 2,3 dKh are added"

No, it is 50 ppm of nitrate per 2.3 dKH.

Out of curiosity here, if Ammonium Nitrate results in Alk + Nitrate, would this not be preferred over Calcium Nitrate, since from reading your posts (and my own tank currently, but not in the past), generally most tanks are equal consumption calc/alk OR need more alk than calc. So wouldn't more alk be better than more calcium since more calcium would just throw off the ratio further instead of bringing it more equal so you don't have to dose more alk?

This is the information I've been looking for. Currently I'm dosing potassium nitrate (15ml of a 2M solution to an almost 2000L system), which have worked great for me, but I recently got a salifert potassium test kit and it reads 470ppm. I want to change to other nitrate source, and thought this one would be ideal. I just got some, and the lab analysis reads (the percentages are mass fractions):

-Ca(NO3)2 ≥76%
-Humidity ≤0,50%
-NH4NO3 6-10%
-Water insolubles ≤0,20%

It proceeds with the calcium and nitrogen percentages, clarifying the sources of the later, which I think are non important.

Is this purity good enough? I'm worried about the ammonium. I'm guessing this would skew the calcium-alkalinity balance also? Should I try to get a better purity?

Why does Ammonium Nitrate increase alk do you know? I would've thought it would create nitrate from cycle in the end + nitrate, so just kind of two sources of nitrate? I am sure you guys are right and I'm wrong lol, but just want to understand why

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't think most tanks need more alk than calcium. They need balanced calcium and alk, which is what calcium nitrate gives.

Ammonium nitrate is also fine, as it is alk neutral.

Finally, you can also dose ammonium bicarbonate, which is also alk neutral.

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

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I don't think most tanks need more alk than calcium. They need balanced calcium and alk, which is what calcium nitrate gives.

Ammonium nitrate is also fine, as it is alk neutral.

Finally, you can also dose ammonium bicarbonate, which is also alk neutral.

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

Oh I must have mis understood. What were you guys talking about with the .5ppm Nitrate = 2.3dKH?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Oh I must have mis understood. What were you guys talking about with the .5ppm Nitrate = 2.3dKH?

50 ppm nitrate --> 2.3 dKH.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

50 ppm nitrate --> 2.3 dKH.

Oops right. When you said alk neutral though, did you mean "essentially alk neutral" because it's such small amount? Or am I not understanding? Wouldn't increase in alk, not be alk neutral?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Oops right. When you said alk neutral though, did you mean "essentially alk neutral" because it's such small amount? Or am I not understanding? Wouldn't increase in alk, not be alk neutral?

Dosing ammonium reduces alk. Dosing nitrate adds alk. Together, they are neutral to alk if ammonium nitrate is all you add.