DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

[Miami Reef]

I have to agree. I started dosing ammonium chloride 5/25/24 and several acros that were pale with no or little polyp extension have colored up and polyps are fully out. Last test of nitrate was still zero (tested last week). I'm also adding TM phos-feed FWIW.

I’m really happy to hear that ammonium dosing has made a positive impact to your tank. Are you considering to raise the ammonium dose to get nitrates detectable?

 

[Big E]

I have to agree. I started dosing ammonium chloride 5/25/24 and several acros that were pale with no or little polyp extension have colored up and polyps are fully out. Last test of nitrate was still zero (tested last week). I'm also adding TM phos-feed FWIW.

What's your fish load and how much and what foods do you feed the fish?

Are your phosphates low as well?

 

[drawman]

What's your fish load and how much and what foods do you feed the fish?

Are your phosphates low as well?

My fish load is low (5 small/medium fish for a 60 gallons) so my tank is the perfect case for ammonia dosing. I feed LRS reef frenzy twice a day, TDO pellets from an autofeeder once a day, and reef roids gets added once a week with a coral snow addition. My phosphate is stable around 0.05-0.1ppm with TM phos-feed (before it was about 0.01-0.03ppm).

I made sure I bumped the phosphate up first before doing any ammonia dosing I just didn't want to risk tanking PO4. I've been meaning to take some pictures so hopefully I can post some before/after pics.

 

[drawman]

I’m really happy to hear that ammonium dosing has made a positive impact to your tank. Are you considering to raise the ammonium dose to get nitrates detectable?

Honestly I've noticed such an improvement in coloration I'm not sure I need to just yet. I will definitely raise it as corals grow to meet up with the demand but I may try to pay more attention to color and less to the number.

On top of that I don't have any big algae eating fish so I think algae is sucking up the rest and I would probably have to add a ton to get a detectable number.

 

[Miami Reef]

Honestly I've noticed such an improvement in coloration I'm not sure I need to just yet. I will definitely raise it as corals grow to meet up with the demand but I may try to pay more attention to color and less to the number.

I agree with you. Corals much prefer ammonia/ammonium to nitrate. As long as N is being supplied, I wouldn’t worry about the nitrate reading too much.

Having a tiny bit of N accumulating can provide assurance that the corals are getting all the N they need. If it always remains undetectable, you won’t really know unless you see pale tissue etc.

 

[geko522]

I made a stock solution of ammonium bicarbonate. I used 1500ml of rodi water and 4 tablespoons of ammonium bicarbonate. My aquarium is 120g. Each 5ml dose of solution that i added to my tank will add: 0.1 ppm Ammonium.

My levels are
Ammonia 0.04ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite 0.006ppm
Phosphate 0ppm

I made the solution to dose Phosphate using Trisodium Phosphate.


My question is, how much stock solution do I dose for ammonium bicarbonate to raise nitrate? Should I just do 5ml a day or should I up that?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I made a stock solution of ammonium bicarbonate. I used 1500ml of rodi water and 4 tablespoons of ammonium bicarbonate. My aquarium is 120g. Each 5ml dose of solution that i added to my tank will add: 0.1 ppm Ammonium.

My levels are
Ammonia 0.04ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite 0.006ppm
Phosphate 0ppm

I made the solution to dose Phosphate using Trisodium Phosphate.


My question is, how much stock solution do I dose for ammonium bicarbonate to raise nitrate? Should I just do 5ml a day or should I up that?

The idea is to keep slowly upping the ammonia dose until you detect nitrate rising, and then you know creatures are getting enough N.

 

[geko522]

The idea is to keep slowly upping the ammonia dose until you detect nitrate rising, and then you know creatures are getting enough N.

Thank you, that helps!

 

[KC2020]

Sorry, I've not done the math for that product, and as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'd also look for a food grade product as opposed to cycling products.

It should be fairly simple to take the Dr Tim directions and drop the recommendation down from 2 ppm to 0.1 ppm.

How is Dr. Tim's different than a food grade ammonium chloride ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How is Dr. Tim's different than a food grade ammonium chloride ?

I do not know the quality. It is not intended for regular dosing. It may be fine, or not.

 

[KC2020]

I do not know the quality. It is not intended for regular dosing. It may be fine, or not.

OK, thank you.

I've been using it on my 20 gal SPS tank for a couple of weeks and I've seen no ill effects.

 

[BR260354]

I've been dosing TM NP-Bacto-Balance. Reading this thread, wonder if I should shift to Ammonia BiCarb. Shift or transition?

 

[SliceGolfer]

I've been dosing TM NP-Bacto-Balance. Reading this thread, wonder if I should shift to Ammonia BiCarb. Shift or transition?

I can only share my experience, which was while dosing Bacto Balance, my N & P were not detectable by my Hanna checkers or Salifert and my SPS corals were pale, no polyp extension, and were not growing. I switched to dosing Ammonium BiCarb and Trisodium Phosphate and now I have good color, growth, and polyp extension on my Millies and other SPS. I try to maintain levels around or below 5ppm N03 and 0.1 P04. Dosing Ammonium BiCarb is a slow ramp, but once you're there it is easy to maintain. I have had minimal undesirable algae growth.

 

[BR260354]

I can only share my experience, which was while dosing Bacto Balance, my N & P were not detectable by my Hanna checkers or Salifert and my SPS corals were pale, no polyp extension, and were not growing. I switched to dosing Ammonium BiCarb and Trisodium Phosphate and now I have good color, growth, and polyp extension on my Millies and other SPS. I try to maintain levels around or below 5ppm N03 and 0.1 P04. Dosing Ammonium BiCarb is a slow ramp, but once you're there it is easy to maintain. I have had minimal undesirable algae growth.

"slow ramp" and "easy to maintain".....and I'm thinking cheaper than Bacto-Balance!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I can only share my experience, which was while dosing Bacto Balance, my N & P were not detectable by my Hanna checkers or Salifert and my SPS corals were pale, no polyp extension, and were not growing. I switched to dosing Ammonium BiCarb and Trisodium Phosphate and now I have good color, growth, and polyp extension on my Millies and other SPS. I try to maintain levels around or below 5ppm N03 and 0.1 P04. Dosing Ammonium BiCarb is a slow ramp, but once you're there it is easy to maintain. I have had minimal undesirable algae growth.

Thanks for posting your results.

 

[TastyScrants]

Sounds good. Keep us updated.

Going well so far. I’m still only dosing 0.1ppm a day as my nitrates are still slowly rising.

Growth is definitely improving

 

[bryznsreef]

Hey I started to dose this solution to my system (low N) I had a quick question as to how often one doses. I am currently dosing just a bit under the recommended to see how things do. I am dosing twice/three times a day to be safe. How fast does ammonia get consumed in the aquarium (established)?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey I started to dose this solution to my system (low N) I had a quick question as to how often one doses. I am currently dosing just a bit under the recommended to see how things do. I am dosing twice/three times a day to be safe. How fast does ammonia get consumed in the aquarium (established)?

Depends on the tank, and how much more than the normal ammonia load from fish you are starting to dose, but starting as you did and slowly ramping up the dose seems appropriate. At a constant dose for a week or more, I’d expect each dose is mostly consumed in a few hours.

 

[jackson6745]

Depends on the tank, and how much more than the normal ammonia load from fish you are starting to dose, but starting as you did and slowly ramping up the dose seems appropriate. At a constant dose for a week or more, I’d expect each dose is mostly consumed in a few hours.

Would the rate of consumption be faster during the brighter photoperiod?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Would the rate of consumption be faster during the brighter photoperiod?

I don’t know, and experiments seem mixed, with results also depending on other factors:

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=03350db0c269a22a0f643685f154c5c6ca7a3a3a