DIY Potassium Nitrate 99.5% purity ok?

[mitchlew]

This is the product is this okay to be used, we've tried commerical nitrate buffers but they are so expensive.

 

[Saltyreef]

I wouldnt hesitate to use it.

 

[mitchlew]

I wouldnt hesitate to use it.

Have you diy'd your own nitrate buffer before?

 

[Saltyreef]

Have you diy'd your own nitrate buffer before?

You mean stock solution? Yes.
I used potassium nitrate from www.greenleafaquariums.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you want to use potassium (not optimal, IMO, unless you are monitoring potassium), it should be a fine product to use since it is claimed to be food grade.

 

[mitchlew]

If you want to use potassium (not optimal, IMO, unless you are monitoring potassium), it should be a fine product to use since it is claimed to be food grade.

Hi randy thank you very much for your reply, i have another science related question, could a nitrate buffer cause ph fluxuations. We have a tank in an outside shed we used to run very high ph levels like 8.1-8.4 since dosing or maybe a coincidence but our ph has started to drop and early this morning reached 7.8ph.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi randy thank you very much for your reply, i have another science related question, could a nitrate buffer cause ph fluxuations. We have a tank in an outside shed we used to run very high ph levels like 8.1-8.4 since dosing or maybe a coincidence but our ph has started to drop and early this morning reached 7.8ph.

Seems like a lot to me. Dosing nitrate will tend to have a small alk boosting and pH lowering effect (when it is metabolized). But I would not have expected that much.

 

[mitchlew]

Seems like a lot to me. Dosing nitrate will tend to have a small alk boosting and pH lowering effect (when it is metabolized). But I would not have expected that much.

we are dosing 240ml of the nitro in a 700l ish system, the product says 10ml = 1ppm nitrate per 100l. We are having to dose 240 just to get a nitrate reading unless theres something else going on that i dont understand?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

we are dosing 240ml of the nitro in a 700l ish system, the product says 10ml = 1ppm nitrate per 100l. We are having to dose 240 just to get a nitrate reading unless theres something else going on that i dont understand?

I do not believe the nitrate dose is likely to be the primary cause of a large pH change.

 

[mitchlew]

I do not believe the nitrate dose is likely to be the primary cause of a large pH change.

Okay thank you randy i'll keep researching to see whats happening, seriously appreciate your help saved us money and gained alot of knowledge.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You might measure the pH of the dosing solution to see if it might be contaminated with a strong acid of some sort.

 

[mitchlew]

You might measure the pH of the dosing solution to see if it might be contaminated with a strong acid of some sort.

Yeah can do all i know is, it seems weird how we are having to dose so much nitrate to get a reading, and how the ph has began dropping. When normally its like 8.3 /8.4 as normal. I guess that the dosing soltuion should be 6-7ph according to my google searching?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah can do all i know is, it seems weird how we are having to dose so much nitrate to get a reading, and how the ph has began dropping. When normally its like 8.3 /8.4 as normal. I guess that the dosing soltuion should be 6-7ph according to my google searching?

3 ppm of dosed nitrate a day doesn't seem excessive to me.

 

[mitchlew]

3 ppm of dosed nitrate a day doesn't seem excessive to me.

It might just seem exessive to us because it costs 26 UK pounds a litre which is lasting 4 or 5 days

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It might just seem exessive to us because it costs 26 UK pounds a litre which is lasting 4 or 5 days

Is that cost with the product posted above?

 

[mitchlew]

Is that cost with the product posted above?

thats for Reef Zlements Z- Nitro Plus, the powder i've puchased works out to something like 40p a litre of something silly