Does Ammonium Hydroxide increase pH?

[reefluvrr]

Hi @Randy Holmes-Farley

If I wanted to try dosing Ammonium Hydroxide to increase Nitrogen, will I also see a benefit to increase in pH due to the Hydroxide ions?

What would be the disadvantage of dosing it? (Smell, etc?)

If it is beneficial for pH purpose, is there a calculator to figure out how to make it?
Thank you!

 

[CasperOe]

Yes - It will raise your pH.

Randy will be able to explain why

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is a somewhat complex question, but adding ammonium hydroxide will boost pH, at least initially. The effect is not quite as strong as an equal number of hydroxide ions added as sodium or calcium hydroxide, but close. The reason is that some of the ammonium comes apart to NH3 and H+, lowering the pH a bit.

 

[reefluvrr]

ammonium comes apart to NH3 and H+, lowering the pH a bit.

Could some of the H+ combine with OH- to just form H20?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Could some of the H+ combine with OH- to just form H20?

Yes, H+ and OH- are always in equilibrium:

H+ + OH- <—> H2O

If you add either H+ or OH-, you force the reaction to the right forming water. But not all of what you add does that, so pH falls or rises, respectively.

 

[Drex]

This is a somewhat complex question, but adding ammonium hydroxide will boost pH, at least initially. The effect is not quite as strong as an equal number of hydroxide ions added as sodium or calcium hydroxide, but close. The reason is that some of the ammonium comes apart to NH3 and H+, lowering the pH a bit.

Say Randy what would the recipe be for dosing Ammonium Hydroxide in the reef tank came across a video that Dr Sanjay and Mike Paletta did about dosing it as a carbon source and they mentioned your name

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Say Randy what would the recipe be for dosing Ammonium Hydroxide in the reef tank came across a video that Dr Sanjay and Mike Paletta did about dosing it as a carbon source and they mentioned your name

I hope they did not literally suggest dosing ammonium hydroxide as a carbon source, since it contains no carbon.

I give recipes for what i consider to be somewhat better ways to dose ammonia (due to purity assurances) here:

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

 

[reefluvrr]

I hope they did not literally suggest dosing ammonium hydroxide as a carbon source, since it contains no carbon.

No. I listened to the podcast. Both Sanjay and Mike said they dose ammonium hydroxide to provide Nitrogen source not carbon source.

Happy New Year Randy!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No. I listened to the podcast. Both Sanjay and Mike said they dose ammonium hydroxide to provide Nitrogen source not carbon source.

Happy New Year Randy!

Sounds good. Happy Reefing!

 

[Drex]

I hope they did not literally suggest dosing ammonium hydroxide as a carbon source, since it contains no carbon.

I give recipes for what i consider to be somewhat better ways to dose ammonia (due to purity assurances) here:

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

Sounds good. Happy Reefing!

Thanks Randy for the reply and the information. Thats why I have reached out to Randy cause I knew he would give the best info for the topic