Dosing nitrate

[Peppe]

Hello guys. Has anyone ever dosed nitrate in the tank? Is it preferable to dosage potassium nitrate or sodium nitrate?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Lots of people do and there are many threads here on it.

IMO, it is very slightly preferable to dose sodium nitrate since you can't overdose sodium while it is at least possible to overdose potassium (although probably not common).

 

[zeeGGee]

Lots of people do and there are many threads here on it.

IMO, it is very slightly preferable to dose sodium nitrate since you can't overdose sodium while it is at least possible to overdose potassium (although probably not common).

I keep my nitrates at 10ppm-20ppm

 

[zeeGGee]

I keep my nitrates at 10ppm-20ppm

 

[Vaughn17]

When my K level hit 460 ppm (in a 38 g) I switched to NaNO3. Also, there were visible impurities (i.e. bits of dark stuff) in my bottle of stump remover. Just to be safe, I tested each batch on bristle worms and brittle stars before using it. I feel much better using FOOD SAFE NaNO3.

 

[smokin'reefer]

When my K level hit 460 ppm (in a 38 g) I switched to NaNO3. Also, there were visible impurities (i.e. bits of dark stuff) in my bottle of stump remover. Just to be safe, I tested each batch on bristle worms and brittle stars before using it. I feel much better using FOOD SAFE NaNO3.

Do you have a link where you get your food safe?

Evrytime I try the stump remover I get some sps bleaching.

Even at 1ml of the published recipe here on R2R causes issues.

 

[Vaughn17]

I use Duda's sodium nitrate. I bought it on Amazon. I mix one tablespoon with 2 cups water. I dose about 10 ml daily in my 180 that has lots of growing acros and other sps.

 

[smokin'reefer]

I use Duda's sodium nitrate. I bought it on Amazon. I mix one tablespoon with 2 cups water. I dose about 10 ml daily in my 180 that has lots of growing acros and other sps.

Thanks. I'll check into it.

 

[zeeGGee]

Thanks. I'll check into it.

You mean sodium Nitrite?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There's plenty of food grade sodium or potassium nitrate available:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222600..._search_query=sodium nitrate&ref=sr_gallery_3

https://www.butcherspantry.com/curing-ingredients/fccusp-food-grade-potassium-nitrate-kno3-saltpetre

 

[Peppe]

Dosing this product is dangerous for the reef aquarium? Can it contain toxic substances?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dosing this product is dangerous for the reef aquarium? Can it contain toxic substances?

Which product are you asking about?

 

[Peppe]

Which product are you asking about?

This product.. and the other NaNO3

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222600..._search_query=sodium nitrate&ref=sr_gallery_3

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This product.. and the other NaNO3

lol

I asked which product because several were mentioned in this thread.

 

[Haim]

if you have reef i will recomend to keep Retfild ratio 1:16 I prefer kno3

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

if you have reef i will recomend to keep Retfild ratio 1:16 I prefer kno3

Why target that ratio? Why do you prefer potassium nitrate?

I don't consider the Redfield ratio by itself to be a suitable goal for a reef.

Both nitrate and phosphate should be independently targeted to optimal levels (say, 0.5 to 5 ppm nitrate and 0.o1 to 0.05 ppm phosphate). Just because one might be low or high is no reason for the other to be unusually low or high.

For example, if nitrate is 50 ppm, are you suggesting phosphate should be targeted to be above 1 ppm?

 

[Haim]

I prefer 1:16 because it exists in nature
I prefer potassium because it is a mineral that usually involves SPS
Like everything in life should not exaggerate.
It is worth remembering that each type of coral has different needs and there are many other parameters that everyone needs to feel and adapt to. Temperature, biomass, lighting, etc. are factors that influence

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I prefer 1:16 because it exists in nature
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Does it? The Redfield ratio is the ratio that phytoplankton accumulate into their tissues as they grow. It is not the ratio in the water in which they live. By this analogy, one would suggest that alkalinity and calcium should be in the water in the ratio taken up by corals? That's about 18-20 ppm calcium for each 1 meq/L (2.8 dKH) of alkalinity. So if calcium is 420 ppm, should we not target alkalinity to be 65 dKH because that's the natural ratio? Of course not. Same for N and P.

I prefer potassium because it is a mineral that usually involves SPS

I agree that maintaining it at normal levels is good for all organisms. Adding it if you do not need it, may not be.

 

[Haim]

All the animals are also consumers of nitrate and phosphate. What ratio should you offer.?
in my aquarium there are phytoplankton like iso. chet. tetra. nano. Which are rich food for corals and invertebrates.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All the animals are also consumers of nitrate and phosphate. What ratio should you offer.?
in my aquarium there are phytoplankton like iso. chet. tetra. nano. Which are rich food for corals and invertebrates.

I don't offer any ratio. I think the whole concept of a "ratio" being the important factor is misleading and inappropriate.

I would target N and P independently to optimal levels. IMO, there is no reason to think P should be very high just because N happens to be veryhigh, for example.