For those dosing Potassium Nitrate

[Fringe09]

I hear many on these forums are dosing Nitrates to maintain corals well “fed?”. I can’t get my Nitrates up. Corals are growing slowly but growing. Colors are reasonable. But ZERO polyp extension.

I bought some potassium nitrate (not stump remover). In another thread this calculator was recommended. http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Question is how many ppm per day/ weekly are you dosing. Or even where do you start?

Where did you buy it from?

 

[AquamanE]

Amazon. Food grade Potassium Nitrate.

 

[MTBake]

Amazon also sells reactor grade sodium nitrate. Could be the better option if you don't need added potassium in your tank

 

[Fringe09]

Amazon. Food grade Potassium Nitrate.

Can you please provide a link? I’ve searched and cannot find food grade.

 

[CNDReef]

The Science Company, NC-8794, Potassium Nitrate, (Saltpeter), Food Grade, 100g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDGNHZL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1fI7BbD6TH7C5

 

[Fringe09]

The Science Company, NC-8794, Potassium Nitrate, (Saltpeter), Food Grade, 100g https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDGNHZL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1fI7BbD6TH7C5

It’s expensive for 100 g. I’ve been looking at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773MYVHS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ViI7Bb87DPPA9

 

[CNDReef]

That one says technical use only. I don’t know if it’s safe for our application or not. The one I posted is what RHF recommends

 

[incloud design]

It’s expensive for 100 g. I’ve been looking at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773MYVHS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ViI7Bb87DPPA9

I just got this product tonight. Trying to figure out how much I should add. My system is a total of 300 gallons. Any idea? 0 Nitrates

 

[Fringe09]

I just got this product tonight. Trying to figure out how much I should add. My system is a total of 300 gallons. Any idea? 0 Nitrates

Here the calculator I used:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

 

[incloud design]

Here the calculator I used:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Does this look correct to you? I put in the amounts being my system is overall 300 gallons and adding 1 teaspoon to approximately 2 gallons of water dosing at 40ml every 2 hours. My plan is to add the potassium nitrate to my Bubble Magus Kalk Stirrer chamber that is constantly fed by my RO. This way each time my kalk doses 40ml every 2 hours it will also replenish the nitrates and I can adjust as needed over the next couple weeks of testing. Or maybe I'm entirely wrong and my theory is an absolute cause for disaster. Sounds good though!

Oh and my kalk stirrer runs (stirs) once a day for 40 seconds and then settles for 4 hours before dosing kalk.

 

[incloud design]

Forgot the image.

 

[rkpetersen]

The calculator assumes that a teaspoon of KNO3 weighs 6 grams. That sounds reasonable, but I would certainly check it. Or just use an accurate scale and grams. When I do the math assuming 6 g/teaspoon, I get 0.017 ppm nitrate boost for the tank size, concentration and dose you describe. So assuming no consumption, the most this should increase your nitrate level is 0.20 ppm/day. And you probably won't see anything close to that. Seems safe enough to me.

Edit: My only concern is whether potassium nitrate might interact with calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate in your kalk reactor. It's probably a simple question but my freshman chemistry is very rusty.

 

[incloud design]

The calculator assumes that a teaspoon of KNO3 weighs 6 grams. That sounds reasonable, but I would certainly check it. Or just use an accurate scale and grams. When I do the math assuming 6 g/teaspoon, I get 0.017 ppm nitrate boost for the tank size, concentration and dose you describe. So assuming no consumption, the most this should increase your nitrate level is 0.20 ppm/day. And you probably won't see anything close to that. Seems safe enough to me.

Cool, it just came in now so I'm going to give it a go as a starting point and test tomorrow. How are you making out as far as response? Seeing any results as of yet? I'm so curious to see if this helps my corals.

 

[marlinmon]

Can you please provide a link? I’ve searched and cannot find food grade.

Anything USP grade

 

[incloud design]

The calculator assumes that a teaspoon of KNO3 weighs 6 grams. That sounds reasonable, but I would certainly check it. Or just use an accurate scale and grams. When I do the math assuming 6 g/teaspoon, I get 0.017 ppm nitrate boost for the tank size, concentration and dose you describe. So assuming no consumption, the most this should increase your nitrate level is 0.20 ppm/day. And you probably won't see anything close to that. Seems safe enough to me.

Edit: My only concern is whether potassium nitrate might interact with calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate in your kalk reactor. It's probably a simple question but my freshman chemistry is very rusty.

Nothing blew up, lol. So far no difference and 0 reading as always.

 

[incloud design]

That one says technical use only. I don’t know if it’s safe for our application or not. The one I posted is what RHF recommends

Call me crazy or just plain wishful but this morning after adding this potassium nitrate last night my SPS are all showing feeders and my Goniopora is waving in the flow for the first time in a month. I added roughly a 1/2 teaspoon to my kalk stirrer and 1/2 teaspoon to my sump. I'll keep monitoring but as of now it appears that this is creating a positive response.

 

[scott89wing]

What did u order and where from been doing stump remover but still cant get no3 results still at 0

 

[incloud design]

Wait, don't keep adding. They'll show and then you'll have a problem lowering them if you add too much. I learned the hard way.

 

[Rodmad4]

Any update to your nitrate experiment?

 

[Hallowhead]

Bump for updates