Green Leaf Aquarium - Potassium Nitrate

[Brian W]

Has anyone ever used Green Leaf Aquarium's Potassium Nitrate to raise their nitrates in a reef tank long term will no ill effects of potassium becoming too high?

I need to raise my nitrates from 0 to 5ppm

I'm currently trying to raise my nitrates by to 5 ppm by feeding more and not running a skimmer. I still have a turf algae scrubber and fuge running.

If feeding more and running my skimmer less does not work I may need to start dosing niitrates. Im still a little scared to try dosing Spectracide Tree Stump Remover. GLA KNO3 seems like it may be more suitable. I just do not want to raise my K too high.

Thanks

 

[Cory]

Dont worry about the potassium raise. According ti jim welsh:

"The ratio is basically 2:3 of K to NO3, so for each 3 PPM NO3 you add, you are adding 2 PPM of K."

 

[Msanchez_4342]

Hey do you have a dosage amount? How to mix this? I order one jar

 

[Msanchez_4342]

Hey do you have a dosage amount? Or how to mix this? I order one jar

 

[Brian W]

Hey do you have a dosage amount? Or how to mix this? I order one jar

I put 125 grams to a 2 liter bottle of rodi. (Most people do not mic it this strong. I just did not want to have to add 100ml to raise my NO3 to 1ppm)
For every 100 gallon of water volume add 10ml to raise NO3 to 1ppm
This is just my recipe and has worked for me the past few days.
I started with a 30ml initial does and waited an hour to test, my NO3 was t 1ppm
So I dosed 30ml more, tested and NO3 was at 2ppm
I then added 40ml and my current NO3 is 2.5 ppm
****Please start off slow and test for each 10ml you add for the first few doses.

This is the calculator I used
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

This is a screenshot of the calculation I used.

 

[Msanchez_4342]

I put 125 grams to a 2 liter bottle of rodi. (Most people do not mic it this strong. I just did not want to have to add 100ml to raise my NO3 to 1ppm)
For every 100 gallon of water volume add 10ml to raise NO3 to 1ppm
This is just my recipe and has worked for me the past few days.
I started with a 30ml initial does and waited an hour to test, my NO3 was t 1ppm
So I dosed 30ml more, tested and NO3 was at 2ppm
I then added 40ml and my current NO3 is 2.5 ppm
****Please start off slow and test for each 10ml you add for the first few doses.

This is the calculator I used
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

This is a screenshot of the calculation I used.

Hey! Thank you very much! Really appreciated it!

 

[Brian W]

Hey! Thank you very much! Really appreciated it!

anytime!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sodium nitrate is readily available, and causes no potassium rise. :

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222604...MIjuaVpeS32AIVnrjACh3W-QZDEAQYBCABEgIW9fD_BwE

 

[Lasse]

I have used potassium nitrate for more than one year in an aquarium with fuge and a dense chaeto population. In spite of this my potassium level tend to go down. I´m suspecting that Chaeto takes up rather much potassium. Buts its a good idea to use Sodium nitrate now and then as Randy suggest.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Brian W]

Sodium nitrate is readily available, and causes no potassium rise. :

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222604...MIjuaVpeS32AIVnrjACh3W-QZDEAQYBCABEgIW9fD_BwE

May be a goofy question but will this raise Alkalinity, Salinity or any other element I may need to watch for?
With the KNO3 I planned to send in 6 Triton tests a year to help monster not just my levels but my potassium as well.....
I can easily switch, I'm just still learning.
Thank you.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

May be a goofy question but will this raise Alkalinity, Salinity or any other element I may need to watch for?
With the KNO3 I planned to send in 6 Triton tests a year to help monster not just my levels but my potassium as well.....
I can easily switch, I'm just still learning.
Thank you.

That's a more complicated question that you might anticipate.

Yes, adding any source of nitrate will cause a small boost to alkalinity when that nitrate is used by organisms. Consumption of 50 ppm of nitrate will boost alkalinity by 2.3 dKH, whether it is consumed to make new tissue, or undergoes denitrification. This is from one of my articles:

For example, if the nitrate is allowed to be converted into N2 in a sand bed, one of the products is bicarbonate, as shown in equation 2 (below) for the breakdown of glucose and nitrate under typical anoxic conditions as might happen in a deep sand bed:

1. 
   (2) 4NO3- + 5/6 C6H12O6 (glucose) + 4H2O ---> 2 N2 + 7H2O + 4HCO3- + CO2
   

In equation 2 we see that exactly one bicarbonate ion is produced for each nitrate ion consumed. Consequently, the alkalinity gain is 0.8 meq/L (2.3 dKH) for every 50 ppm of nitrate consumed.

Likewise, equation 3 (below) shows the uptake of nitrate and CO2 into macroalgae to form typical organic molecules:

1. 
   (3) 122 CO2 + 122 H2O + 16 NO3- ---> C106H260O106N16 + 138 O2 + 16 HCO3-
   

Again, one bicarbonate ion is produced for each nitrate ion consumed.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

May be a goofy question but will this raise Alkalinity, Salinity or any other element I may need to watch for?
With the KNO3 I planned to send in 6 Triton tests a year to help monster not just my levels but my potassium as well.....
I can easily switch, I'm just still learning.
Thank you.

The effect on salinity of dosing sodium or potassium nitrate is very, very low and not worth worrying about (but technically, real).

The potassium nitrate might be beneficial for many relative to sodium, it all depends on the system, including how you are boosting alk and calcium (some methods deplete potassium, some do not).

 

[Brian W]

That's a more complicated question that you might anticipate.

Yes, adding any source of nitrate will cause a small boost to alkalinity when that nitrate is used by organisms. Consumption of 50 ppm of nitrate will boost alkalinity by 2.3 dKH, whether it is consumed to make new tissue, or undergoes denitrification. This is from one of my articles:

For example, if the nitrate is allowed to be converted into N2 in a sand bed, one of the products is bicarbonate, as shown in equation 2 (below) for the breakdown of glucose and nitrate under typical anoxic conditions as might happen in a deep sand bed:

1. 
   (2) 4NO3- + 5/6 C6H12O6 (glucose) + 4H2O ---> 2 N2 + 7H2O + 4HCO3- + CO2

In equation 2 we see that exactly one bicarbonate ion is produced for each nitrate ion consumed. Consequently, the alkalinity gain is 0.8 meq/L (2.3 dKH) for every 50 ppm of nitrate consumed.

Likewise, equation 3 (below) shows the uptake of nitrate and CO2 into macroalgae to form typical organic molecules:

1. 
   (3) 122 CO2 + 122 H2O + 16 NO3- ---> C106H260O106N16 + 138 O2 + 16 HCO3-

Again, one bicarbonate ion is produced for each nitrate ion consumed.

Thank you.

 

[Brosiv474]

Randy, I have tried brightwella neonitro and it was to the point where I would have had to dose 120 ml per day to keep NO3 at 3ppm. That’s not feasible for the pocketbook. So I have began exploring kno3 and now I see your input of sodium nitrate. Would you recommend one over the other? I’m currently dosing BRS alk, mg, and Ca.

 

[Brosiv474]

Sodium nitrate is readily available, and causes no potassium rise. :

https://www.etsy.com/listing/222604...MIjuaVpeS32AIVnrjACh3W-QZDEAQYBCABEgIW9fD_BwE

I have tried brightwells neonitro and my system consumes far too much for it to be a reasonable solution to raising NO3. I was up to 120ml per day to stay at 3ppm. That was too expensive for my liking. I see you mentioned sodium nitrate and I have considered KNO3 as well. Would you recommend one over the other?

 

[Lasse]

If you have a refugium with a high growth rate - I would use KNO3 because macroalgae have a tendency to take up K (IMO). If not maybe alter between the two. I use to take 40 grams of either KNO3 or NaNO3 and mix it up to 500 ml of water. They are not equal in molecule weight so it will be a smaller error in the calculations. As an average I calculate that 1 ml of this solution rise the NO3 level in 100 litres with 0.5 ppm. It is far enough for my use - however not total right in a science point of view.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Waters]

I have used this same stuff for years without any issues.....was leftover from my planted tank days. I dose as needed and do test potassium occasionally but have never seen any increase.

 

[Brosiv474]

If you have a refugium with a high growth rate - I would use KNO3 because macroalgae have a tendency to take up K (IMO). If not maybe alter between the two. I use to take 40 grams of either KNO3 or NaNO3 and mix it up to 500 ml of water. They are not equal in molecule weight so it will be a smaller error in the calculations. As an average I calculate that 1 ml of this solution rise the NO3 level in 100 litres with 0.5 ppm. It is far enough for my use - however not total right in a science point of view.

Sincerely Lasse

I do have a large refugium that is 24” x 24” x 24”. It’s full of Chaeto regularly which is likely the reason NO3 is undetectable. I’ve tried reducing the light cycle but it doesn’t seem to help. I’m hoping with the addition of th KNO3 phosphates will drop a bit too. Is that a reasonable expectation?

 

[Lasse]

Yes

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Brosiv474]

Thank you sir. I’m very hesitant to add kno3 or anything for that matter to raise nitrates. I’m still weighing removing my filter socks, cycling the skimmer, or feeding even more (not what I want to do either). My tank is almost four years old and I’m trying to join the new ideology of having some nitrates is better than none. Just don’t understand if I’m missing something and why I’m scratching my head so much with All of this.