How to Dose Nutrients With ATO While On Vacation

Robert Binz · Aug 12, 2020

I am leaving for New Mexico for 17 days to sit for the bar exam (they're requiring a 14 day QT and it's a 3-day exam). I do not have anyone who can check on the tank (I've run through the options). My tank will be fishless for this time. My ATO will be about 5 gallons which is sufficient for lasting the 17 days.

My evaporation rate comes out to about one gallon per week; give or take; and I manually dose the tank about 1.5ml of nitrate and 0.4ml of phosphate weekly to maintain appropriate levels of nutrients.

Are the correct calculations just to multiply those figures by 5 to get the dosing that I need? 1.5ml nitrate solution x 5 gallons of water? That's how it seems to me but I'm not very smart so I wanted that logic double-checked.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 12, 2020

Yes. You might want to shield it from light or algae may grow in it.

Lowlandreef · Aug 12, 2020

I don't have a lot of knowledge about this, but I think your calculation is correct. However evaporation may very so I would be careful with using an ATO with dosing. When I was on holiday it was very hot where I live. Due to the less difference in outside temperature and tank temperature there was a lot less evaporation. Normally my ATO tops off about 5 gallons a week, now it was 4 gallons in 2 weeks.

If you still plan on dosing it through ATO, I would try to make sure the temperature in the room and in the tank are both stable so there won't be any surprises with evaporation.

Good luck!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 12, 2020

With nutrients, it won't matter if the dose goes up or down by a factor of 2, IMO.

Lowlandreef · Aug 12, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
With nutrients, it won't matter if the dose goes up or down by a factor of 2, IMO.

I don't think it will be too big of a problem with nutrients either, but I thought it would be good to mention the evaporation may vary and so the dose as well. Just to keep in consideration