KNO3 how much do I need?

143MPCo · Sep 30, 2015

@twilliard and @Russ265
I'm a big fan of using purposed built and designed additives (just my personal preference)...
green leaf aquariums sells 1lbs for $3, bonus being it's designed for aquariums... Link--> Here

They also have Mono potassium Phosphate (kh2PO4), 1bls for $5 so might order that one for my PO4 needs (need to research it more) but a cheaper alternative.

twilliard · Oct 1, 2015

143MPCo said:
@twilliard and @Russ265
I'm a big fan of using purposed built and designed additives (just my personal preference)...
green leaf aquariums sells 1lbs for $3, bonus being it's designed for aquariums... Link--> Here

They also have Mono potassium Phosphate (kh2PO4), 1bls for $5 so might order that one for my PO4 needs (need to research it more) but a cheaper alternative.

Thank you for that info!!

143MPCo · Oct 2, 2015

first system...

150 + 40 (sump- 1/2 filled so guess roughly 20gallons) = 170g net

134.40 grams of KNO3
550ml of RO/DI water
1ml of solution adds= 0.23ppm of Nitrate
3.oppm / 0.23 = 13.04ml of initial dose

1 tested read 0.75ppm (yesterday)
2 tested read 0.75ppm (yesterday)
3 tested to 0.25ppm @ 2:00pm est today

dosed 13ml (test pending)

second system... check my math?

390 gallon total
134.40 grams of KNO3
550ml of RO/DI water
1ml of solution adds = 0.1ppm of Nitrate
3.oppm / 0.1 = 30ml of initial dose

dosed 30ml (test pending)

1 test read 3.0ppm (yesterday)
2 test read 3.0ppm (yesterday)
3 test read 0.0ppm @ 2:25pm est today (seems to have depleted rather fast?)

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 2, 2015

143MPCo said:
1 test read 3.0ppm (yesterday)
2 test read 3.0ppm (yesterday)
3 test read 0.0ppm @ 2:25pm est today (seems to have depleted rather fast?)

You may find, and I think that some others have found, that there can be some pent up "demand" for nitrate that stabilizes over time. For example, deficient organisms may suck up a lot, then be "full" and don't need as much the next day.

143MPCo · Oct 2, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
You may find, and I think that some others have found, that there can be some pent up "demand" for nitrate that stabilizes over time. For example, deficient organisms may suck up a lot, then be "full" and don't need as much the next day.

Noted!
Thank you Randy!

143MPCo · Oct 2, 2015

170 gallon system
currently testing 1 ppm NO3
390 gallon system
currently testing 4 pmm NO3

Very interested to see tomorrows results.

twilliard · Oct 3, 2015

Looking good!

143MPCo · Oct 3, 2015

...thing look like they are progressing well, I have my baseline and will follow it from there.
Thank for the help!

170 gallon system
3 tested to 0.25ppm @ 2:00pm est yesterday
4 test today 0.75ppm @ 7:30pm est today

390 gallon system
3 test read 0.0ppm @ 2:25pm est yesterday
4 test today 1.0ppm @ 8:00pm est today

Usctom · Oct 3, 2015

Don't use seachem flourish nitrogen. It has 2 forms of nitrogen. 1 being ammonia which I doubt you want in your tank

nc208082 · Oct 4, 2015

Usctom said:
Don't use seachem flourish nitrogen. It has 2 forms of nitrogen. 1 being ammonia which I doubt you want in your tank

Would you be able to elaborate on this and why not to use this?
In the many other threads on this subject the Seachem flourish nitrogen is recommended and yours is the first post I have come across suggesting not to use this?

Usctom · Oct 4, 2015

nc208082 said:
Would you be able to elaborate on this and why not to use this?
In the many other threads on this subject the Seachem flourish nitrogen is recommended and yours is the first post I have come across suggesting not to use this?

I'v had two friends that used it. One lost a bunch of pieces. If you read the label it says 2 forms of nitrogen not nitrates. One is urea which would be ammonia. Most tanks should be able to handle some ammonia but when your trying to dose nitrates it doesn't make sense.

veselym · Oct 4, 2015

Is there a reason to shoot for 2-3ppm? I have been keeping mine stable at .50 but it seems everyone is targeting higher

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 5, 2015

Usctom said:
I'v had two friends that used it. One lost a bunch of pieces. If you read the label it says 2 forms of nitrogen not nitrates. One is urea which would be ammonia. Most tanks should be able to handle some ammonia but when your trying to dose nitrates it doesn't make sense.

Not sure what exactly you are claiming, but urea is not ammonia and is not going to be toxic like ammonia. It can also be taken up directly by many organisms, including marine macroalgae and corals.

I don't care for the Seachem product since no reefers measure urea and so we might as well dose what we are testing for (nitrate), but urea is not going to kill organisms if dosed properly.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 5, 2015

veselym said:
Is there a reason to shoot for 2-3ppm? I have been keeping mine stable at .50 but it seems everyone is targeting higher

IMO, trial and error is the only way to know. There are too many variables to give a single recommended amount for every system because you are not trying to mimic nature, but to add higher than natural levels to make up for other deficiencies in our husbandry practices.

Too much may lead to browning of corals (by increased zoox) and increased algae or cyano. Too little may lead to corals not getting sufficient nitrogen to thrive. Where that balance is varies, IMO, from tank to tnak.