Need Help with Potassium nitrate (Spectracide stump remover) dosing

[zemuss]

So I have confirmed with a Red Sea Nitrate test kit and LFS test kit that I have zero nitrates.

Off Topic: Going to get another test kit because I think the Red Sea kit is expired.

Tank specs:
60 gallon cube with 40 gallon sump using 30 gallons (Total water volume 90 gallons)
Nitrates zero
po4 .002

Nitrate mixture: Mixed two table spoons of Stump Remover into a Bionic 16 oz bottle that i had left over.

Summary: Started dosing Monday (May 2nd) with 1 mil each day and increased the dosing to 10 mil yesterday. However when I test the water still zero nitrates.

Question: Do I keep adding 10 mil per day until i get some type of a reading on the test kit?


Only thing I can think of is the cyano that existed before the dosing started is consuming the nitrates that I am adding to the tank.

 

[CodyRVA]

Following, but aren't there much simpler ways of upping your nitrates?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Question: Do I keep adding 10 mil per day until i get some type of a reading on the test kit?


Only thing I can think of is the cyano that existed before the dosing started is consuming the nitrates that I am adding to the tank.

I do not see a reason to think it is cyano that is taking up the nitrate and not other organisms.

 

[zemuss]

Yea possibly the zoas?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any photosynthetic organism will take up some.

 

[zemuss]

Yea and my phosphates are still in the .002 to .008 range..

Going to get another test kit on the way home. I really want to be able to keep SPS.

 

[BluewaterLa]

Not digging on you in any way here.
Why would you want to dose that type of chemical on your tank to get nitrates up ?
Just feed a little more and maybe skip a water change.
I do agree that nitrate levels up to 5 ppm are beneficial to our enclosed system in ways we just don't understand yet and some small amount of phosphate as well.
I don't understand the need for a stump remover product in a reef tank,
Can you elaborate a little on this subject, thanks.

 

[Big E]

Yea and my phosphates are still in the .002 to .008 range..

Going to get another test kit on the way home. I really want to be able to keep SPS.

If this isn't a typo and your P04 readings are accurate.......
it's way to low and raising your nitrates is going to cause P04 to be limited, if you aren't already there. You need to raise both levels if you want to keep Sps healthy.

 

[zemuss]

Big E it is a Typo .02 to .08 is the range i am in.

@BluewaterLa there is a thread on here about Stump Remover (Potassium Nitrate). Actually a few threads on it.

To Update, I finally got my nitrates to 2 on the red sea test kits. Next, before I get the dose online, I want to see how long it takes before it goes back to zero. It has taken 40 mil for Nitrates to show in my tank.

I did a 10 gallon water change last night and will do another this week to get other parameters stable. (Alk, Calcium) I also just bought my first SPS coral a Green Digita as a test frag in the tank. We will see how it does in the system.

 

[zemuss]

I am holding my nitrates at 2 now but my phosphates are on the high side of .08 to .16. I am currently dosing about 5 mil of potassium nitrate every other day.

I have a brown film algae on the glass. I wonder if I need to restart the ats or refugium for a phosphate export?


@twilliard

 

[twilliard]

Yes you should implement a po4 removal method.
That number is a little high which will spur the growth of algae.

 

[twilliard]

Not digging on you in any way here.
Why would you want to dose that type of chemical on your tank to get nitrates up ?
Just feed a little more and maybe skip a water change.
I do agree that nitrate levels up to 5 ppm are beneficial to our enclosed system in ways we just don't understand yet and some small amount of phosphate as well.
I don't understand the need for a stump remover product in a reef tank,
Can you elaborate a little on this subject, thanks.

I missed this post.
Here is a simple answer to the question.
If you feed more, change water less then a few things happen.
Your doc's start to elevate along with po4 adding more to the water than wanted.
On no3 limited tanks instead of adding all these other unwanted compounds and still keeping the same feeding and water change schedules just add straight no3.
Doing this lessens the chance of algae outbreaks that typically follow after adding to a feeding schedule.
Po4 still has to be managed as usual using export methods
Now no3 and po4 are essential for Photosynthesis and cell production.
I have a saying... No3 keeps it green po4 makes it grow

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not digging on you in any way here.
Why would you want to dose that type of chemical on your tank to get nitrates up ?
Just feed a little more and maybe skip a water change.
I do agree that nitrate levels up to 5 ppm are beneficial to our enclosed system in ways we just don't understand yet and some small amount of phosphate as well.
I don't understand the need for a stump remover product in a reef tank,
Can you elaborate a little on this subject, thanks.

Because it raises nitrate while not adding phosphate.

 

[zemuss]

Thanks guys.. I found issue. Since I started back in the WC and feeding frozen foods I turn off the skimmer when doing these things. However, I forgot to turn the skimmer back on which caused the water quality issues. I also took the ATS off line as well thinking I would have a macro refugium up soon. Lol, I have been too busy to get that done.

I didn't freak out just was wondering where this algae came from then the off switch was staring me in the face the whole time. DOH!