Nitrate dosing using sodium nitrate

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Hello experts. I had been using spectricide and just to be safe I decided to switch to a pure sodium nitrate. I bought this online and now notice it doesn't say food grade, but reagent grade.

What do you guys think?

 

[Diesel]

Correct, Sodium Nitrate comes only according to the loadwolf website in a regent grade.
If you want food grade you need to take the Sodium Benzoate.

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Correct, Sodium Nitrate comes only according to the loadwolf website in a regent grade.
If you want food grade you need to take the Sodium Benzoate.

Would this be safe to nitrate dose?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Would this be safe to nitrate dose?

Yes. Anyway, I think it is also food grade despite not explicitly saying so since it is clearly claimed as a food material on their site and other companies resell it as food grade. It would be big trouble to sell a chemical as a food preservative if it wasn't meeting food grade standards.

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Yes. Anyway, I think it is also food grade despite not explicitly saying so since it is clearly claimed as a food material on their site and other companies resell it as food grade. It would be big trouble to sell a chemical as a food preservative if it wasn't meeting food grade standards.

Thanks so much for the response Randy. One last question. I was mixing spectricide potassium nitrate at 1 tablespoon to 1 cup RODI. Should I keep to the same mixture?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks so much for the response Randy. One last question. I was mixing spectricide potassium nitrate at 1 tablespoon to 1 cup RODI. Should I keep to the same mixture?

The sodium nitrate is about 15% more potent on a weight basis. Not sure on a volume basis.

IMO, its close enough to just continue the same.

 

[Szigedi]

Does anyone have a link to instructions on how to use that to dose for nitrate?

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Does anyone have a link to instructions on how to use that to dose for nitrate?

I use the following calculator:

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

Maybe someone else has a better source.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use the following calculator:

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

Maybe someone else has a better source.

It's a fine calculator, but doesn't have an entry for sodium nitrate.

For sodium nitrate, use the entry for potassium nitrate and use 84% as much (that is, multiply the required amount by 0.84).

 

[dmw913]

I'm using that exact brand as recommended by Randy with no problems.

 

[diablomaster9045]

Hey @Randy Holmes-Farley , would it be safe to mix both Sodium Nitrate and Potassium Nitrate to continue dosing some potassium but at a lower rate?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey @Randy Holmes-Farley , would it be safe to mix both Sodium Nitrate and Potassium Nitrate to continue dosing some potassium but at a lower rate?

Sure, that would be fine.

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

I'm finding that dosing with sodium nitrate in comparison to potassium nitrate more is needed to get the same readings.

I mixed both 1tablespoon to 1 cup rodi.

I'm finding it takes more sodium nitrate to get to the same reading as I got with potassium nitrate.

I thought in the past you had mentioned I should expect the opposite?

Does this sound right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You will need less pure sodium nitrate by weight (about 16% less), but by volume it will also depend on the "fluffiness" of the solids you are using.

 

[OnPointCorals Verified Sponsor]

Ahh this make sense as I found the sodium nitrate I used to be very fluffy and the stump remover is def not fluffy.