Potassium Nitrate vs Sodium Nitrate... which one and why?

[ZoWhat]

With the calculator you can mix up whatever concentration amounts you want really.
Think if you averaged 5ppm daily usage it would be easier to start with a 5ppm daily drip if that makes sense.
Maybe whip up a 1ml equals 1ppm mix and slow drip 5ml daily.

Wake up to the inside of my tank looking like a 1979 van covered in GHA shag carpeting. Lol!

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Since ocean no3 levels are around 0.1 I dont think thats your issue, imo.
My tank runs the same 2 to <5 no3.
I would rather be lower <5 than higher.

The ocean might be very low in nitrate and phosphate but there are many other forms of available nutrients in the ocean Styx as planktons and bacterias that we do not have in our tanks.

 

[LRT]

Wake up to the inside of my tank looking like a 1979 van covered in GHA shag carpeting. Lol!

This gives me anxiety haha

 

[Saltyreef]

If I were dilute this in 2 gals of RODI and drip it over 24-34 hrs, how much of these crystals to dilute? 1 teaspoon/5ml? 2 teaspoons/10ml?

That calculator above is corn-fusing

Goal is to get my zoas eating the nitrogen while I still keep po4 under 0.5ppm with my ongoing LaCl drip thru 5micron sock.

Forever fighting po4 due to my fresh seafood at deli counter choices. Fat happy fish but fat happy po4 levels

I use @Lasse's stock solution reference for my nutrients.

And heres his potassium vs sodium post.

 

[ZoWhat]

@Saltyreef @LRT

Weeeeeell..I still need help bc I need to work the numbers in reverse.

Here is my LaCl setup. Container on concrete block hold 2 gals of RODI. I use the AccuDrip thing-a-ma-bob-er which I drip at around 1 droplet per second. That container drips 2 gals over about 32'ish hours.

I want to setup a 2nd dripping station EXACTLY like above to drip directly into sump. Same 32hours of drip time to empty 2 gals.

I just don't know what amount (in either milligrams in weight or milliliters using measuring spoons) to dose a 2gal thru-put.... to achieve 10-20ppm no3 to feed zoas

So the formula I'm trying to solve is:

What X-amt of NaNO3 x 2gals of water = a stable 10-20ppm of NO3 per day
.

 

[LRT]

@Saltyreef @LRT

Weeeeeell..I still need help bc I need to work the numbers in reverse.

Here is my LaCl setup. Container on concrete block hold 2 gals of RODI. I use the AccuDrip thing-a-ma-bob-er which I drip at around 1 droplet per second. That container drips 2 gals over about 32'ish hours.

I want to setup a 2nd dripping station EXACTLY like above to drip directly into sump. Same 32hours of drip time to empty 2 gals.

I just don't know what amount (in either milligrams in weight or milliliters using measuring spoons) to dose a 2gal thru-put.... to achieve 10-20ppm no3 to feed zoas

So the formula I'm trying to solve is:

What X-amt of NaNO3 x 2gals of water = a stable 10-20ppm of NO3 per day
.

Can you slow or speed up the drip rate?

 

[ZoWhat]

Can you slow or speed up the drip rate?

Yes but it gravity driven

If you set a driprate exactly at 2 drops per second with 2gals of pressure... by the time it gets down to half gallon, it's like 1 drop per second bc not as much gravity pressure.

A very slow driprate of like 1 drop per 10seconds at 2gals would stop dripping by half gallon

I just know to eyeball a driprate and the 2gals is empties in about 28-32 hours


.

 

[LRT]

Yes but it gravity driven

If you set a driprate exactly at 2 drops per second with 2gals of pressure... by the time it gets down to half gallon, it's like 1 drop per second bc not as much gravity pressure.

A very slow driprate of like 1 drop per 10seconds at 2gals would stop dripping by half gallon

I just know to eyeball a driprate and the 2gals is empties in about 28-32 hours


.

I see what your trying to do.
Id speed drip rate up to 24 hrs.
Either way you will need to know total daily Nitrate consumption. I cant see using 21ppm Nitrates a day so you would have to adjust your batches daily to match consumption.
I'll let the math wizards chime in but I think this is how your first batch would look starting at 0 nitrates based on 300 gallon total system volume at 24hr drip to achieve 21ppm

 

[ZoWhat]

I see what your trying to do.
Id speed drip rate up to 24 hrs.
Either way you will need to know total daily Nitrate consumption. I cant see using 21ppm Nitrates a day so you would have to adjust your batches daily to match consumption.
I'll let the math wizards chime in but I think this is how your first batch would look based on 300 gallon total system volume at 24hr drip.

I see what you did there. Thank you for taking the time with me. I appreciate it.

I definitely need to know what my no3 consumption rate per week is going to be.

I might start at Day 0 getting a Hanna No3 test written down, then dilute 20grams and dose it, get another Hanna number, wait each day to get another Hanna reading and see what the daily avg is from the 7 day drop

Only issue is I'm reading no3 #s after my corals have eaten..but at least I'll know some #s so I'm not mistakenly drilling the tank from 15ppm to smthg like 45pm


.

 

[LRT]

I see what you did there. Thank you for taking the time with me. I appreciate it.

I definitely need to know what my no3 consumption rate per week is going to be.

I might start at Day 0 getting a Hanna No3 test written down, then dilute 20grams and dose it, get another Hanna number, wait each day to get another Hanna reading and see what the daily avg is from the 7 day drop

Only issue is I'm reading no3 #s after my corals have eaten..but at least I'll know some #s so I'm not mistakenly drilling the tank from 15ppm to smthg like 45pm


.

Agreed yes take the slow approach and see what it does. I think your going to find it alot easier to achieve and stabilize at your desired number.
Im not sure id bump more than 5ppm a day getting there. Maybe let it ride for few days in between 5ppm increments to see what your corals are doing.
Maybe check nitrates before and after you feed a cpl times so you have Guage on nitrates your adding while feeding system naturally.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

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[Nurse.Reef.Reapeat]

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