Question about Spectracide Stump Remover dosing

sfg · Sep 10, 2015

I've seen a few threads on this topic in concerns to raising Nitrates. I picked up a bottle but haven't the slightest clue on how much to dose. Im not the best with math so the few calculations I have seen provided online don't allow me to come to my own conclusion.. afraid it will be off.

So with that in mind, my DT is 45G and sump is 30G. Let's say 35G in DT and 20 in sump.. 55G total =)

I'm looking to raise my Nitrate from 0 to 1ppm.. need to figure out how much to mix to accomplish this. And please confirm from there that if I want to maintain this number I would simply take a reading daily to see how much my tank "consumes" and dose accordingly..

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 10, 2015

Do you have a scale?

sfg · Sep 10, 2015

I have a food scale. Think I can measure it grams with it

redfishbluefish · Sep 10, 2015

I'm sure Randy is now doing the calculations, so I won't bother, but the best way to do this is to make a known solution of the potassium nitrate and then add a volume of this solution to the tank.

If you wanted to add the powder directly, it would literally be a pinch to raise to 1 ppm.....that is, milligram quantities.

sfg · Sep 10, 2015

It's granular. I'm stupid paranoid about this stuff. And should be.

I will wait to see what randy comes up with.

Thanks!

twilliard · Sep 10, 2015

Here is what I do.
Mix 2 tablespoons to 2 cups of RODI water.
I have 80g total volume and 4Ml of this solution brings me up 1ppm of no3

sfg · Sep 10, 2015

^that helps! Thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 10, 2015

Here's a recipe:

Dissolve 10 grams in 1 liter of fresh water. That 10 grams contains 6.14 grams of nitrate, so that solution is 6,140 ppm nitrate.

If you add 1 ml of the solution per 2 gallons of tank water volume, that will boost nitrate by 0.8 ppm nitrate.

sfg · Sep 10, 2015

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 10, 2015

You're welcome.

Let us know how it works for you.

tcoyle · Sep 11, 2015

Is this what you are using?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Spectracide-1-lb-Stump-Remover-HG-66420-4/202097353

I am looking into trying this as my Nitrate level is 0 and I just can't seem to feed enough to raise it.

sfg · Sep 11, 2015

Yep. That's what I have. Haven't used it yet. Same problem here. I have plenty of bio load, started feeding a lot more. But still 0 nitrates.

twilliard · Sep 11, 2015

Be prepared to test daily for your no3
After time you will see your daily uptake.
As your macros grow you will see slightly more uptake.

sfg · Sep 11, 2015

So check my math here. I created a liter of this "magic" with RO water and 10grams of spectracide. I plan on testing this mixture by adding 1ml to two gallons of RO water and then checking to see what the nitrate level is. Assuming it's verified .8ppm I would then need 28ml for say a 56g tank to raise the nitrates from 0 to .8ppm correct? Should/can I dose this all at once?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Sep 11, 2015

sfg said:
So check my math here. I created a liter of this "magic" with RO water and 10grams of spectracide. I plan on testing this mixture by adding 1ml to two gallons of RO water and then checking to see what the nitrate level is. Assuming it's verified .8ppm I would then need 28ml for say a 56g tank correct to raise the nitrates from 0 to .8ppm correct? Should/can I dose this all at once?

Yes, that's correct and all at once is fine.