Sodium nitrate source in Canada?

[Tathamet]

Hi just wondering if anyone knows where I could easily buy some sodium nitrate in Canada?

most of my search results end up being for pink curing salt which I’m pretty sure is a low % of sodium nitrite and not even nitrate.

trying to get away from using kno3 but it seems so much harder to find.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I am assuming you have amazon?

 

[Tathamet]

I am assuming you have amazon?

Thanks I do have Amazon.ca which this won’t even show on. It’s showing as unavailable though on .com. Also I’m not sure if I can even order unmixed fertilizers from across the border. Could be wrong on that though.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Thanks I do have Amazon.ca which this won’t even show on. It’s showing as unavailable though on .com. Also I’m not sure if I can even order unmixed fertilizers from across the border. Could be wrong on that though.

Also try LoudWolf.

Finally..some people use potassium nitrate but randy recommends testing for potassium if you do

 

[Tathamet]

Also try LoudWolf.

Finally..some people use potassium nitrate but randy recommends testing for potassium if you do

Ok thanks I’ll look into loudwolf.

i mentioned I had potassium nitrate already and am wanting to get away from using it for that reason.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Some folks have asked this question before without a good answer that I can recall.

 

[Tathamet]

Some folks have asked this question before without a good answer that I can recall.

Dang, thanks Randy. I might have to get some sent to my grandparents when they drive to Florida for the winter lol.

I’ve always wondered but could never find any info on it. Would it possible to unbind the potassium from kno3 and bind sodium or calcium to the nitrate instead somehow? I believe I’ve converted ammonium nitrate cold packs to kno3 before with nosalt when I was younger and liked to experiment lol. But never found a way to convert to anything else from potassium nitrate.

 

[Rmckoy]

Some folks have asked this question before without a good answer that I can recall.

Sodium nitrate is next to impossible to find in Canada .

same as stump killer .
This is why I ended up going with calcium nitrate

 

[Tathamet]

Sodium nitrate is next to impossible to find in Canada .

same as stump killer .
This is why I ended up going with calcium nitrate

Where did you get calcium nitrate? I could probably make that work.

I can access potassium nitrate fairly easily. But it seems like now if you buy any nitrate over 90% purity over a certain weight (might be 1 pound and up) you need to send your id and I’ve heard you get put on some sort of
watch list. Not sure how true that is though lol.

 

[Rmckoy]

Where did you get calcium nitrate? I could probably make that work.

I can access potassium nitrate fairly easily. But it seems like now if you buy any nitrate over 90% purity over a certain weight (might be 1 pound and up) you need to send your id and I’ve heard you get put on some sort of
watch list. Not sure how true that is though lol.

I’ve heard the same .
I believe it can be used for making bombs ?
I don’t know …..

I bought esv b-ionic nitrate from I believe it was fragbox

dosing nitrates will increase alkalinity ..
keep a eye on Alk when dosing nitrates

 

[Tathamet]

I’ve heard the same .
I believe it can be used for making bombs ?
I don’t know …..

I bought esv b-ionic nitrate from I believe it was fragbox

dosing nitrates will increase alkalinity ..
keep a eye on Alk when dosing nitrates

Awesome thanks! Just checked Amazon and got lots of hits for calcium nitrate as well. Might just grab the esv one from fragbox to be safe though

we must be fairly close! That’s one of the couple stores I buy from.

oh thanks for the heads up on the alk. I think I read about it barely raising calcium levels but didn’t know it raised alk.

Edit: and yes you can make bombs, fireworks and solid rocket fuel and such with it so I do see the concern. Just weird how hard it is to get here compared to the states lol.

 

[Rmckoy]

Awesome thanks! Just checked Amazon and got lots of hits for calcium nitrate as well. Might just grab the esv one from fragbox to be safe though

we must be fairly close! That’s one of the couple stores I buy from.

oh thanks for the heads up on the alk. I think I read about it barely raising calcium levels but didn’t know it raised alk.

Edit: and yes you can make bombs, fireworks and solid rocket fuel and such with it so I do see the concern. Just weird how hard it is to get here compared to the states lol

So
Many things are harder to get here .
I would assume we aren’t that far . But I am still about 1 hour drive from fragbox .
there really isn’t anywhere within a hour for saltwater or reef related shops .
For fish . I have began to trust big als Newmarket

corals I have been only going to fragbox for a few years now .
I ended up getting red flatworms from somewhere … and the only places I’ve bought any frags from were big als and fragbox .
big als will tell you they treated their tanks with flatworm exit but “ you didn’t get flatworms in your system from us . Ha ha .


big als in Barrie or Whitby I won’t buy anything from either stores .
arrogance is terrible customer service

 

[Miami Reef]

Slightly off topic,

Living in Canada with a reef tank seems like such a challenge! So much meds and chemicals that are difficult/impossible to get. I commend you for pushing through.

Maybe try feeding more/reducing filtration? That’ll work at bumping nitrates.

 

[Rmckoy]

Slightly off topic,

Living in Canada with a reef tank seems like such a challenge! So much meds and chemicals that are difficult/impossible to get. I commend you for pushing through.

Maybe try feeding more/reducing filtration? That’ll work at bumping nitrates.

I think some medications are available but if they are . They have to be prescribed from a vet .

lfs does sell some of the ones that are said to be less effective .

 

[Tathamet]

Same, 1 hour away from me as well. Never been in the store myself though lol. Always ordered online. candy corals is another good option.

Closest store to me is big als in Whitby (im Pickering/Ajax) but I only go for freshwater stuff there lol.

 

[Miami Reef]

I think some medications are available but if they are . They have to be prescribed from a vet .

lfs does sell some of the ones that are said to be less effective .

Formalin, for example, is basically impossible to get in Canada. They even banned aquarium products containing it.

I know this because I read the Canadian threads of people trying to get their hands on meds for their fish to no avail.

But I could be wrong! I never lived/visited Canada.

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

 

[Miami Reef]

This is the sodium nitrate I used:

Duda Energy 5sn 5 lb. Sodium Nitrate 99+% Pure Chile Saltpeter Gold Metal Refining Industrial Grade Glass Pottery Enamels https://a.co/d/8G7jk8L

I dose it as much now since feeding heavily works at maintaining nitrates, but if it ever drops low I won’t hesitate to dose. I’ve used Sodium nitrate many times to no ill effects.

 

[Rmckoy]

Formalin, for example, is basically impossible to get in Canada. They even banned aquarium products containing it.

I know this because I read the Canadian threads of people trying to get their hands on meds for their fish to no avail.

But I could be wrong! I never lived/visited Canada.

Formalin is available . But the percentage is low .
I have a bottle I’ve had to buy years ago for a qt .

 

[Miami Reef]

Formalin is available . But the percentage is low .
I have a bottle I’ve had to buy years ago for a qt .

Ah, thanks for that! Learn something new every day!