Dosing Nitrate

[Bryan]

Randy:

Is it ok to add Potassium Nitrate to either your Alk or Ca recipes?. Would like to add small amounts of nitrate to the tank on a daily basis and prefer not to add a separate doser pump.

Thanks

 

[Genetics]

I'm not Randy but I'll ask a few questions. Why do you want to raise your potassium or nitrate levels? Also, do you have an idea on how much you are planning to add either molar or in ppm?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can add it to either part of a two part or to limewater.

 

[redfishsc]

Personally I would not do that (mix with 2-part), for the simple virtue of erring on the side of caution.

Genetics, if I had to guess, he is possibly wanting to increase either "good" algae or soft coral growth if his tank is 0 nitrate.

You "can" increase nitrate with heavier feedings or heavier fish loads (or both) but you also introduce phosphates that way.

Personally I try to avoid using GFO simply due to cost, so I am considering dosing nitrate to aid my chaeto in removing phosphate. Mine is well below the .25 ppm that my API can detect, so I don't have very far for the chaeto to pull down.

 

[Bryan]

Yes, I am trying to decrease the bad algae by encouraging the good algae to grow. Macro algae just does not grow for me, because of a SPS only tank with bare bottom and skimmer. Nitrate tests consistently 0 with a Lamotte Low Range Nitrate test Kit. Adding Potassium Nitrate every couple days and it gets used up within a day or so. Thus why I wanted to be consistent and add it to either CA/ALK

 

[Bryan]

Randy:

Can I pester you for the math involved. I want to add 2ppm of Nitrate to the 550 litre a tank a day. The volume dosed daily of CA is approx 75ml. How much Potassium Nitrate would be needed in a 75ml sample to accomplish this.

Thanks in advance

-=Bryan=-

 

[Genetics]

If you have solid potassium nitrate, it would weigh 2.1g per cm^3. A tsp holds 4.93cm^3. 1tsp KNO3 = 10.4g then.

If you are wanting to add 2ppm of potassium nitrate to 550 liters. 2ppm or 2mg/L x 550 liters = 1.1g.

1.1g/10.4g/tsp/day = 0.11tsp per day to add 2ppm potassium nitrate.

 

[Bryan]

Thanks, but if I am correct potassium nitrate is only 62.3% nitrate so i would need to add roughly 1.6 g

 

[Genetics]

You are correct.