I DOSED nitrate, and all can say is WOW!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15227100#post15227100 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CleveYank
I've noted that chemicals come in food grade, reagent grade etc.
Stump grade to be used as an additive to my systems would make me more than cautious. Any number of what the mfg believes to be inert (for the labeled and applied legal applicaiton that is more than likely on the package) may become ert in saltwater. Who knows? Also who knows what impurities of a heavy metal variety that could build up and nuke the system are present in the stump grade stuff?

And making a statement that the nitrate worked for being the growth trigger without having a test of the Potassium before you dosed before and after is really just speculation. And what other possible changes were happening etc? And not doing a comparative test with two identical systems with equal amounts of livestock, water volume and equipment makes the result again speculative (test v control better approach) and really just a lucky crap shoot at the best description. So many things have been stumbled upon in science it's not even funny. However, 1 observation in 1 system without a comparison is just bad method.

But, Glad it worked out so far and you didn't shock anything for losses are a bummer.

Well I looked at some Kno3 from well known chemical store, but the data was pretty much exactly the same as the data for the stump remover. I did my homework and both fresh and saltwater planted tank aquarists use stump remover to boost plant growth and to save money. I have yet to read of anything detrimental occurring. I have also only needed to dose once as of yet my nitrates are still hovering above 0. So unless my colors begin fading or growth slows continued dosing may be infrequent.
 
A have always tested 0 for nitrate and I also have issues with LPS corals and softs. They don't grow in my tank, never. Euphyllia species are the worst, all that I have tried here lost size and bleached. SPS do ok, regular growth. My PO4 is also 0 but overfeed don't work here, it rases PO4 and algaes pops everywhere. SPS lose color also. Target feeding don't make any impact on my LPS's either. Once searching for "lps bleaching" on the internet I found an article stating that LPS corals need some nitrogen to thrive, and the lack of it could start a bleaching process, so I think your problem is suchlike mine. I agree that maybe AA dosing could work since part of it will become NO3 in the end. I will start with AA next week. I also think that my tank is perfect to test KNO3 dosing becouse I have the same problem here. So NO3 for LPS and K for SPS. :D

this is my poor bleached torch lacking for something.
torch.jpg


here you can see how a ducan looks in my tank.
dunca.jpg
 
Some tanks are so clean that add a lot of food or a little of No3 is a good option

Here I stoped vodka and now I add a lot of food everyday and my tank it´s a lot better

Best Regards
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15228822#post15228822 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fish'InMN
Dose some potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and see if it has the same effect.

I have dosed potassium chloride and did not see any effects. Perhaps someone who has similar tank parameters could try dosing solely potassium as well, and see if it results in improved color, darkening of coral tissue, and improved growth, but i have a feeling it will not;)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15228805#post15228805 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rodrigo_BG
A have always tested 0 for nitrate and I also have issues with LPS corals and softs. They don't grow in my tank, never. Euphyllia species are the worst, all that I have tried here lost size and bleached. SPS do ok, regular growth. My PO4 is also 0 but overfeed don't work here, it rases PO4 and algaes pops everywhere. SPS lose color also. Target feeding don't make any impact on my LPS's either. Once searching for "lps bleaching" on the internet I found an article stating that LPS corals need some nitrogen to thrive, and the lack of it could start a bleaching process, so I think your problem is suchlike mine. I agree that maybe AA dosing could work since part of it will become NO3 in the end. I will start with AA next week. I also think that my tank is perfect to test KNO3 dosing becouse I have the same problem here. So NO3 for LPS and K for SPS. :D

this is my poor bleached torch lacking for something.
torch.jpg


here you can see how a ducan looks in my tank.
dunca.jpg

Please let us know how the AA's work out!

And if additional help is needed, perhaps you could give kno3 a try and be guinea pig number 2. I think you're tank may be a good candidate for it.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15230448#post15230448 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Marklu
And if additional help is needed, perhaps you could give kno3 a try and be guinea pig number 2.

Interesting thread and discussion so far... I'll be interested to see who has the cajones to be guinea pig number 2, and how it works for their system...
 
IMO everyone worries too much about exporting nutrients and not importing them back into our tanks. I noticed a huge improvement in my sps once I started to add more fish and feed very heavily. Sps love fish poop and clean water. The nicest sps tanks ive noticed have measureable nitrates but have very low phosphate.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15230595#post15230595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
Interesting thread and discussion so far... I'll be interested to see who has the cajones to be guinea pig number 2, and how it works for their system...

There are at least a couple other people on here that have been dosing nitrates for a while, though I can't remember who.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15231693#post15231693 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Peter Eichler
There are at least a couple other people on here that have been dosing nitrates for a while, though I can't remember who.

It would be nice if we could get some input from some reefers who have a good amount of experience with this.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15231000#post15231000 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefer08
The nicest sps tanks ive noticed have measureable nitrates but have very low phosphate.

I think that is what my problem really was/is. My nitrates were no where to be found and phosphates were still there i'm sure. So this imbalance between N and P could be the real issue.
 
If you're concerned about the potassium confounding any results, you could just use ammonium nitrate. It needs to be added and tested for very carefully, of course, to avoid an ammonia spike. But, since the net result from both ions will be nitrate, you will essentially be adding a "pure" form of nitrate.

HTH,
Matt
 
Interesting, I just started dosing Sodium Nitrate after discussing my faded Montiporas in a Swedish Community. These Montiopras have done really well in my quarantine tank (which has some nitrate (around 2.5ppm)), but when they hit my main display tank they loose their polyp expansion and fade in color in a couple of weeks. The display tank have not had any measurable nitrate since the beginning of January..

I have only been dosing NaNO3 a couple of days and it is still to early to tell of any difference in the SPS. But some of the soft corals have shown some improvements already. I will keep you guys posted on any improvements from this addition, and as this does not have any potassium in it, it is interesting to see if this also has some effect, if it does not, my next test will be a Potassium supplement.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15232546#post15232546 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Benighted
But some of the soft corals have shown some improvements already. I will keep you guys posted on any improvements from this addition, and as this does not have any potassium in it, it is interesting to see if this also has some effect, if it does not, my next test will be a Potassium supplement.

good to know that, keep posting the results with NaNO3 dosing. I'm really interested about soft and lps responses.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15232546#post15232546 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Benighted
Interesting, I just started dosing Sodium Nitrate after discussing my faded Montiporas in a Swedish Community. These Montiopras have done really well in my quarantine tank (which has some nitrate (around 2.5ppm)), but when they hit my main display tank they loose their polyp expansion and fade in color in a couple of weeks. The display tank have not had any measurable nitrate since the beginning of January..

I have only been dosing NaNO3 a couple of days and it is still to early to tell of any difference in the SPS. But some of the soft corals have shown some improvements already. I will keep you guys posted on any improvements from this addition, and as this does not have any potassium in it, it is interesting to see if this also has some effect, if it does not, my next test will be a Potassium supplement.

Great! keep us posted.

Btw, where did you get the NaNO3? Its usually hard to come by due its other more common use...explosives.
 
If you think you need nitrate and some potassium add saltpetre! You can get it at the grocery store or pharmacy, it is potassium nitrate. I remember Randy talking about it when people wanted to add potassium, this will also raise nitrates!
 
I looked for saltpetre but I was unable to find it anywhere. Its the same thing as the stump remover that i dose.
 
My CVS pharmacy will order it for me, pharmacy grade. Cost $5.29 for 4 oz. = 113 grams. How much do you dose?
HTH
 
I honestly have no idea, I measured 1/4 - 1/3 teaspoon of the granules and dissolved them into a cup of tank water. I did this two days in a row, but i really have no idea of the composition of what i added was. In the end it raising my nitrate to 15 ppm. It has since come back down to around 2ish. My corals are still doing well and growing! I had a cluster of yellow eye zoas that had not grown since i bought them and it has literally doubled in size in the last couple weeks. So unless the progress slows I'm going wait to dose again.
 
Back
Top