Anyone dosing potassium nitrate?

[cilyjr]

I've never had detectable nitrate and I know many try to keep around 5ppm. So I was thinking of dosing some potassium nitrate to see if anything looks happier.

Side note my Po4 hangs around .02 to .04.

 

[this is me]

Do your fish a favor and feed them more. Adding potassium nitrate is one of the most silly thing. It's very easy to produce nitrate. Just feed more and filter less!

 

[aresangel]

Why not decrease skimming and increase fish feeding? When I had my 25 gallon tank at school my students always overdoes which kept my nitrates at 20-40ppm. At home I still feed decently but am down to the 5 ppm range now with the 72 bow.

Or... add a canister filter[emoji51]. Those are suppose to be nitrate factories ya? I had one on my school's tank but still attribute the nitrates to student feeding since I witnessed how much food was not eaten[emoji28]


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[cilyjr]

Do your fish a favor and feed them more. Adding potassium nitrate is one of the most silly thing. It's very easy to produce nitrate. Just feed more and filter less!

When I went this route I ended up with massive algae and cyano blooms and never got a detectable level. Not to mention Po4 went up.

With the dosing of potassium nitrate you have better control and it's not just a dump a bunch of crap in and hope for the best approach

 

[this is me]

Try it and report back.
But if you get "massive" algae bloom, there's obviously nutrients.

 

[cilyjr]

When I feed a lot, po4 also goes up.
If Po4 stayed at .04 it would be better.
Liebigs law of minimum states that growth is limited by the least abundant resource. Meaning if po4 stays at .04 but nitrate goes up, Algal growth will be limited by the amount of phosphate. If both nutrients go up due to overfeeding than there will be no limiting factor. Algal growth will have free reign

 

[gurumasta]

This nitrate is a good thing has not always been the belief. I've seen some of the nicest SPS tanks that have no detectable nitrate or phosphate.

I can understand the argument for some nuisance algae thriving in low nutrient systems. When there is some nutrients for other algaes to grow they can't consume all of it. Bubble algae and Dino's are some examples of this.

I am not totally sold that nitrates are good for SPS color and growth. Are you?

 

[cilyjr]

This nitrate is a good thing has not always been the belief. I've seen some of the nicest SPS tanks that have no detectable nitrate or phosphate

As have I. I have done well in this old style of thinking but also believe there to be room for improvement. No nitrate was the thinking when i began in this hobby.

I can understand the argument for some nuisance algae thriving in low nutrient systems. When there is some nutrients for other algaes to grow they can't consume all of it. Bubble algae and Dino's are some examples of this.

I've no interest in algae growth aside from chaetomorpha.

I am not totally sold that nitrates are good for SPS color and growth. Are you?

Coral take up ammonium and nitrate. Both the organism and the zoox are using the nutrients to some degree. The argument is are we starving them or are they fine in a ulns. I believe there may be some benefit to it. Also dosing pot nitrate would be easy to discontinue should results not be favorable.

 

[gurumasta]

As have I. I have done well in this old style of thinking but also believe there to be room for improvement. No nitrate was the thinking when i began in this hobby.


I've no interest in algae growth aside from chaetomorpha.



Coral take up ammonium and nitrate. Both the organism and the zoox are using the nutrients to some degree. The argument is are we starving them or are they fine in a ulns. I believe there may be some benefit to it. Also dosing pot nitrate would be easy to discontinue should results not be favorable.

I am very interested in knowing this as well so please keep us posted on the results and good luck with it!

 

[cilyjr]

I ordered a bottle of potassium nitrate it will 've here next week.

 

[Abrooks12376]

I have a huge bag of the stuff for my fw planted. Never touched it. If anyone wants some it's theirs

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[cilyjr]

I got the kno3 mixed and ready to go and did a test. It tested .5 so I did not add any. A few months back I pulled about 40 lbs of rock out and am guessing that's why.

 

[aresangel]

.5ppm? In the solution would be nowhere close to concentrated enough to alter the chemistry of the tank. What is the concentrate suppose to read where you didn't dose it?


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[cilyjr]

I'm sorry my tank tested between .2 and .5 so I didn't dose the kno3. I realize now my previous post was unclear

 

[aresangel]

Ahh! That makes more sense! What are you using for your tests? I am cheap and use API so I can only go as low as 0-5 ppm! I know I should invest in better test kits but I test so rarely that it is a hard commitment for me.


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[gzr918]

I have trouble with the API nitrate kits ever getting any readings

 

[gwdemos]

I'm sorry my tank tested between .2 and .5 so I didn't dose the kno3. I realize now my previous post was unclear

Dose it anyway and observe


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[cilyjr]

i dont want nitrate above .5 atm. i will make attemts to maintain for now.

greg you know i've changed a lot of stuff recently.

 

[cilyjr]

Revisiting this. My nitrates tested between undetectable and .2 on a salifert kit and have been adding kno3 at about 5 to 10 ml per day. (The solution I mixed up should be adding .95 no3 with 10 mil of the kno3 solution. The tank will quickly use it up and test at .2 24hrs after dose. I'm watching K as well which had been low previously and is now 400ppm. If it raises to 420 I will switch to NaNo3.

 

[cilyjr]

I've been doing this for roughly a month with no I'll effects.