Raising No3 Via Spectracide Stump Remover (Potassium Nitrate)

[Triggreef]

I don't run any gfo or carbon and my po4 is like .025 , I turned my skimmer down to run at night only. 350 gallons is a lot. Well here is what I got. I run 2 tbsp per liter of RO and I usually dose 10 ml every 3-4 days to achieve 20-30 ppm. If you used that same formula on your tank.

.5(KNO3) x 350gallons=175 mL of KNO3

However you said you doubled it
So I just divided 175 by 2 and you get roughly 87-88mL of KNO3 at 4 tbspn per 1 Liter RO

NOTE: I have a 20 gallon nano, with 20 or so frags in it. This is what my system utilizes.
I technically dose .5 ml per gallon in my tank, now check my math but that would mean you need to dose 175 ml to achieve what I do.(please don't take my word and dose that. Please check my math)
Are you skimming?

Seems about right if you are only able to achieve .75 ppm dosing 0.12ml per gallon.

I would mix a new batch at 2 tbspn per Liter and try dosing 175 ml. NOTICE I said what " I " would do, you do whatever you please and just a disclaimer but I am no way shape or form telling you what YOU should do and I'm not responsible for any loss of coral. Ugh now that's out of the way. If you have an sps dominated tank that benefit from nutrients or higher than normal KNO3 seems like the worse that happens is you get to high and have to do a water change. Skim hard and run carbon.

Go easy and work however your comfortable. Your corals are hungry! Feed them! Haha good luck bud sorry for the rant. I hope it makes sense.

Thanks for doing out the math, it makes sense to me. I've noticed nothing but positive results with all my corals in the system in the short time I've been dosing. I think if I can get to 4 or 5 ppm it will be perfect.

No3 used to run around 4 or 5 and my system did very well then, not really sure why its gotten so low but I should have been testing I suppose.

Tanks it mixed, lots of acros monti stylo bn zoas lithos leptos psammi's goni's chalices bounces blastos pectinia etc... I have a bad complex where I have to have everything.

 

[sromero287]

Really appreciate to @Triggreef and @reefmadness80g for the sweet and EFFECTIVE comments and routine with the potassium nitrate or Stump remover. Been adding 15ml to my 60Gal 3 times/week my reef is mostly sps dominated and i finally meet the missing link in my husbandry!!! Only dosing Ca, Alk, Mag and Potassium Nitrate, feeding aggressively my sps and fish, skimming hard and rox carbon and never saw my sps that bright and polyps extended ever!!!!

My parameters:
Ca:440ppm
Alk: 9dkh
Mag: 1380ppm
No3:5-10ppm
Po4:0.08
Temp: 79
Ph: 8.4
Salinity: 1,026

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Really appreciate to @Triggreef and @reefmadness80g for the sweet and EFFECTIVE comments and routine with the potassium nitrate or Stump remover. Been adding 15ml to my 60Gal 3 times/week my reef is mostly sps dominated and i finally meet the missing link in my husbandry!!! Only dosing Ca, Alk, Mag and Potassium Nitrate, feeding aggressively my sps and fish, skimming hard and rox carbon and never saw my sps that bright and polyps extended ever!!!!

My parameters:
Ca:440ppm
Alk: 9dkh
Mag: 1380ppm
No3:5-10ppm
Po4:0.08
Temp: 79
Ph: 8.4
Salinity: 1,026

So happy for you! Your tank looks amazing! And you are very welcome.

 

[techhnyne]

so i followed your method and its not working I even tested the mixture i made and it says 0 no3
what am i missing?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

so i followed your method and its not working I even tested the mixture i made and it says 0 no3
what am i missing?

Explain to me how and what you did, and what test kit are you using?

 

[techhnyne]

Explain to me how and what you did, and what test kit are you using?

i mixed 2 tablespoons to 1 liter of rodi then i dosed 350 ml to my 125 system. 0no3 I even tested the solution i made to dose and that says 0 no3

used api and hanna test kits both say 0

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

i mixed 2 tablespoons to 1 liter of rodi then i dosed 350 ml to my 125 system. 0no3 I even tested the solution i made to dose and that says 0 no3

used api and hanna test kits both say 0

You dosed 350 ml of that solution to your 125 gallon system? That’s a lot bud. How long ago was your first dose?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

i mixed 2 tablespoons to 1 liter of rodi then i dosed 350 ml to my 125 system. 0no3 I even tested the solution i made to dose and that says 0 no3

used api and hanna test kits both say 0

That should have boosted nitrate by 16 ppm.

How long after dosing did you measure?

You used potassium nitrate, correct?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

That should have boosted nitrate by 16 ppm.

How long after dosing did you measure?

You used potassium nitrate, correct?

I agree with Randy, however I don’t know of any changes to the mixture STUMP REMOVER. It should still be potassium nitrate, if it was then you should’ve boosted 16.33ppm of NO3

 

[techhnyne]

ok i am sick of trying this method it does not work. I used a whole bottle
i put 6 tablespoons into 1 liter of water and i test the water it shows 0ppm

someone please tell me a name brand no3 dose that i can use

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

ok i am sick of trying this method it does not work. I used a whole bottle
i put 6 tablespoons into 1 liter of water and i test the water it shows 0ppm

someone please tell me a name brand no3 dose that i can use

lol

OK, tell us exactly what you did and what you saw. What did you test?

Do you know that your kit works?

Do you know it is not just being consumed?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

ok i am sick of trying this method it does not work. I used a whole bottle
i put 6 tablespoons into 1 liter of water and i test the water it shows 0ppm

someone please tell me a name brand no3 dose that i can use

This calculator will show you what the nitrate rise is for any given addition.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Nitrate may drop quickly after it is added (hours or longer), but certainly is stable long enough to mix it in and get a reading.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

This calculator will show you what the nitrate rise is for any given addition.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Nitrate may drop quickly after it is added (hours or longer), but certainly is stable long enough to mix it in and get a reading.

Randy, I sent him the calculator via PM. His tank is 3 months old and he hasn’t told me what he’s using to test his water.
@techhnyne if you want help, answer Randy. He’s the authority here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If he added the whole bottle, he might be above the limit of the kit.

6 tablespoons of dry potassium nitrate would boost a 100 gallon tank to 175 ppm nitrate.

 

[techhnyne]

lol

OK, tell us exactly what you did and what you saw. What did you test?

Do you know that your kit works?

Do you know it is not just being consumed?

Im
Testing it in the mix bottle before i even put in tank and nada. Multiple tests

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Im
Testing it in the mix bottle before i even put in tank and nada. Multiple tests

What are you using to test?
Are you testing for No3? Nitrates?

 

[techhnyne]

Used red sea. Api and hanna. Yes testing nitrates

Is it possibly i have a bad batch?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Used red sea. Api and hanna. Yes testing nitrates

Is it possibly i have a bad batch?

I’m not sure the specs on those test kits. I use salifert. However maybe Randy will know, like he said , you may be over the limit those kits test.

But you also have been adding it to the tank and still not registering any nitrates, correct?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

I’m not sure the specs on those test kits. I use salifert. However maybe Randy will know, like he said , you may be over the limit those kits test.

But you also have been adding it to the tank and still not registering any nitrates, correct?

And as far as a bad batch, I wouldn’t think so, only bc I’m pretty sure it’s 100% KNO3.

 

[saltyhog]

There is no Hanna nitrate test, they do have a nitrite checker.

You guys are tempting me. My tank is a re-build after a move and has been set up 11 months. My SPS is doing pretty well. Some have great color, some are so-so. No bleaching problems at all. I have 9 fish including a fairly large purple tang. Feed 1-2 cubes Hikari mysis, approx 2 cube equivalent of LRS daily and 1/2 sheet of nori 4 days/ week. Tank is 72x24x21, total water volume with sump is approx 160 gallons

Parameters: pH 8.15-8.3, Calcium 410, Mg 1400, Alk 8.0, Nitrates undetectable (Red Sea/Salifert), PO4 0.01-0.03.

I have zero algae problems but do have a heavy biofilm on the glass requiring cleaning every other day.

If I start dosing NO3 am I going to have algae issues? Will it affect the biofilm issue I'm having?