Sodium Nitrate Dosing...Help!!

[reefk]

Need help with preparing a stock solution to get my Nitrate to 5 ppm, currently it is reading close to
0 ppm. Tank volume & sump volume combined with be 135 gallon after discounting rock displacement.

I have laboratory grade Sodium nitrate but need help on calculating how much grams to add to 1 gallon of RODI to create the stock solution. Also how much of it should I dose everyday to maintain nitrate around 5 ppm. Hope below images will help is the calculation.

 

[CodyRVA]

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but why not just adjust your filtration and feeding regiments to bring your NO3 or PO4 up on its own? It's purely personal preference, but if there's one less thing to remember to do or worry myself with I'm always eager to simplify the process if it yields the same end results. Good luck!

 

[drawman]

I had a thread on it a while back. I made a stock solution and I end up adding some to my water change water.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-nitrate-dosing.271540/

 

[reefk]

Tried doing all that, have increased feeding and time interval between filter socks change but still remains at 0 ppm. Have LPS and soft coral now and just added few SPS frag. Based on what's written on the forum 0 ppm is not good for SPS and might starve them.

 

[CodyRVA]

Tried doing all that, have increased feeding and time interval between filter socks change but still remains at 0 ppm. Have LPS and soft coral now and just added few SPS frag. Based on what's written on the forum 0 ppm is not good for SPS and might starve them.

If you feed or reduce your filtration enough your nutrients will rise, but yes 0ppm isn't good.

 

[reefk]

I had a thread on it a while back. I made a stock solution and I end up adding some to my water change water.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/sodium-nitrate-dosing.271540/

Great - nice thread. Please help me validate this, if I prepare the stock solution by adding 85 grams of sodium nitrate to 1 litter of RODI and dose 40 ml per day to my 135 gallon tank(500 liters approx.), I should be able to raise Nitrate to 5 ppm.

(40ml*62.1)/500 = 5.0 ppm, Am I right?

Should I dump 40 ml all in or use a dosing pump to dose?

 

[drawman]

Great - nice thread. Please help me validate this, if I prepare the stock solution by adding 85 grams of sodium nitrate to 1 litter of RODI and dose 40 ml per day to my 135 gallon tank(500 liters approx.), I should be able to raise Nitrate to 5 ppm.

(40ml*62.1)/500 = 5.0 ppm, Am I right?

Should I dump 40 ml all in or use a dosing pump to dose?

Yes that looks good to me. I would think that adding it to a high flow area or the sump slowly will be just fine. Personally I would probably do a few doses over a course of a couple of days to get to 5ppm but it may be just fine doing it all at once. Also a lot of people have noted that they dose then the next day their reading has gone back to 0ppm (as the system is consuming it). Eventually this gets to an equilibrium so you may need to dose more in total to get to a stable 5ppm.

 

[zachxlutz]

I personally use KNO3 (stump remover)... The wealth of information available pushed me towards using that product. I use the calculator here to help with dosing. It also has an option to tell me how much K I'm adding per dose of KNO3, which is handy.

 

[3mm3]

I've been using this link.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

 

[zachxlutz]

I've been using this link.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Same here, I had just linked that! Works like a charm and the levels always match what I dose after I test. I stand behind that calculator.

 

[reefk]

Yes that looks good to me. I would think that adding it to a high flow area or the sump slowly will be just fine. Personally I would probably do a few doses over a course of a couple of days to get to 5ppm but it may be just fine doing it all at once. Also a lot of people have noted that they dose then the next day their reading has gone back to 0ppm (as the system is consuming it). Eventually this gets to an equilibrium so you may need to dose more in total to get to a stable 5ppm.

Thank you, will prepare the stock solution and start dosing and see how it goes.

 

[reefk]

I've been using this link.
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Nice calculator , will dosing potassium nitrate in reef tank not increase the level of potassium and eventually cause in-balance. I was thinking sodium is more safe than potassium. Your thoughts?

 

[reefk]

Yes that looks good to me. I would think that adding it to a high flow area or the sump slowly will be just fine. Personally I would probably do a few doses over a course of a couple of days to get to 5ppm but it may be just fine doing it all at once. Also a lot of people have noted that they dose then the next day their reading has gone back to 0ppm (as the system is consuming it). Eventually this gets to an equilibrium so you may need to dose more in total to get to a stable 5ppm.

Should I then start off with a little high does like 60 ml / per day and them bring it down to 40 ml /per day or dosing 40 ml will eventually raise it to 5 ppm.

 

[drawman]

Should I then start off with a little high does like 60 ml / per day and them bring it down to 40 ml /per day or dosing 40 ml will eventually raise it to 5 ppm.

I would start with 40mL or less (maybe 20mL) at first. You could test shortly after you dose (say 1 hr or so) to see what level you've achieved then test the next day to see how much was consumed and correct for that. You may not consume all of it or none at all every system is different. The slower you move with SPS the better

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

On the poll question, I'd use sodium nitrate unless you know you need potassium to rise, but for most folks the potassium boost may not become problematic.

 

[reefk]

On the poll question, I'd use sodium nitrate unless you know you need potassium to rise, but for most folks the potassium boost may not become problematic.

Thank you @Randy Holmes-Farley, I am will then stick with sodium nitrate as I am dosing potassium iodide as well every 10 days. [emoji1]

 

[reefk]

I would start with 40mL or less (maybe 20mL) at first. You could test shortly after you dose (say 1 hr or so) to see what level you've achieved then test the next day to see how much was consumed and correct for that. You may not consume all of it or none at all every system is different. The slower you move with SPS the better

Dosed 40 ml yesterday and it was reading close to 5 ppm yesterday after 45 mins but when I checked today morning it is showing 0 ppm again. Should I stick to 40 ml per day?

 

[dave57]

Dose more obviously that amount isn't keeping it at a stable rate. Your nitrate metabolism is much higher than the dose you're providing. Try another 5 ml and see the difference

 

[Docdiggy]

I wanted to bring this back from the dead because of some responses I read. Many are saying up your feeding, but what if you have high phos with no nitrate? I'm researching and would rather not use gfo if it's as simple as raising nitrates. I'm currently at 0 nitrate on a red sea kit and .1 phos with my Hanna.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wanted to bring this back from the dead because of some responses I read. Many are saying up your feeding, but what if you have high phos with no nitrate? I'm researching and would rather not use gfo if it's as simple as raising nitrates. I'm currently at 0 nitrate on a red sea kit and .1 phos with my Hanna.

That’s an appropriate time to dose nitrate. [emoji3]