Ammonia dosing for low NO3

[steve 1965]

Hi
I have been reading a few of your articles on the benefits of dosing Ammonia Bicarbonate to raise NO3 and feed corals. I cannot seem to find your recipe on how to properly add this. Thanks Steve

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

here it is:

DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

Some reef aquaria have chronic low nitrogen availability. One indicator is very low nitrate. Nitrate dosing is a fine remedy, but it is possible that ammonia dosing may be more beneficial for some organisms since ammonia can be energetically easier to assimilate than is nitrate. For this...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[steve 1965]

So my Nitrate is very low after using bio media 0.08 nitrate but my PO4 is relatively high at 0.25 so should I still add this? Right now it’s upside down. And I see it effecting my Goni’s so looking to raise Nitrates without effecting PO4

 

[steve 1965]

Also my ph runs low even dosing sodium carbonate 7,8 to 8.0/8.1. Alk runs around 8.2-8.7.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would add some form of N, and ammonium bicarbonate is a good one.

 

[steve 1965]

Ok so I have Neo Nitro from Brightwell will this be ok. And if so do I mix it with the ammonia bicarbonate in the prepared solution? And how much say to a 32oz bottle of solution. And tank size 160g. Ugh this scares me but the science investigations I love to do. But don’t want to harm any of my fish or corals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, that is ok. I’d use it until it runs out then switch. I’d dose 5 ppm per day for a while and see how the tank responds.

 

[steve 1965]

Ok but how should I make the solution? How much ammonia bicarbonate and neo nitro should I add to a 32oz bottle and how many Mil should I add each day to tank. Don’t want to get this wrong and OD the tank

 

[steve 1965]

Sorry if my Questions are stupid

 

[steve 1965]

I have been using your DIY cal alk and mag recipe for yrs and it’s always been perfectly on. I’ve even used your sodium Hydroxide recipe in the summer when ph and co2 was high. So I trust you very much

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The diy ammonium dosing thread is here:

DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

Some reef aquaria have chronic low nitrogen availability. One indicator is very low nitrate. Nitrate dosing is a fine remedy, but it is possible that ammonia dosing may be more beneficial for some organisms since ammonia can be energetically easier to assimilate than is nitrate. For this...

www.reef2reef.com

I don’t know the potency of the Brightwell product. If it says how to dose a particular amount on the bottle, follow that. I think they may have changed the potency at some point.

 

[steve 1965]

Ok and I will start slow and and add only 2 or 3 ml a day for the first week and test Nitrates. Thank you

 

[fandaga]

Ok and I will start slow and and add only 2 or 3 ml a day for the first week and test Nitrates. Thank you

I was adding a few drops of Dr Tim’s ammonia to my 46 g AIO tank the last couple days after reading some of these posts, but I’ve since decided this is a bad idea, at least for my tank. My nitrate levels did rise from 1-2 ppm to 5-10 ppm; however, my fish appeared to be pretty stressed for the first 30 mins to 1 hour after dosing. This was particularly true for a few young fish that I got in the last couple months from Biota. I saw this from rapid breathing and rubbing against rocks immediately after dosing. I then put a Seachem ammonia alert in my tank, which would go from yellow to green after adding ammonia. After an hour, it went back to yellow. Dosing nitrate seems much safer.

 

[steve 1965]

Ok thanks for the info. This is exactly what I am afraid of.

 

[fandaga]

The other thing you might want to keep in mind is the pH impact on the equilibrium of ammonia versus non-toxic ammonium. In hindsight, I was probably adding it at the wrong time in the morning when I did my 1st feeding. At that time, my pH was the lowest in the day at 7.8. There’s a bit less impact to add it right before the lights go out when pH is max or even better to spread it throughout the day. Even still, I’m thinking of just using a sodium nitrate and sodium phosphate solution to add nutrients because of presumably much less severity with overdosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was adding a few drops of Dr Tim’s ammonia to my 46 g AIO tank the last couple days after reading some of these posts, but I’ve since decided this is a bad idea, at least for my tank. My nitrate levels did rise from 1-2 ppm to 5-10 ppm; however, my fish appeared to be pretty stressed for the first 30 mins to 1 hour after dosing. This was particularly true for a few young fish that I got in the last couple months from Biota. I saw this from rapid breathing and rubbing against rocks immediately after dosing. I then put a Seachem ammonia alert in my tank, which would go from yellow to green after adding ammonia. After an hour, it went back to yellow. Dosing nitrate seems much safer.

I think something is seriously wrong, and to be clear, i have stated i do not recommend Dr Tims.

I think perhaps you added much more than I recommend to start. To raise nitrate by several ppm in a couple of days is not my recommendation. Did you spread out these drops?

I've not seen anyone using my recipes as suggested report a fish issue, and I really don't see how it could be different than adding a new fish when dosed as suggested.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In hindsight, I was probably adding it at the wrong time in the morning when I did my 1st feeding. At that time, my pH was the lowest in the day at 7.8. There’s a bit less impact to add it right before the lights go out when pH is max or even better to spread it throughout the day. Even still, I’m thinking of just using a sodium nitrate and sodium phosphate solution to add nutrients because of presumably much less severity with overdosing.

That is incorrect. Ammonia is LESS toxic at lower pH.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ok thanks for the info. This is exactly what I am afraid of.

I do not think this is a cause for concern if you follow my directions in the first post of my ammonia dosing recipes.

 

[fandaga]

That is incorrect. Ammonia is LESS toxic at lower pH.

You’re right. Thanks for the correction.

 

[fandaga]

I think something is seriously wrong, and to be clear, i have stated i do not recommend Dr Tims.

I think perhaps you added much more than I recommend to start. To raise nitrate by several ppm in a couple of days is not my recommendation. Did you spread out these drops?

I've not seen anyone using my recipes as suggested report a fish issue, and I really don't see how it could be different than adding a new fish when dosed as suggested.

To be fair, I didn’t see all my fish having a problem. Just the youngest ones that I got recently, which are captive bred and probably only 1-2 months old.

I didn’t spread the drops out…just added a few in the morning before going to work. Sorry, I didn’t follow your recipe, Randy. I was reading other people’s posts that were recommending ammonia dosing.