DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems

[BriDroid]

Update: no question the corals lightened back up with brighter colors after about 2 months without ammonia. I noticed right when I walked in. All LPS. Nitrates are low but not zero, maybe 2 ppm. No observable change in health. Everything seems good. I like the brighter colors so I’ll probably not go back to dosing ammonium bicarbonate in this tank unless something changes.

No regrets, it was a great experiment!

I wonder if the coral is all fat and happy eating the ammonia so maybe they don’t rely on photosynthesis as much? I am no scientist, but that makes sense in my simple mind

 

[rishma]

Sounds reasonable. Do you know how high nitrate got?

About 8ppm. It used to always run about 4-5 so it was not a big change. I don’t know why it’s now dropped very low except maybe the corals got used to the extra food.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wonder if the coral is all fat and happy eating the ammonia so maybe they don’t rely on photosynthesis as much? I am no scientist, but that makes sense in my simple mind

Ammonia and photosynthesis are supplying different things that cannot replace each other.

I suspect the darkening means higher zooxanthellae levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

About 8ppm. It used to always run about 4-5 so it was not a big change. I don’t know why it’s now dropped very low except maybe the corals got used to the extra food.

Thanks.

 

[BriDroid]

Ammonia and photosynthesis are supplying different things that cannot replace each other.

I suspect the darkening means higher zooxanthellae levels.

Like I said, my simple mind! Thanks Randy!

 

[DCR]

I tried dosing Ammonium Bicarbonate, and it was followed by a Cyano outbreak. My nitrates were low (less than 2 ppm), but I was mainly interested in ammonia dosing because of reports that it lowers Phosphate, and I have been stuck around 0.5 ppm since trying CRT concoctions. Nitrate did jump up to about 10 ppm but I discontinued it to try to deal with the Cyano. I know this sounds contrary to common experience, but I think there was a pretty strong observed correlation between the start of the ammonia dosing and the Cyano appearance. Nitrate is back down around 2 ppm but still fighting the Cyano. Phosphates are still hanging around 0.5 ppm.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I tried dosing Ammonium Bicarbonate, and it was followed by a Cyano outbreak. My nitrates were low (less than 2 ppm), but I was mainly interested in ammonia dosing because of reports that it lowers Phosphate, and I have been stuck around 0.5 ppm since trying CRT concoctions. Nitrate did jump up to about 10 ppm but I discontinued it to try to deal with the Cyano. I know this sounds contrary to common experience, but I think there was a pretty strong observed correlation between the start of the ammonia dosing and the Cyano appearance. Nitrate is back down around 2 ppm but still fighting the Cyano. Phosphates are still hanging around 0.5 ppm.

It’s certainly plausible it boosted cyano, but with stopped dosing and still cyano, it may also have been coincidence.

 

[Miami Reef]

About 8ppm. It used to always run about 4-5 so it was not a big change. I don’t know why it’s now dropped very low except maybe the corals got used to the extra food.

What’s your phosphate level?

I read about the brighter colors you observed, and I’d like to know if there’s any correlation with phosphate. Did it increase or decrease during the time you dosed/stopped dosing?

 

[rishma]

What’s your phosphate level?

I read about the brighter colors you observed, and I’d like to know if there’s any correlation with phosphate. Did it increase or decrease during the time you dosed/stopped dosing?

Phosphate stayed steady, no significant changes, right around and slightly below 0.1

 

[Miami Reef]

Thank you.

 

[BriDroid]

Phosphate stayed steady, no significant changes, right around and slightly below 0.1

Did you go back to dosing any N, or just increase feeding? With my nano, if I stop dosing, my N and P will drop to 0.

 

[rishma]

Did you go back to dosing any N, or just increase feeding? With my nano, if I stop dosing, my N and P will drop to 0.

I don’t dose nitrate, but there is some N in the NP Bacto Balance I dose. I feed a very precise mass of food daily that keeps my nutrients stable. On occasion I’ve had to dose phosphate, but usually because of another change that drove phosphate down. Overall my nutrients have been pretty stable for the last year.

 

[RoanokeReef]

I've placed my order on amazon for Amazon product and have just a couple questions. I'm going to mix it up 20 grams of ammonium bicarbonate (about 4 and 3/4 teaspoons) in 1 L RO/DI water. My questions are -
Is it safe to store in a dosing container? (I use the Neptune DDR)
Is it ok to spread the dose out 24hours or should I do it during my 12 hour light cycle?

I apologize in advance if this has been answered before as I haven't read all 68 pages.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've placed my order on amazon for Amazon product and have just a couple questions. I'm going to mix it up 20 grams of ammonium bicarbonate (about 4 and 3/4 teaspoons) in 1 L RO/DI water. My questions are -
Is it safe to store in a dosing container? (I use the Neptune DDR)
Is it ok to spread the dose out 24hours or should I do it during my 12 hour light cycle?

I apologize in advance if this has been answered before as I haven't read all 68 pages.

I do not know what the Neptune dosing container looks like, but keep it covered. Spread out dosing is best. Whether that is best over just the day portion of the light cycle or 24 h is unclear, but it is possible that day time dosing may be best.

 

[RoanokeReef]

I do not know what the Neptune dosing container looks like, but keep it covered. Spread out dosing is best. Whether that is best over just the day portion of the light cycle or 24 h is unclear, but it is possible that day time dosing may be best.

Thank you sir as always, below is what it looks like, the lid isn't tight fitting. Is there a shelf life or will I be fine mixing 2L and filling it ?
Neptunes page has the following -
Do NOT fill the DDR with:

• solvents
• fluids that contain solvents
• methanol, or fluids containing methanol, e.g., RedSea NO3-PO4-X
• ethyl alcohol, e.g., vodka
• other fluids that may be reactive with acrylic or plastics

 

[Dan_P]

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 reason, I thought it would be useful to provide some DIY directions for ammonia dosing.

There are many materials that could be used for ammonia dosing, including some household ammonia solutions, but in order to give better assurance of purity, I'm electing the show directions using food grade ammonium chloride and food grade ammonium bicarbonate.

Ammonium Chloride
Ammonium chloride, NH4Cl is essentially ammonia (NH3) plus hydrochloric acid (HCl). The reason I mention that fact relates to the impact on alkalinity. Dosing NH3 followed by consumption by organisms to form tissue in a net alkalinity neutral process. I'm ignoring the fact that if it is converted into nitrate, alk is lost, because if that nitrate is later used, all the alk lost comes back.

However, the HCl that is effectively dosed will steadily deplete alk. Adding the equivalent of 50 mg/L nitrate (0.81 meq/L; coming from NH4Cl) will have depleted 0.81 meq/l (2.3 dKH) of alkalinity. That may need to be made up for in some other fashion, such as adding more alkalintiy supplement.

High quality ammonium chloride is readily available and inexpensive. Loudwolf is one brand, but there are many. Aim for food grade or ACS reagent grade. Amazon carries many Loudwolf is $7 for 4 ounces, which contains 38,000 mg of ammonium, and is equivalent to 131,000 mg of nitrate, enough to raise 100 L of aquarium water to 5 ppm nitrate about 262 times. So cost is not significant.

Ammonium Bicarbonate
Ammonium bicarbonate, also known as baking ammonia, NH4 HCO3 is essentially ammonia (NH3) plus CO2 and water.

As mentioned above, dosing NH3 followed by consumption by organisms to form tissue in a net alkalinity neutral process. The CO2 and water also do not impact alkalinity. Thus, ammonium bicarbonate is a net alk neutral way to dose ammonia.

High quality ammonium bicarbonate is also available from Amazon as baking ammonia. It is readily available and inexpensive. One brand sells 11 ounces for $15, so it's cost is similar to the Loudwolf ammonium chloride per unit of ammonia added (one needs to use more of the ammonium bicarbonate than the ammonium chloride, evening out the cost).

Stock Solution
Using either of these materials, we will make a stock solution for dosing. Keep it closed up as it will smell of ammonia and slowly loses ammonia to the air. Ammonium bicarbonate will have a higher pH, smell more, and lose ammonia to the air faster.

13.5 grams of ammonium chloride (about 3 - 4.6 teaspoons, varies by brand) in 1 L RO/DI water.
OR
20 grams of ammonium bicarbonate (about 4 and 3/4 teaspoons) in 1 L RO/DI water.

Both solutions contain approximately 4300 mg/L (4.3 mg/mL) ammonia, equivalent to 15,700 mg/l nitrate.

Dosing

Don't be overly afraid of dosing ammonia due to toxicity, but one cannot dose substantial amounts all at once. IMO, it is safe to add 0.1 ppm ammonia (equivalent to 0.36 ppm nitrate) at once to any reef tank, and one can likely add more, if it mixes in well. Don't dose it right onto a fish, but dosing 2-3x that amount at once is also likely OK. Of course, using a dosing pump to spread out the dosing is fine and may be preferable, but be sure to guard against dosing pumps out of control (e.g., stuck on). Stock solutions can be increased or decreased in potency to match pumping needs. The ammonia could also be put into an ato since exact daily dosing is not required.

To add 0.1 mg/L ammonia to an aquarium, you would need to add 2.3 mL of either stock solution to a 100 L (26 gallon) aquarium. You may need to add this amount multiply times per day to dose enough.

I'd add it to a sump, if possible, to dilute it well before it gets to the main tank. Most folks dosing ammonia wouldn't also be using media intended to push the nitrogen cycle in various ways, but if you do, dose downstream of that media.

Of course, if anything seems to react badly the first time or two that you dose, stop dosing, double check the amounts, and perhaps come back to this thread for further discussion of what might be happening.

This article has a lot more on ammonia in reef aquaria, although some parts of it may not be correct (such as the utility of products such as Prime):

Ammonia and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Happy Reefing!

edit: One can use this calculator for dosing these stock solutions. Use the entry for ammonia from ammonium nitrate when using the ammonium bicarbonate. For ammonium chloride, use it the same, but dose 0.7 times the amount it says to add to the aquarium.

James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

Is there any data that indicates 0.1 ppm ammonia has a lifetime in aquarium water that would be beneficial to coral? I am thinking micro algae and bacteria might be the big consumers, leaving very little if any for coral. Just wondering.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is there any data that indicates 0.1 ppm ammonia has a lifetime in aquarium water that would be beneficial to coral? I am thinking micro algae and bacteria might be the big consumers, leaving very little if any for coral. Just wondering.

I don't know. I've never seen lifetime data. I think of it as a free for all after dosing, with everyone getting some.
IIRC, Lasse reports a fairly significant ammonia level routinely without dosing.

 

[Dan_P]

I don't know. I've never seen lifetime data. I think of it as a free for all after dosing, with everyone getting some.
IIRC, Lasse reports a fairly significant ammonia level routinely without dosing.

OK thanks. I will use the “free for all” model.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you sir as always, below is what it looks like, the lid isn't tight fitting. Is there a shelf life or will I be fine mixing 2L and filling it ?
Neptunes page has the following -
Do NOT fill the DDR with:

• solvents
• fluids that contain solvents
• methanol, or fluids containing methanol, e.g., RedSea NO3-PO4-X
• ethyl alcohol, e.g., vodka
• other fluids that may be reactive with acrylic or plastics

That should be OK with ammonium bicarbonate. It might possibly get cloudy over time, but I think it is OK.

 

[smalltown reefer]

I have not read through all 68 pages of this post, so I apologize if I am doubling up with my question. The topic has largely been the intent of dosing to benefit coral growth/health. My question is based more on using this method to stabilize nitrate deficient numbers in a relatively new (1yr old) tank with more fish than a limited number of corals. I have tried all the usual's trying to increase nitrate with no avail, just spikes PO4. So just looking into other possible options. The goal is obviously to get stable parameters to stock up a healthy mixed reef.


I just do not want cause more problems trying to solve one problem and end up with a tank full of dead fish.