dosing nitrates

[gone fishin]

What is the best way to add and test nitrates?

 

[Guest]

We need more info to better help you.

1... What size tank?
2... How many fish in this tank?
3... How many/type of plants?
4... How long has the tank been running/cycling?
5... CO2 being used?
6... Whats your current water para's in the tank? tap??
7... What type of ferts and how often, if your using any.

The more info you provide, the easier it is to help

 

[Endgame319]

I use the red sea nitrate test kit, and dose nitrates with potassium nitrate. Download chucks aquarium calculator (maybe someone can provide a link) and it will tell you how much you need. I know there is a website where you can order potassium nitrate but I dont have the address. Maybe someone can provide that too

 

[gone fishin]

I have pot nit but I also have pot sulfate and when I use Chuck's calc, I am way over on potasium. Where am I confused.

 

[trenac]

I would not worry about being over on potassium your plants will use it up. I use to test for potassium and always tested over so I gave up and just let it be and nothing bad has came of it. The best way I have found to dose Nitrate is Green light stump remover found at Lowes or Ace hardware stores. Here is the link for dosing it: http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nitrate.htm
Once you start dosing you will be amazed at the difference in plant growth & decrease in algae you may have.

 

[betowess]

I would get your nitrate (potassium nitrate) from Gregg Watson at http://www.gregwatson.com/products.asp. The cost is 2.17 per lb. and he ships at cost and is generally a great source. Just mix it in some tank water before you pour your dose back in. On potassium sulphate, just put between 1/16 to 1/8th teaspoon per 4 gallons of change water, or, 1/2 teaspoon per 25 gallons in your tank's change water. I am assuming you are dry dosing potassium. I wouldn't recommend Seachem's Potassium supplement because it is so inefficient and expensive. I can't remember why, but Rex Grigg didn't recommend the stump remover because some brands had something in them like phosphates or whatever it was which was bad for a tank. Gregg Watson or "Off Ice"? at Plant Geek are the best sources for food grade dry ferts, IMO.

 

[trenac]

Some stump removers do have other additives but Green light stump remover is pure Potassium Nitrate.

 

[malkore]

ok, guys, he said he's got Potas. Nitrate already, and Potas. Sulfate.

Here's what you do dude: use that calculator, and set it to "Nitrate in Potassium Nitrate". Determine the dosing needed to get your nitrate up to 10ppm. As I recall, this is going to give you about 4.6ppm of potassium as well, but you can check by changing the dropdown to "Potassium in Potassium Nitrate" after you find the amount needed to get you to 10ppm).
So, continuing with my example, you dose and get nitrates to 10ppm, and now your potassium is 4ppm. Now change the calculator to "Potassium in Potassium Sulfate" and then plug in numbers until you get an amount that'll give you about 16ppm. Put that much in, and you now have 10ppm of Nitrate and 20ppm of potassium, which are considered 'good levels'.

 

[betowess]

Its really much easier to dry dose the potassium sulphate at water changes, IMO, as I posted before. No calculations, just a decent set of measuring spoons, per Rex Grigg's method. Also, Rex once mentioned that he preferred to keep the potassium below 20ppm because he found he had problems with calicium uptake at the 20ppm level. How he determined this I have no idea. So I steer more toward 13 to 15 ppm of K ... also using Chuck Gadd's calculator. HTH Bob