# KNO3 - Pottasium Nitrate from GregWatson.com



## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

I got the 1 lb Potasium Nitrate from Greg Watson and Im wondering how much do I put in the tank?

My tank is a 55 gallon with currently 0 Nitrate.

Thanks
Lee


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## cich (Aug 5, 2003)

THIS is a good site to figure out how to make/use a "stock solution" (concentrated solution to dose with).

--cich


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

I love Chuck.


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## putty (Nov 19, 2003)

Make sure you add your nitrate slowly (over the span of days) as fish will be affected by going from 0 to 10ppm in one shot.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*help*

Thanks for the link, but I just dont get the top part of the calculator.

I dont get the stuff under "*Preparing the stock solution"*

*Please help me understand it better, ASAP....*


*Thanks*


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## ninoboy (Jan 26, 2004)

Preparing stock solution means that you mix the powder to a certain amount of water and keep it in a container. You dose my ml as shown on the calculator. Let say 1 tbs, mixed in a 250ml of water. 1ml of this solution will increase ... ppm for each ...gl of water.


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## TeeItUp (Mar 18, 2004)

amanda huggenkiss said:


> I love Chuck.


He sure made things much easier for the Planted Tank enthusiasts.


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## IUnknown (Feb 5, 2003)

Since its a bigger tank you might want to dose dry. So where it says, "Amount of water to mix with" you would put a 1. So if you wanted to raise the No3 by 4.12 3 times a week you would add 1/4 tsp right into the tank.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*K*

Dose it matter how much Water I mix it with?


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

Following the calculator, the amount of water you mix with changes the amount you need to dose. Just try punching in different amounts and see how the dose changes...


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*k*

Should I use water already in fish tank to mix the nitrate with or should I get new tap water?

- Also where it says "Each ML of this solution that you add to your tank will add:"
Is that meaning that if I am mixing 1 Tablespoon of Nitrate with 250 ML of water that each ml of that 250 will increase the nitrate by 0.07, so the whole 250 ml of water mixed with 1 tblspoon it will increase the nitrate to 17.5 ??


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## amanda huggenkiss (Mar 3, 2004)

That sounds right! But like putty said earlier, make sure you increase your nitrate gradually over several days. So don't be dumping that whole 250mL in at once! roud:


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*How many Days*

How many Days Should It take me to dump the whole thing in?

And also I dont want my nitrate to by 17.7 , isnt that to much?

On Chucks Site it says for my tank it should be 5, but then other say around 10...

What do you guys feel, please help ASAP


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## malkore (Nov 3, 2003)

loko, every tank is unique. I have no problems keeping 20ppm of nitrate in my tank, but for others taht's just a big algae bloom recipe.
Don't make a stock solution...
Download and install his Windows program for calculating dosages: http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_aquacalc.htm
it has a way to say "i want to add the dry fert to my tank"...which means you'll know that a teaspoon of KNO3 in 55gallons ends up being 16.49ppm of nitrate. Just mix that teaspoon in a small plastic bottle with a 1/4cup of tank water (i use a turkey baster to grab the water from tank and put it in a 99cent rubbermaid container), shake it up, and dump the concentrated solution back in the tank. in 2 hours it'll be 100% distributed.

The only ferts I make mixing solutions of is phosphate and my trace (plantex CSM). KNO3 and K2SO4 are just easier to dry dose IMO.

Lastly, I know a lot of people who have no issues adding 10ppm of nitrate all at once. That's the most I'd suggest you add at once.


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## putty (Nov 19, 2003)

I'm sure you could hit your fish with 10ppm and not have them die, but why take the chance. Doing it over a couple of days will make the fish happier.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*k*

I think this is what I am going to do.

Dose 1/4 (.25) Teaspoon of nitrate today and then another 1/4 (.25) teaspoon of nitrate tommorow. 1/4 Teaspoon is 4.13 ppm of nitrate so over 2 days I will have around 8 ppm and then Saturday I will dose 1/8 of a teaspoon.

-- How does that sound?

Also can I just dump the 1/4 Teaspoon filled of nitrate into the tank or do I have to mix it with a little of the tank water first before putting the nitrate in the tank?


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

I would go slower than that. Try to increase the nitrate during 5 days time span.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*k*

What about this tho
Also can I just dump the 1/4 Teaspoon filled of nitrate into the tank or do I have to mix it with a little of the tank water first before putting the nitrate in the tank?


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

What I do is use to Chuck’s calculator to make a solution in a way that 1.0 ml of the solution increases 1.0 ppm of nitrate in my tank.

Example: If you mix 5 tablespoons of KN03 in 250 ml of water, each 1 ml of the final solution will increase 1.09 ppm of nitratre on a 50 g tank.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*k*

I am going to do 15 Teaspoons of nitrate mixed with 250 ml of the tank water.
Which will make each ml of the soultion added to the tank increase .99 ppm of nitrate.

So how many milliters should I add today, 4?

Also what should I do with the left over since I wont need 250 ppm of nitrate?


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

I think that depends on the plant load of the tank. I would start adding 2 ml daily and measure the nitrate level every other day. If the nitrate increases keep adding 2 ml daily until it reaches the desired level. If it is not increasing, start adding 3 or 4 ml daily.

Store the leftover to make another solution when you need it.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*K*

If I have 250 ml made and I only am going to most likely use 10 - 12 to eventually get my Nitrate level at 10 ppm.

How long will the other 240 ml of the mixed solution (nitrate and water) last for? And should I store it in the refrigerator?


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

Assuming that you have lots of lights, CO2 injection and a heavy planted tank, the plants will consume all the nitrates they can get. You will need to add the solution at least twice a week to keep nitrate at the desired level. You will need to experiment to find the amount that you need to add weekly after it reaches the desired level.

I’m not sure but you do not need to keep the solution on the fridge. I do not keep mine.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I don't bother with solution, I just mix my KNO3 with a little bit of hot water and dump it into the tank.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*Tsp*

TSP is TeaSpoon Correct?

ALso I calculate it at 7 Teaspoons mixed with 116 ml of water to make it raise the nitrate by 1 ppm and when I went to mix the nitrate with the water, not all of the nitrate would mix with the water... Did I do soemthin wrong?


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

My solution is on a small plastic bottle. I shake it well before dosing.


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## lokobreed (Dec 30, 2003)

*k*

How long does it take for the nitrate to go up?

Because I would like to measure it and see how much it has actually gone up.


I put it in about 3 hours ago and just measured the nitrate again and nothing changed... But the nitrate didnt really dissolve yet so I dissolved it fully and put 3 ml in.

Thanks


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## djlen (Sep 14, 2003)

I dose 10ppm+ every week after waterchange with no ill affects to fish.
If you are a little nervous about it, pour in 1/2 of the glass and wait a couple of hours and dose the rest. Just avoid pouring it onto the fish directly. It will quickly disperse into the water table.
Follow Gregg's instructions and also dose ASAP.
Test for N content frequently during the week until you find out what your plants are using during the course of the week.
Len


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