Potassium Nitrate vs Sodium Nitrate
- Thread starter Dexter
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Awsome this is good info. On other forums the guys state that using potassium nitrate is perfectly fine. I've been using it for a while without issue. OK I can't test for potassium. But nitrates are solid. Problem I have is buying these 50g packets from pharmacies. They don't last me long. So I have ordered some sodium nitrate in bulk. So going to give that a try
Personally I wouldn't add either
If you have to add one then I would add the KNo3, the NaNo3 is going to give you constant salinity issues eventually.
Artificial salt is mainly a Na base so as the free Na builds up your salinity will be out all the time
With KNo3 you will eventually get a build up of K but at least the coals can use it in small amounts, so it will take longer but it will eventually happen.
Would it not be better to look at your filtration and reduce it slightly if you need to up the nitrates
If you have to add one then I would add the KNo3, the NaNo3 is going to give you constant salinity issues eventually.
Artificial salt is mainly a Na base so as the free Na builds up your salinity will be out all the time
With KNo3 you will eventually get a build up of K but at least the coals can use it in small amounts, so it will take longer but it will eventually happen.
Would it not be better to look at your filtration and reduce it slightly if you need to up the nitrates
I don't agree 100% with you
How much NaNo3 are you adding? Na is the main component behind your salinity, wont take much to increase it
That would also depend on what else he is dosing. Na on its own doesnt raise salinity. If he is dosing MgCl or any chloride molecule then you will raise salinity quickly otherwise you will only have free positively charged Na molecules in water column.
i go through about 15g potassium nitrate at the moment on 750l water in 4 days.
only other thing i dose is bicarb
Not sure which two you are refering to?
The problem is that the devices used in the hobby are not lab grade or microscopes.
They are slightly affected by dissolved organics, inorganic, free ions, etc
So even free Na ions will affect your readings, the problems come in that after a while your readings will start becoming inaccurate and you might be trying to decrease your salinity when you don't need to.
Again these are long term problems nothing drastic in the short term
mixing the potassium nitrate with the sodium nitrate..then make stock solution and dose
The problem is that a chemical reaction will take place in the mixture and you most probably will get a undissolvable precipitate forming that is going to cloud your water. If you want to dose both, dose them apart from one another.
oh ok...this is good to know. luckely i leave the chemistry to the guys who knows the stuff...lol
ill blow up something with my knowledge
for now i will stick to sodium nitrate and see how it goes. if it does make a difference to salinity and i cant control it ill just switch back to potassium nitrate. its not a huge problem. but i need to try
ill blow up something with my knowledge
for now i will stick to sodium nitrate and see how it goes. if it does make a difference to salinity and i cant control it ill just switch back to potassium nitrate. its not a huge problem. but i need to try
I never dosed it for long but did find that one - R299 for 500g (NaNo3)
Sodium Nitrate 500g – Cleansafe Labs
cleansafe.co.za
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