Sodium Nitrate

[redfishbluefish]

I am going to take a wild guess here. Potassium Nitrate, N vs K is about 3 to 1. So raise 30 ppm of N you also raise 10 ppm of K. Macro consumes K, quite significantly. That's why you have K in fertilizers. Even assuming macro consumes no K, 10 ppm is very little compare to 450ppm of K for NSW. and 30 ppm of Nitrate is a lot and should last a while.

Wild guess it is Joe!

To find the percentages of K and N in KNO3, first add the molar masses:

K + N + (Ox3)

39 + 14 +(16 x 3) = 101

To determine percentages, divide this number into either N or P and multiply by 100 to get percentages:

Percent of Nitrogen = 14/101 x 100 = 13.9%
Percent of Potassium = 39/101 x 100 = 38.6%

So each molecule of potassium nitrate contains 13.9 % nitrate and 38.6 % potassium (by weight)....or more simply, for each molecule of potassium nitrate, you get one nitrogen and one potassium.....it's 1 for 1.

 

[Reefabout]

I am going to take a wild guess here. Potassium Nitrate, N vs K is about 3 to 1. So raise 30 ppm of N you also raise 10 ppm of K. Macro consumes K, quite significantly. That's why you have K in fertilizers. Even assuming macro consumes no K, 10 ppm is very little compare to 450ppm of K for NSW. and 30 ppm of Nitrate is a lot and should last a while.

Yup

 

[horseplay]

@redfishbluefish. The weight of nitrate is actually 61.4% (not 13.9%). According to Randy. This makes sense because nitrate is NO3. Your calculation does not count the O's.

 

[redfishbluefish]

@redfishbluefish. The weight of nitrate is actually 61.4% (not 13.9%). According to Randy. This makes sense because nitrate is NO3. Your calculation does not count the O's.

Joe, you are correct....I reported "Nitrogen", not nitrate. But it still boils down to every molecule of potassium nitrate that is added, you get ONE K and ONE NO3, not ONE to THREE. Bottom line, with potassium relative high in natural seawater, and with the demand from algae, I don't think it should be an issue within your aquarium.