Uh Oh. Identify Ferts.

[FishFanatic04]

My two year old reached up and snatched the lids off my counter from the containers that I keep my ferts in... Potassium Nitrate and Monopotassium Phosphate.

In hind sight, I shouldn't have labeled the lids instead of the jars. Can you help me identify them please....One is more powdery and one is slightly gritty.
Thanks.

I will be promptly labeling the jars


edit: Don't worry I washed my sons hand right away BEFORE worrying about which fert was what.

 

[ainsy]

The Potassium Nitrate will probably be the more granular one and and the phosphate more powdery - but this is by no means certain and depends upon the chemical producer.

HTH

 

[FishFanatic04]

Is there an odor I can identify. I think that the Phosphate was on the left and that's the more powdery one...
Ugh I feel like a moron.

 

[ainsy]

Yes that is why it depends upon your chemical producer.

They will probably be odourless - so that won't help.

You could try making two mixes of (and I'm no expert here!) 5g in say a litre of water and then test each mix with your nitrate test kit (or phosphate test kit if you have one).

 

[FishFanatic04]

Could try that. If all else fails Ill just order another lb. of each. It was only $2.00 a lb.

Thanks for helping

 

[SO19Firearms]

Nitrate test kit on a solution. Or see which one is most fun with a lit splint.....
probably safer to do the first

 

[FishFanatic04]

 

[FishFanatic04]

Quick ? if you don't mind. Will the potassium nitrate affect my normal water testing? I am going to be doing 50% changes a week because I'm dosing EI. But because of the ammonia in my tap I worry that my nitrates may rise too high too fast.

 

[SO19Firearms]

You don't need to worry too much about the nitrates, although you may get away with dosing less, as its just a waste.
Ammonia in your tap water is a worry from a livestock point tho.......

 

[FishFanatic04]

Its 1.0ppm ammonia in my tap... a 50% water changes brings the ammonia up to .50 ppm. My filter clears that out in 12 hours. But if I exceed 50% during the water change then I notice it takes up to 24 hours to clear. That's why I worry about nitrates...what levels exactly are safe? I changed 75% water last time because I worried too much about nitrates, I think.

My fish only seem stressed by water changes if I do more then 50% or more then 1 change a week. {I use seachem prime to bind the ammonia until it clears} So As long as Nitrates aren't too much of an issue during the week it should be fine. Also, when I am as planted as I plan to be, the plants should take the edge off the nitrates and ammonia. Thats the main reason I've been launching headfirst into planting.

Sorry I wrote a novel here....Trying to learn as much as I can, and quickly.

Thanks for your help really!

 

[SO19Firearms]

Do you use the prime seperate to your tank? It sound like they get stressed if you do more than 50% because of the ammonia......I.e. if you did 100% you'd be adding 1ppm.
Have you considered RO?

Safe limits of nitrate are difficult to pin down withought seeing tests on community tropicals.

 

[FishFanatic04]

I don't consider RO because my hubby is army and we moving in NOV. The water when we move could be perfect. I would consider it if we get there and the water is the same or worse then here. Got my fingers crossed for 7.0 PH and tap water clear of ammonia, however.

I have been dosing my whole tank on a 50% change. I may have to treat the water first.