# Calcium Nitrate from Greg Watson



## Hashbaz (Apr 23, 2006)

I bought some Calcium Nitrate from Greg Watson thinking it was Ca(NO3)2 but now I think it may be 5Ca(NO3)2*NH4NO3*10H20. I have two reasons for thinking this: The bag I bought says it is 15.5-0-0 and the second formula above is the only Calcium Nitrate Nitrate formula (that I could find) that has 15.5% N by mass.

I got my info about Calcium Nitrate here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_nitrate

My initial testing confirms that adding 10ppm of Nitrate also added .25ppm of NH4.

It seems odd to me that Greg Watson would be selling an aquarium fertilizer that adds ammonia to our aquariums, so I called him about it. He suggested I post the question here because he was not positive about which Calcium Nitrate he had, and he knew that other people here use his product.

Does anyone know for sure if the Calcium Nitrate sold by Greg Watson contains NH4?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/c0451.htm This is what I would certainly expect a product called calcium nitrate to be. No ammonium.


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## gregwatson (May 24, 2004)

Hashbaz said:


> It seems odd to me that Greg Watson would be selling an aquarium fertilizer that adds ammonia to our aquariums, so I called him about it.


Our conversation never discussed amoniacal nitrogen ... if you had asked about that, I could have answered that question ...



Hashbaz said:


> He suggested I post the question here


No ... actually we talked about dosing ... and I suggested that you check out the Fertilator here <GREAT BIG GRIN>!!!!!!



Hashbaz said:


> Does anyone know for sure if the Calcium Nitrate sold by Greg Watson contains NH4?


I suspect that you and I both know <Grin> ... it is calcium nitrate .... if you had asked about amonical forms of nitrate, that I could have answered <grin> ... no amonia ...

Thanks,
Greg


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## Hashbaz (Apr 23, 2006)

oops, my bad. I missunderstood you. Sorry Greg.


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

What kind of substrate are you using?


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## gregwatson (May 24, 2004)

Hashbaz said:


> oops, my bad. I missunderstood you. Sorry Greg.


Not bad <grin> ...

Just like Calcium Chloride there are several different hydrated forms ... I belive this one is CaNO3(2H2O) ...

With my rock hard water, I don't use it ... and don't recommend it ...

Greg


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

So are the bags mislabeled then?


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## Hashbaz (Apr 23, 2006)

EDGE said:


> What kind of substrate are you using?


I am using ecocomplete. why?


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## RuslanJamil (Oct 30, 2005)

Calcium nitrate for greenhouse use normally is 5Ca(NO3)2.NH4NO3.10H20 and therefore has some ammonium. The telltale sign is the 15.5 % N, 19% Ca.


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## Cyclesafe (Jan 13, 2011)

Just for completeness on this thread I'd like to contribute the following:

1 g of 5Ca(NO3)2.NH4NO3.10H2O to one liter of water adds

Ca++ 34% 343.62 ppm
NO3- 32% 318.77 ppm
NH4+ 3% 30.85 ppm

Therefore 21.53 g added to a 100 gal tank results in

Ca++ 20 ppm
NO3- 32% 18.5 ppm
NH4+ 3% 1.8 ppm

Adds at water change or with EI and related methods would likely result in too much ammonia for the fish - anyway too much to take the chance. However, this salt would probably be OK for daily dosing to a Ca assymptope of 20 ppm in a mature heavily planted tank. For experts only.


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## wet (Nov 24, 2008)

If you want it, calc.petalphile.com supports all these various forms of "Calcium Nitrate"

Here's a pic of mine from the same source from a few years ago, but after knowing that source through the hobby for years, really think is was just an innocent mistake with supply. I also do not trust it but did try in small volumes. As pointed out above it is pointless as a sole Ca source.

The pic is a dose into a cup floating in the tank. I believe it's Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (C.A.N.) as above. The other cup is CaCl2.










Notice the bubbles


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