NITROUS

Full-Spectrum Nitrogen Supplement

NITROUS supplies nitrogen as ammonium and urea, two forms corals and their zooxanthellae absorb directly. Nitrate must first be chemically reduced, which costs the algae energy. Several studies link nitrate enrichment, compared with ammonium, to less photosynthetic carbon shared with the coral and greater bleaching under heat stress.

Urea occurs naturally on reefs and is absorbed fastest under light. Inside the coral, urease, a nickel-based enzyme, breaks it down into ammonium. Use EASY TRACE with NITROUS to supply nickel along with other essential trace elements. 

Made with USP- and ACS-grade ammonium chloride and urea. Many reef keepers report better growth, color, and tissue fullness, though results vary with lighting, feeding, and nutrient balance. It is shelf stable for over a year and dosing-pump compatible.

Instructions:
1 mL per 10 US gal (38 L) daily adds about 0.10 ppm total nitrogen (a safe dose):

• 0.07 ppm as ammonium (0.085 ppm as NH₃, the form many test kits report)
• 0.03 ppm as urea

If fully converted by bacteria, that equals about 0.44 ppm nitrate. You'll see less, because corals, algae, and bacteria use much of the nitrogen first.

For doses above 1 mL per 10 gal, use a dosing pump and dose only during the photoperiod, when corals consume ammonium and urea fastest, so ammonia doesn't build up overnight.

Switching from nitrate:

Start at 1 mL per 10 gal. Increase by up to 1 mL per 10 gal each week until nitrate reaches your target. Nitrate may drop at first because ammonium and urea are consumed before they convert. Ammonium uses slightly more alkalinity than nitrate, so monitor alkalinity as you raise the dose.

Cycling (no livestock only):
The cycling dose is 20× the daily dose and is toxic to fish, corals, and invertebrates.

1. Add 2 mL per gallon, which gives about 2.0 ppm total nitrogen (about 1.7 ppm ammonia as NH₃).
2. Test every 1–2 days. When ammonia falls below about 0.5 ppm, dose again.
3. The cycle is complete when a full dose clears to zero ammonia and nitrite within 24 hours.
4. Do a water change if needed to lower nitrate before adding livestock.

Ingredients (mg/g):

Ammonium chloride (10), Urea (2.5), Water, Stabilizers. Total nitrogen: 3.8 mg N/mL.