3.5ppm Nitrates okay?

RaymondL · Mar 31, 2023

I'm consistently getting week by week Nitrates reading at 3.5ppm +/- 0.2ppm per reading. LFS tells me that I should be aiming for 5ppm minimum Nitrates to prevent Dinos. I'm thinking that 3.5ppm is just fine. Phosphates remain stable at 0.03.

Looking for guidance here with regards - do I keep it at 3.5ppm, or should I bring it up to 5ppm?

Timfish · Mar 31, 2023

3.5 is fine. The cause of "DInos" is more complex than just one parameter being at a certain level.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 31, 2023

RaymondL said:
I'm consistently getting week by week Nitrates reading at 3.5ppm +/- 0.2ppm per reading. LFS tells me that I should be aiming for 5ppm minimum Nitrates to prevent Dinos. I'm thinking that 3.5ppm is just fine. Phosphates remain stable at 0.03.

Looking for guidance here with regards - do I keep it at 3.5ppm, or should I bring it up to 5ppm?

I run about 4 and you can go as high as 10 safely

mortimersnerd · Apr 8, 2023

3.5 is about what I shoot for. Don't chase numbers. If it's in a good range it's good enough.

kados · Apr 8, 2023

Fowlr life

exnisstech · Apr 8, 2023

RaymondL said:
I'm consistently getting week by week Nitrates reading at 3.5ppm +/- 0.2ppm per reading.

You have the majic word consistently . I would roll with it and just make sure it is consistant and that you don't bottom out. To raise it you would have to dose nitrates or feed more. Feeding more did nothing for me so I had to dose as I was bottoming out. Its one more thing to do and also becomes a number chasing game. Your at 3.5 today, dose up to 5 and next day most likely back down to 3.5 and the cycle begins.

After several months of having to dose N and P nitrates have finaly stabilized at about the same level of nitrates as you have and I'm rolling at that level and happy not to dose and test daily. I would like to be a little higher but all corals and nems look happy so I'm just keeping and eye them for now.