Another nitrate question

Fishingandreefing · Mar 21, 2020

As I am still fighting the phosphate war at .35, I tested my nitrate with API, I know and it was zero.

now, is this bad? Most of the corals are fine except the lepto is receding more and more.

Alk was 8.5 and Cal was 423.

Will continue dosing 50% of phosphate RX and 75% GFO make it worse or helpful?

any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Spare time · Mar 22, 2020

Nitrate of 0 is bad. Corals need a source of nitrogen. You can easily raise it with something like neonitro from brightwell.

As for phosphate rx and gfo, I would think one of them would do the trick. Do you know where the phosphate problem came from and is it continuous?

Fishingandreefing · Mar 22, 2020

Spare time said:
Nitrate of 0 is bad. Corals need a source of nitrogen. You can easily raise it with something like neonitro from brightwell.

As for phosphate rx and gfo, I would think one of them would do the trick. Do you know where the phosphate problem came from and is it continuous?

Have you personally used Neonitro before? I believed my nitrates are from my over feeding last year before my one month vacation and much dry rocks added in a short period of time.

homer1475 · Mar 22, 2020

I will parrot 0 nitrates not being good.

While i have not used neonitro, I have dosed nitrates. Just get some nitrates in the water, and for the love of god, stop using API test kits.

Seriously though, get a better test kit. Salifert, Red Sea Pro, NYOS, anything is better at the low ranges were looking for in a reef tank then API.

I personally hate GFO as you can strip your water way to fast. If you want to use it, use half the recommended amount and monitor.

Fishingandreefing · Mar 22, 2020

homer1475 said:
I will parrot 0 nitrates not being good.

While i have not used neonitro, I have dosed nitrates. Just get some nitrates in the water, and for the love of god, stop using API test kits.

Seriously though, get a better test kit. Salifert, Red Sea Pro, NYOS, anything is better at the low ranges were looking for in a reef tank then API.

I personally hate GFO as you can strip your water way to fast. If you want to use it, use half the recommended amount and monitor.

perhaps I need to feed more. Currently about 20 fish, 4 shrimps, and two gobies. I feed 1.5 cube of mysis daily and one additional cyclops cube weekly along with reef roids.

I am looking leaning toward Nyos nitrate kit now as some say it’s easier to read.

laverda · Mar 22, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
Have you personally used Neonitro before? I believed my nitrates are from my over feeding last year before my one month vacation and much dry rocks added in a short period of time.

That does not make sense. Did you mean phosphates? Your phosphates are nothing to panic about. It is more important you lower them slowly. Keep in mind GFO will reduce your ALK as well. I do not know about RX. I doubt your nitrate is zero and it should not be. I agree get some decent test kits. Salifert is my preference.

Fishingandreefing · Mar 22, 2020

laverda said:
That does not make sense. Did you mean phosphates? Your phosphates are nothing to panic about. It is more important you lower them slowly. Keep in mind GFO will reduce your ALK as well. I do not know about RX. I doubt your nitrate is zero and it should not be. I agree get some decent test kits. Salifert is my preference.

I am confused too. I tested my nitrate with the APi kit yesterday and yield zero while my phosphate was tested .35 by Hanna. I just tested it again with the api, and it’s about .5 smh.

Adamantium · Mar 22, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
I am confused too. I tested my nitrate with the APi kit yesterday and yield zero while my phosphate was tested .35 by Hanna. I just tested it again with the api, and it’s about .5 smh.

That looks like 5, not .5. Perfectly healthy range to be in.

Phosphates, on the other hand, need to be taken down.

Fishingandreefing · Mar 22, 2020

Adamantium said:
That looks like 5, not .5. Perfectly healthy range to be in.

Phosphates, on the other hand, need to be taken down.

Yeah that’s what I meant.

Fishingandreefing · Mar 22, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
Yeah that’s what I meant.

Dripping phosphate rx again at 50%. Then water change few hours after

Fishingandreefing · Mar 22, 2020

Will be replacing gfo 50% and carbon 100%

Spare time · Mar 22, 2020

Fishingandreefing said:
Have you personally used Neonitro before? I believed my nitrates are from my over feeding last year before my one month vacation and much dry rocks added in a short period of time.

I have used neonitro. Did you mean phosphate?