Best way to raise Nitrates

[t5Nitro]

@Lasse I think because you said the words. Tonight when I come home the gha is getting a red hue covering it. Maybe the gha finally soaked everything up nutrient wise and a cyano bloom is starting?

 

[ScottB]

13 months.

I agree. In a short time my pipe where the screen is clogged and sprays water out like a nice little jet with high velocity into the stand and out onto the floor. Had water soaking through to the basement and the trusty ATO had the tank at 1.022 to 1.023. That was a fun morning.

On the wait list for a turbo aquatics scrubber but that may be a while.

I'm also tempted to throw a sheet of eggcrate in the back of the tank to grow algae for something easy to remove and clean off.

I've had one of those "fun mornings" before. And of course my phone was muted, so while APEX new my floor was wet, I just kept snoozing away.

 

[t5Nitro]

I'll be removing some freely movable rocks tonight and peroxiding them. Tired of looking at it. And then ill repeat it as needed.

 

[t5Nitro]

This is my go to when it gets real long and easy to take off. I've turned into the algae scrubber. Using siphon sized tubing and wedge the one end between the plastic support bar within the opening of the filter sock and go to work in the tank.

 

[Lasse]

@Lasse I think because you said the words. Tonight when I come home the gha is getting a red hue covering it. Maybe the gha finally soaked everything up nutrient wise and a cyano bloom is starting?

Could be so. In that case would my priority change. Rise the nitrates up to around 3-5 ppm and keep on cleaning your rockworks.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Ariahsart]

Easiest way to bring nitrates and phosphates up is to feed more. Another option is to cut back on the filtration. Dosing nitrates and phosphates seem crazy to me.

When you say this what do you mean exactly when you say cut back on filtration? Currently having an issue with my candy cane and hammer shrinking a bit, I have 0 ppm on nitrate and phosphate and everything else is fine

 

[ScottB]

When you say this what do you mean exactly when you say cut back on filtration? Currently having an issue with my candy cane and hammer shrinking a bit, I have 0 ppm on nitrate and phosphate and everything else is fine

Some examples of cutting back on filtration might include:
- releasing your skimmate back into the system
- not changing filter socks for a bit
- slowing up on water changes

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Currently having an issue with my candy cane and hammer shrinking a bit, I have 0 ppm on nitrate and phosphate and everything else is fine

Feeding more is fast and easy.

 

[Ariahsart]

Some examples of cutting back on filtration might include:
- releasing your skimmate back into the system
- not changing filter socks for a bit
- slowing up on water changes

Oh okay thanks so much!

 

[reeftankdude]

Yes, here it is on Amazon for 6 bucks

How does this work and how do you use it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How does this work and how do you use it?

IMO, it’s a bad choice. It has unknown purity and risks excessive potassium.

Food grade sodium or calcium nitrate is a much better plan.

 

[ThePurple12]

How does this work and how do you use it?

You just mix the correct amount (there are calculators online) with some water and add it to the tank. I agree with Randy that Spectracide might not be the best option, but it worked fine with me.

 

[Cbones1979]

Old thread but I’ve been battling almost 0 nitrates and .27 phosphates for awhile now.

Can’t seem to get them to flip even with dosing nitrates and phosphate reducing products. Corals haven’t been thriving for the past 6 months like they were when I was able to keep 5-10 N and under .1 phos.

I have 8 smaller fish in a 75. Icp test came back pretty normal minus some low trace elements. No light changes. No major changes really.

I test weekly and see the same results.

 

[piranhaman00]

Dose nitrates…

 

[Cbones1979]

Dose nitrates…

Been

 

[piranhaman00]

Been

More

 

[Cbones1979]

More

How will that help phosphates.

 

[piranhaman00]

How will that help phosphates.

I thought you wanted no3?

 

[Cbones1979]

I thought you wanted no3?

Need pho down

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I recommend dosing N, and apparently more than you have. I recommend any of food grade sodium or calcium nitrate, or ammonium chloride or bicarbonate.

With sufficient dosing, all will give you sufficient N to allow more organism growth, which may help slowly reduce phosphate, but certainly are useful regardless of whether P declines or not.