Bringing Nitrates UP!!

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E_Aquatics said:
Just came back from Lowes, will be giving this a try once I read a little bit more about it tonight.

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Don't forget, it's not food safe so it could contain contaminants. I tested it each time after I mixed a new batch. I used some invertes like bristle worms and brittle stars. I put them in a little container of tank water and watched to see if they survived a dose of stump killer (lol), which they did. I figured if they survived, the corals and fish would be fine. And they were.
 
Ecoscape Reef Rock
Curious. I've been struggling to keep polyps extended on my LPS. My PO4 is <9ppb (<0.009ppm) and my nitrate (NO3-) is <1ppm (Nyos kit). This thread has me wondering if my water is too low in these nutrients for the zooxanthelae in the tissue. Anyone got a thought on that?

Also, I do have hair algae in a few shaded spots beneath rocks or SPS coral. I'm concerned that raising PO4 or NO3 would increase algae. How are folks that are dosing nitrate and phosphate then controlling algae? Do you simply have a lot of herbivores and CUC? - - Thx
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
How about adding a canister filter, or don't change socks as often (filter). I added some filter floss that I forgot about and it raised my nitrates naturally.
 
sghera64 said:
Curious. I've been struggling to keep polyps extended on my LPS. My PO4 is <9ppb (<0.009ppm) and my nitrate (NO3-) is <1ppm (Nyos kit). This thread has me wondering if my water is too low in these nutrients for the zooxanthelae in the tissue. Anyone got a thought on that?

Also, I do have hair algae in a few shaded spots beneath rocks or SPS coral. I'm concerned that raising PO4 or NO3 would increase algae. How are folks that are dosing nitrate and phosphate then controlling algae? Do you simply have a lot of herbivores and CUC? - - Thx
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If you have enough healthy corals that are growing quickly (like sps do), they pretty much (but not totally) outcompete the macroalgae for nutrients. A good cleanup crew helps. Unfortunately, my tanks are too small for tangs or a foxface.
 
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Vaughn17 said:
Don't forget, it's not food safe so it could contain contaminants. I tested it each time after I mixed a new batch. I used some invertes like bristle worms and brittle stars. I put them in a little container of tank water and watched to see if they survived a dose of stump killer (lol), which they did. I figured if they survived, the corals and fish would be fine. And they were.
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I think the MSDS is 99% pure, and plenty of us have been using it, so it seems safe SO FAR... but good suggestion on the NaNO3
 
I would buy some brightwells fast start M. Nitrates,phosphates,and carbon all in one dose.
 
Just wanted to bring this up since it hasn't been mentioned. Once you start dosing nitrate you should test nitrate every day. I have noticed twice that the tank consumes nitrates at a faster rate when you first start dosing, then it will start consuming nitrate at a much slower rate. By checking nitrate levels everyday you know when to start dosing less
 
Deltec
I just started dosing/suplementing Red Sea Reef Energy (aminos) and noticed nitrates rose a bit....
Can anyone here say thats a valid act to raise nitrates some?
 
Hi Eric you are just fine using what you have :)
There are many sceptics out here that do this :eek: when adding anything to our tanks that seems "not normal".
 
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twilliard said:
Hi Eric you are just fine using what you have :)
There are many sceptics out here that do this :eek: when adding anything to our tanks that seems "not normal".
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On Saturday I dosed 35ml of the mixed solution which should have brought up the nitrates from 0 to 1. I mixed 2 tables spoons in 500ml of RODI water. I have a total of 400 gallons of saltwater.

I tested 2hrs after dosing the 35ml and I finally, I starring at a light purple water in the test vial. The following day (Sunday) I tested in the morning and Nitrates were back to 0 so that night I dosed 70ml to bring them up from 0 to 2. Two hours later I test and I got a result of 2ppm.

Now here is the strange thing, on Monday and just now I tested and nitrates had increased to around 4ppm. Tonight they are still at 4. The strange thing is that nitrates got higher without me adding more stump remover or feeding extra food and nothing in the tank seems to be consuming it.

Has anybody experienced something similar to this when dosing stump remover?
 
E_Aquatics said:
On Saturday I dosed 35ml of the mixed solution which should have brought up the nitrates from 0 to 1. I mixed 2 tables spoons in 500ml of RODI water. I have a total of 400 gallons of saltwater.

I tested 2hrs after dosing the 35ml and I finally, I starring at a light purple water in the test vial. The following day (Sunday) I tested in the morning and Nitrates were back to 0 so that night I dosed 70ml to bring them up from 0 to 2. Two hours later I test and I got a result of 2ppm.

Now here is the strange thing, on Monday and just now I tested and nitrates had increased to around 4ppm. Tonight they are still at 4. The strange thing is that nitrates got higher without me adding more stump remover or feeding extra food and nothing in the tank seems to be consuming it.

Has anybody experienced something similar to this when dosing stump remover?
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This is a normal reaction.
The key is to not increase the dosage amount until the no3 balances out. When it reads 0 again do not increase the amount used but rather dose the same amount again. (35ml)
That 35ml will balance out and once that does use that same 35ml amount to raise your no3 to the target level.
Tanks are easily overdosed thinking a higher dose is needed when in reality it is not.
 
twilliard said:
This is a normal reaction.
The key is to not increase the dosage amount until the no3 balances out. When it reads 0 again do not increase the amount used but rather dose the same amount again. (35ml)
That 35ml will balance out and once that does use that same 35ml amount to raise your no3 to the target level.
Tanks are easily overdosed thinking a higher dose is needed when in reality it is not.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation. I only increased the dose on the second day because I got a reading of 0. I have not dosed anymore in the last 3 days because Im still getting a reading of nitrates in the tank. I will resume dosing when it goes back to 0.
 
sghera64 said:
Curious. I've been struggling to keep polyps extended on my LPS. My PO4 is <9ppb (<0.009ppm) and my nitrate (NO3-) is <1ppm (Nyos kit). This thread has me wondering if my water is too low in these nutrients for the zooxanthelae in the tissue. Anyone got a thought on that?

Also, I do have hair algae in a few shaded spots beneath rocks or SPS coral. I'm concerned that raising PO4 or NO3 would increase algae. How are folks that are dosing nitrate and phosphate then controlling algae? Do you simply have a lot of herbivores and CUC? - - Thx
Click to expand...

How are you testing phosphates at that low of a range? If you are using the Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker, you do realize that you multiply the ppb result by 3.066 before you divide by 1000 right? Not saying you're doing that but I find it hilarious how often I find people doing that. The 3.066 multiplier is take convert the reading from phosphorus to phosphate.
 
why do you want your nitrates that high? I have a 12o acro dominant tank and I keep my nitrates around 3 (+/- 1). if my nitrates hit 7 corals start to suffer, if they hit 10 I get stn/rtn. with my nitrates at 3- 4 I get great color and growth. id feel safer with zero nitrates before id run them at 10
 
Deltec
305Reefer said:
How are you testing phosphates at that low of a range? If you are using the Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker, you do realize that you multiply the ppb result by 3.066 before you divide by 1000 right? Not saying you're doing that but I find it hilarious how often I find people doing that. The 3.066 multiplier is take convert the reading from phosphorus to phosphate.
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Yup, I record the reading as ppb-Pi and then multiply by 3.06 to convert to PO4---. If I go 1-2 weeks without measuring my Pi, it is not uncommon for my Hanna ULR to read 0-5ppb Pi (0-0.015 ppm PO4). I'm now dosing TSP to keep my algae scrubber from deteriorating.

I just read another thread where someone else using an algae scrubber also has to add N/P to keep things in balance. I thought I fed "heavily". Maybe not. So, I'm going to make up a jug of Ca(NO3)2 and Na3PO4 following the Redfield ratio and see if I can't find a constant daily addition that will keep things steady.
 
305Reefer said:
How are you testing phosphates at that low of a range? If you are using the Hanna Phosphorus ULR checker, you do realize that you multiply the ppb result by 3.066 before you divide by 1000 right? Not saying you're doing that but I find it hilarious how often I find people doing that. The 3.066 multiplier is take convert the reading from phosphorus to phosphate.
Click to expand...
Why did you revive a thread that has been dead for almost a year and a half?
 

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