Continued 0 on tested parameters

[1fastrock]

Hello everyone

I have a 90 gallon reef tank with sump making it around 100 gallon total volume that consistently has 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. The tank has been set up since January and was seeded with a block from my local fish store. It currently has 4 fire fish, 1 cardinal, 1 goby, 2 clown fish, and a royal gramma. I feed 1 time daily but feed fairly conservatively I would say by using a pipet to feed slowly. It has 2 Kessil A-360 WE for lights running on a ramped schedule from 8 am to 6 pm. I currently have a little bit of algae on the rocks that would suggest that there are nutrients somewhere but I can't figure out where.

Any help would be greatly appreciated
1fastrock

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Hello everyone

I have a 90 gallon reef tank with sump making it around 100 gallon total volume that consistently has 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. The tank has been set up since January and was seeded with a block from my local fish store. It currently has 4 fire fish, 1 cardinal, 1 goby, 2 clown fish, and a royal gramma. I feed 1 time daily but feed fairly conservatively I would say by using a pipet to feed slowly. It has 2 Kessil A-360 WE for lights running on a ramped schedule from 8 am to 6 pm. I currently have a little bit of algae on the rocks that would suggest that there are nutrients somewhere but I can't figure out where.

Any help would be greatly appreciated
1fastrock

0 ammonia and nitrites is totally fine and normal. 0 nitrates is definitely odd. Since you mention you have a decent bit of algae growing, odds are that it is consuming the nitrates as soon as they are produced and leaving you with a false 0 nitrate reading.

 

[1fastrock]

That is something I have thought about. Where could the nitrates be coming from or what can I used to get rid of it? I have a dual reactor that I run carbon and gfo in also

 

[Spare time]

Have you tried another test? Unless you have a lot of algae, you shouldn't have 0 nitrates unless you are doing very frequent water changes

 

[1fastrock]

I have tried api as well as salifart test kits. Any other test I should try

 

[Spare time]

Do you detect any phosphates either?

 

[ScubaFish802]

I was always under the impression that if you have 0 Nitrates they are being consumed as soon as they are made available

 

[Flippers4pups]

What’s your P04?

 

[Suohhen]

The typical algae cycle on a new tank can take over a year and that would be considering that the tank is receiving enough nutrients and stability to allow maturity to develop.
I would say from your description that your tank could do well with higher nutrients so that it can do so. Carbon and GFO are not helpful at all in this approach imo, and there are many others who believe this.
I used both for years combined with every other method of battling algae and nothing helped. What finally worked was to restart and very slowly ramp up nutrients and lighting over a very long period. I am currently 10 months into this and the tank is finally showing signs of maturity and I have been feeding way more into my tank than I ever have.

 

[Crustaceon]

Hello everyone

I have a 90 gallon reef tank with sump making it around 100 gallon total volume that consistently has 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites. The tank has been set up since January and was seeded with a block from my local fish store. It currently has 4 fire fish, 1 cardinal, 1 goby, 2 clown fish, and a royal gramma. I feed 1 time daily but feed fairly conservatively I would say by using a pipet to feed slowly. It has 2 Kessil A-360 WE for lights running on a ramped schedule from 8 am to 6 pm. I currently have a little bit of algae on the rocks that would suggest that there are nutrients somewhere but I can't figure out where.

Any help would be greatly appreciated
1fastrock

It’s in the algae and you’ll continue to see zeroes until that algae is physically removed.

 

[brandon429]

This can be a very helpful thread for reef cycling as well

1fastrock were those the readings during the cycle too, dilution might have prevented early readings if so

we have other all zeroes, still cycled threads curious if this is one too (people will not agree a tank showing no nitrates can be cycled)

clearly you are cycled by now. Just curious about initial measurements