Frustrating Low Nitrates

[dylandionysius]

Hey guys, question for you all...

How do you get your nitrates up? I have 4 fish in my 30 gallon and I’ve never seen anything higher than 0 nitrates. Took my water to a LFS to have them test, same thing, 0 nitrates. I have a hunch that my Xenia is pulling it out of the water. What do i do? Add more fish?

 

[xLimitlessJR]

Feed More? What/how much do you feed currently

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Yes, more fish. But also look at what you do to pull them out. What types of filtration are you using? Any carbon dosing?

 

[dylandionysius]

Currently I’m running a skimmer, Seagel, and dosing a bit of vibrant. Which could be the culprit, but my nitrates were 0 before the vibrant dosing as well. I’m feeding once daily with TDO pellets, even feeding reef roids once per week with no increase in nitrates.

 

[dylandionysius]

I just don’t want more fish. I’m a coral guy

 

[paulsz]

Hold is the tank?

 

[dylandionysius]

Hold is the tank?

About 2 months

 

[paulsz]

Could be that it's a new tank and some stuff is absorbing it as it's being produced.

I'd say no skimmer and no vibrant and see how things go. I have 3 fish (well 2.5 because a yellow clown goby counts as half, if not a quarter of a fish lol). They're in a 12 gallon and I fed twice a day and had 0 nitrates. No skimmer, no dosing of anything.

Do you have any algae?

 

[dylandionysius]

Could be that it's a new tank and some stuff is absorbing it as it's being produced.

I'd say no skimmer and no vibrant and see how things go. I have 3 fish (well 2.5 because a yellow clown goby counts as half, if not a quarter of a fish lol). They're in a 12 gallon and I fed twice a day and had 0 nitrates. No skimmer, no dosing of anything.

Do you have any algae?

I have a bit of algae. My CUC is taking care of it though. Someone mentioned in a fb group that it could be new tank syndrome. The algae eating up all the nutrients.

 

[paulsz]

Yeah could be. I'd stop the skimmer, stop the dosing. See how it goes for a few weeks. Try to make little changes. Just kind of let it be and it'll take its course. But if in 2-3 weeks you still see no nitrates, you can try dosing some. I use seachem nitrogen, but there are other options. Eventually, as the tank matures over months/years, it'll balance itself out.

 

[dylandionysius]

Yeah could be. I'd stop the skimmer, stop the dosing. See how it goes for a few weeks. Try to make little changes. Just kind of let it be and it'll take it's course. But if in 2-3 weeks you still see no nitrates, you can try dosing some. I use seachem nitrogen, but there are other options. Eventually, as the tank matures over months/years, it'll balance itself out.

awesome, I really appreciate it!

 

[paulsz]

One last question: did you start with dry rock or live rock?

 

[dylandionysius]

One last question: did you start with dry rock or live rock?

I started with live rock

 

[jda]

The rock is likely processing the no3 into n gas - thus completing the nitrogen cycle. This is a good thing.

What do you want more no3 for? Microalgae (dinos/zoox) cannot use it and need to get their nitrogen from ammonia/ammonium, which you fish produce when you feed them. Do you have macroalgae that you want to grow - macro can use no3 in spades.

If you were under the impression that having no3 "fed" coral, then just forget about it. Feed the fish a lot and don't worry about the no3 level.

 

[Chayo]

You can try dosing neo nitro from Brightwell, worked for me

 

[paulsz]

What do you want more no3 for?

What about the risk of dinos from no no3 and po4?

 

[jda]

Lack of diverse microfauna and sterile systems is why dinos thrive. I know that there is a long thread about no3 and po4 being a key (incorrectly, IMO) and while higher levels of no3 and po4 do growth inhibit (poison) them, having lower levels does not mean that you get dinos. This is mostly a phenonomen with dry rock tanks, not live rock tanks. Everybody used to get a ugly phase with their tanks and everybody also got through it as their tanks when from sterile to diverse.

BTW - it is not likely that any tank has no no3 or po4 unless they are dosing media or chemicals... which are generally a bad idea.

 

[SMSREEF]

Are you having any actual problem from the low NO3? I wouldn’t chase nitrate level unless something is not going well.

If you have issues that you think are due to low nitrates, you can take skimmer offline or dose nitrate.

 

[dylandionysius]

Issues mostly with some cyano, and I feel like my LPS would be happier with 5ppm.

 

[SMSREEF]

Issues mostly with some cyano, and I feel like my LPS would be happier with 5ppm.

What is your phosphate level?
I had to take my skimmer offline and am dosing nitrate and phosphate. But I started with dead rock and had issues with Dino’s and chrysophyte.
Maybe take the skimmer offline Or just take collection cup off and let it run so it still keeps your pH up and see what happens with your NO3 levels. Or get a couple more fish and feed more.