How do you guys keep nitrate stable

[FishOkay]

So in having trouble keeping my nitrate stable, it always seems to high or to low or where I want it for a week. Phosphate is easy to keep stable where I want it using fauna marin .04 gfo. I have a refugium which is good at bringing my nitrate down but then it gets too low to and I put a tiny bit of nyos nitrate + and then the next week it's too high for my liking compared to my Phosphate. So how do you keep yours stable? Mine seems constantly up and down or like I say at a good number for like a week and then either way.

 

[homer1475]

How old is your tank?

What do you consider high and low?

 

[FishOkay]

How old is your tank?

What do you consider high and low?

It's like 2.5 - 3 years old now I think.
Well I want to try and keep my nitrate as close to as possible 100x my phosphate so nitrate at 5 is where I'm aiming. Yesterday nitrate was at 20 which is too high I feel and its got as low as 0 which is too low and why I started dosing a little bit of nitrate+ but it seems to swing between those 2 numbers. But nitrate has gone as high as 40 if i do nothing and has caused me to get cyano from the imbalance I think.

 

[sixty_reefer]

What product do you add to your system?

 

[I never finish anythi]

I use bio pellets .

 

[Dan_P]

So in having trouble keeping my nitrate stable, it always seems to high or to low or where I want it for a week. Phosphate is easy to keep stable where I want it using fauna marin .04 gfo. I have a refugium which is good at bringing my nitrate down but then it gets too low to and I put a tiny bit of nyos nitrate + and then the next week it's too high for my liking compared to my Phosphate. So how do you keep yours stable? Mine seems constantly up and down or like I say at a good number for like a week and then either way.

Since your refugium is so effective at reducing nitrate, you should try reducing the amount of algae.

The large nitrate swing seems to indicate something you are doing rather than the aquarium is unstable. Food addition, and ammonia and nitrate additions are the most likely causes for high nitrates. Get that under control might be a first step.

 

[FishOkay]

What product do you add to your system?

Nyos nitrate+ I think it's dosing instructions might be a bit terrible. I put less than stated and it still increased quite a bit.

 

[FishOkay]

Since your refugium is so effective at reducing nitrate, you should try reducing the amount of algae.

The large nitrate swing seems to indicate something you are doing rather than the aquarium is unstable. Food addition, and ammonia and nitrate additions are the most likely causes for high nitrates. Get that under control might be a first step.

Yeah I think you might be right, maybe I'm panicking too much when I see it get too close to 0 and add the nitrate+. I should at that point just remove some algae and reduce refugium lighting schedule.

 

[Dan_P]

Yeah I think you might be right, maybe I'm panicking too much when I see it get too close to 0 and add the nitrate+. I should at that point just remove some algae and reduce refugium lighting schedule.

Scaring yourself in this hobby is easy. It’s part of the emotional rollercoaster you ride when you set a saltwater aquarium