How to increase nitrate without increasing phosphate?

[Michigan Reefer]

Nitrate tested at 0ppm with the salifert test kit, and 0.05 phosphate with the hanna checker. I'm reading nitrates should be at 10-20ppm(WWC has 10ppm which is my goal), but when I turn off my skimmer for time periods or feed heavy my phosphates shoot up and I have a green hair algae outbreak. How can I consistently have high nitrates with low phosphates? Its a 100 gallon system two tanks with 6 fish, but I feed frozen foods daily, acropower amino acids twice a week. Mostly SPS which most are doing very well, some LPS doing well, but Zoas are not spreading at all. I have a GFO reactor currently not in use, should I feed heavier and use gfo to strip the phosphates? Will that not effect the nitrates? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Dose nitrates directly. Brightwell makes neo nitro but that can get expensive if you have as big tank.

Loudwolf makes quality sodium nitrate powder or potassium nitrate. That's cheaper and lasts longer

 

[Idoc]

Dose some nitrates. I use LoudWolf brand Sodium Nitrate and it works well. When i first started dosing nitrates (and phosohates in my case), I would have to dose daily with them going back to zero after a day. Then, the system equilibrated and held steady. I dosed for about 3 weeks.

 

[taricha]

Just points of conversation, not criticism...
You describe your livestock as doing well with maybe a few things growing slower than you'd like. But you are going to aim for jumping NO3 from zero to 10-20. This is based on another successful system, but we haven't made reference to any of the other parameters of the WWC system (PO4, Alk etc). Nor are we considering how that system gets those NO3 numbers - what kind of feeding and export.
These things might all be as/more important than the number.
From zero nitrate, the next step up is any amount of detectable color. Then above that I'd consider 2-5ppm to be another target range. 10-20 to my eyes is several steps away from your system, and would change how your otherwise stable system consumes PO4 etc.
Just some food for thought.
(The advice on posts above on how to dose N is sound)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree that 10-20 ppm nitrate is not needed. A few ppm is fine. Dosing is a good plan.

 

[Michigan Reefer]

Thanks for the advice. I think i'll try the neonitro and aim for 2-5ppm and observe any color difference in my SPS and zoa growth.