How to raise nitrates

[jabberwock]

Sorry the corals were alittle closed

In my opinion, flow looks good, clowns look good, corals look unhappy, lots of algae. Stop adding critters except for clean up crew. Its just gonna die. Clean algae every other day. Be patient. Don't add any magic fixes. Feed the clowns what they will eat in 5 minutes. All your nitrates are bound up in the algae. You just need time and patience and good husbandry. In a tank that small, you can do daily 16 oz water changes with a red solo cup.

 

[Fishology]

In my opinion, flow looks good, clowns look good, corals look unhappy, lots of algae. Stop adding critters except for clean up crew. Its just gonna die. Clean algae every other day. Be patient. Don't add any magic fixes. Feed the clowns what they will eat in 5 minutes. All your nitrates are bound up in the algae. You just need time and patience and good husbandry. In a tank that small, you can do daily 16 oz water changes with a red solo cup.

I’ll try to do this as best as I can by critter what do you mean coral?, inverts,fish?

 

[Fishology]

Okay so what I have been told to do is feed a bit more to raise nitrates, test for other elements and be patient and take is easy and don’t stress to much. Okay thanks got it. You were all so helpful

 

[Fishology]

In my opinion, flow looks good, clowns look good, corals look unhappy, lots of algae. Stop adding critters except for clean up crew. Its just gonna die. Clean algae every other day. Be patient. Don't add any magic fixes. Feed the clowns what they will eat in 5 minutes. All your nitrates are bound up in the algae. You just need time and patience and good husbandry. In a tank that small, you can do daily 16 oz water changes with a red solo cup.

Also with the corals being closed there never this closed this much. they only close like this during the night as my room is fully dark during the night and since I wasn’t in here they were closed, there usually open a lot more.

 

[jabberwock]

I’ll try to do this as best as I can by critter what do you mean coral?, inverts,fish?

Anything alive except for clean up crew. Snails are good, crabs if you must (I am not a fan). You could maybe do an urchin, but I would say the less the better. SLOW DOWN.

 

[jabberwock]

Okay so what I have been told to do is feed a bit more to raise nitrates, test for other elements and be patient and take is easy and don’t stress to much. Okay thanks got it. You were all so helpful

Yeah, but don't go crazy with the feeding, anything left over is just going to feed the algae. You have to knock down the algae to get your nitrates back.

 

[jabberwock]

Also with the corals being closed there never this closed this much. they only close like this during the night as my room is fully dark during the night and since I wasn’t in here they were closed, there usually open a lot more.

Ok, That is a data point. Snap a pic when they are open when it is convenient.

 

[Fishology]

Yeah, but don't go crazy with the feeding, anything left over is just going to feed the algae. You have to knock down the algae to get your nitrates back.

Great to know I’m planning so do Maintenance as cleaning filter scrubbing of the back wall and brushing the Rock with a tooth Brush to remove serfuce algae. Hopefully I don’t lose any corals. But who knows really

 

[Fishology]

Ok, That is a data point. Snap a pic when they are open when it is convenient.

I’ll try to get one tomorrow

 

[cloud9aquariums]

5 nitrates isnt a problem at all. You have a newer system and the algae is going to be your cheif nutrient vacuum right now. If you'd like to run higher nitrates I'd continue with daily feedings. And no more than 10% weekly water changes. Definitely get baseline tests done even if that means taking a sample into a local fish store. Once you have those readings we can offer better advice if anything is off.

 

[Fishology]

5 nitrates isnt a problem at all. You have a newer system and the algae is going to be your cheif nutrient vacuum right now. If you'd like to run higher nitrates I'd continue with daily feedings. And no more than 10% weekly water changes. Definitely get baseline tests done even if that means taking a sample into a local fish store. Once you have those readings we can offer better advice if anything is off.

I bought a text kit and last week my result were perfect I added an extra light for my zoas as they were reaching so hard