How to raise nitrates?

[thelonereefer1]

I have a IM 50. Two clowns. A dotty back and a few torches. Gsp. Hammer. Acans. Frog spawn. Monti etc. Zoas. Everything seems to be happy except the acans and occasionally Zoas. Tank is 9 months old. Nitrates are always 2.5 or less. Phosphates will climb slightly above .1. A 5 hall water change once a week cuts the phos in half. Alk stays between 8-9. Calc around 420. Temp 78.3 ish and salinity 1.026. For reference my acans thrive in my frag tank. I’ve tried changing the flow. Moving them to different locations. I’ll observe for a few weeks or more after a change but they never puff up like a happy healthy Acan. If I move them back to the frag tank within a week or say they are back to happy as can befor reference the frag tank has similar parameters to the im50

 

[Spare time]

Amino acids are my vote

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Feeding more or dosing food grade sodium nitrate from Amazon are other good choices.

 

[ReefJunkie1989]

I have a IM 50. Two clowns. A dotty back and a few torches. Gsp. Hammer. Acans. Frog spawn. Monti etc. Zoas. Everything seems to be happy except the acans and occasionally Zoas. Tank is 9 months old. Nitrates are always 2.5 or less. Phosphates will climb slightly above .1. A 5 hall water change once a week cuts the phos in half. Alk stays between 8-9. Calc around 420. Temp 78.3 ish and salinity 1.026. For reference my acans thrive in my frag tank. I’ve tried changing the flow. Moving them to different locations. I’ll observe for a few weeks or more after a change but they never puff up like a happy healthy Acan. If I move them back to the frag tank within a week or say they are back to happy as can befor reference the frag tank has similar parameters to the im50

I would suggest dosing potassium nitrate (KNO3) using the calculator below:

James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

This is the product I use from green leaf aquariums: https://greenleafaquariums.com/products/potassium-nitrate-kno3-1lb-jar.html

 

[OfficeReefer]

Overfeed the tank?

 

[thelonereefer1]

I’ve tried feeding more but I guess the real question with over feeding is how much over
Since then my phos have rose. Idk if this is related or coincidental

 

[rtparty]

Feeding more or dosing food grade sodium nitrate from Amazon are other good choices.

Randy, what animal or bacteria or “thing” in our tanks uses and prefers nitrate as a food source?