Is 0.00 nitrate a problem?

[ClownSchool]

I have a 55 gallon tank with a canister filter, protein skimmer and small refugium. I dose 10 ml of distilled white Apple vinegar (22ml is recommended for my tank size) with B-ionic 2 part daily. I feed 4 ml of frozen food diluted in r/o water once per day.
pH 8.3
Alk 9.8
Cal 390
Sal 1.025
PO3 0.89 (a little high, I know)
NO3 0.00
The tank will be one-year-old next month.
My Hanna nitrate test showed 0.00 for the second week in a row, so i got worried.
I added Brightwell’s nitrate for the first time yesterday.
A recommended does is 7ml to raise it to 1.00, so I started with 3 ml yesterday.
I added another 3 ml this morning.
It’s 10pm, I just ran the test again and it’s still 0.00???
Is that even possible? I don’t know if my Hanna checker is bad? Is my carbon dosing offsetting the NO3? Is my skimmer stripping it out?
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I believe there are much better products than neonitro that are cheaper, have a purity assurance that Brightwell doesn't provide, and can be made to any concentration you want.

For that purpose, I recommend food grade or ACS grade sodium or calcium nitrate.

 

[ClownSchool]

Since when did GFO start removing nitrate, lol

My LFS said it’s for phosphates, but to a lesser degree, effects nitrates as well. He’s been wrong before. I’ll take your word for it and do more research.

 

[ClownSchool]

FWIW, I believe there are much better products than neonitro that are cheaper, have a purity assurance that Brightwell doesn't provide, and can be made to any concentration you want.

For that purpose, I recommend food grade or ACS grade sodium or calcium nitrate.

I heard green leaf produces something that was really good, but that brand wasn’t readily available locally.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I heard green leaf produces something that was really good, but that brand wasn’t readily available locally.

Just buy food grade sodium nitrate from amazon.

 

[ClownSchool]

No, it removes phosphates.

Good to know. My LFS has been wrong before.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My LFS said it’s for phosphates, but to a lesser degree, effects nitrates as well. He’s been wrong before. I’ll take your word for it and do more research.

He's wrong again, mostly. lol

GFO binds phosphate and silicate directly, but absolutely no nitrate (no reef media binds nitrate from seawater).

It will bind a small amount of organic material, and that might export a small amount of N before it degrades to nitrate.