Nitrate value suggested ReaSea is FALSE

REEF_TO_KEEP · Jan 29, 2023

I have a 120g mix reef tank 65% LPS and 35% SPS. I had my nitrate level about 7 to 10 and the LPS were doing well. Then I found out RedSea recommended a nitrate level of 1-2ppm for mix reef. I have reduced the nitrate to 2ppm. I did this because I wanted fast growth for the SPS.

By reducing the nitrate to a low level. My LPS has suffered significantly. I killed 2 x tiger torches and 1 scoly. Goni, acans, scolies, hammers and plate corals have done poorly. Realizing what I have done, I have increased nitrate level back to where it was and the LPS begins to recover and do much better.

From my experience, nitrate level of 1 to 2 is a death sentence for some of the LPS I mentioned. I could have wiped out all the LPS. I have trusted a reputable brand and cost me some of my beautiful corals.

Lesson learned for me.

Kato · Jan 29, 2023

How did you reduce your nitrate? By reducing ammonia (feeding) or targeting the nitrate itself (carbon dosing)?

In my experience LPS will do fine at traceable nitrate. Meaning you export it quickly but have plenty of nitrogen available otherwise.

Im not a believer nitrate plays a significant role for LPS if enough nitrogen is available.

REEF_TO_KEEP · Jan 29, 2023

Kato said:
How did you reduce your nitrate? By reducing ammonia (feeding) or targeting the nitrate itself (carbon dosing)?

In my experience LPS will do fine at traceable nitrate. Meaning you export it quickly but have plenty of nitrogen available otherwise.

Im not a believer nitrate plays a significant role for LPS if enough nitrogen is available.

Less feeding and dosing RedSea NO POx

reefluvrr · Jan 29, 2023

Typically reducing Nitrates will also reduce Phosphates. Did you measure your phosphates also? In my experience, LPS suffer more with lower phosphates than lower Nitrates.

REEF_TO_KEEP · Jan 29, 2023

reefluvrr said:
Typically reducing Nitrates will also reduce Phosphates. Did you measure your phosphates also? In my experience, LPS suffer more with lower phosphates than lower Nitrate

phosphate is 0.03. I was not too concern too much on phospate because my understanding is very little phosphate is required for LPS and SPS. Unless my understand is wrong.

reefluvrr · Jan 29, 2023

REEF_TO_KEEP said:
phosphate is 0.03

When I kept the inorganic phosphates at that level withput having organic phosphates my LPS will not have nice polyp extension and will eventually starve. Inorganic phosphate is what you can measure with test kits. Organic phosphates cannot be measured with the test kits we have at home. Organic phosphates is what keeps our reef and corals happy. So if you know you have orangic phosphate in your reef system, then you can have lower inorganic phosphate levels as measured in our teat kits and still have a happy reef tank.

Kato · Jan 29, 2023

I would feed more and continue with nopox.

Tamberav · Jan 29, 2023

Chasing numbers can backfire

Some of the measurements here may surprise you

Tank Parameters Of Some Masters

Tank Parameters Of Some Masters To this day one of the most frequently asked questions I get, and actually that many “old time hobbyists” get is “How do I get rid of the algae in my tank. My first question then is “what are the parameters of...

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BirdFish5000 · Jan 29, 2023

They recommend those low no3/po4 levels for when you're buying their huge suite of supplement products to keep the corals fed while they're starving.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 30, 2023

FWIW, I'm going to move this to the main forum because while I think the question is well answered, it's not really appropriate for this experimentation forum.

melonheadorion · Jan 30, 2023

you will find different sources say different N/P levels. i generally go off of a happy medium, with others that have a similar tank, and lower nutrients. 2 imo is too little, and would say 5 to 8 for nitrate is probably a sweet spot for many, but there are those out there that have higher nitrate levels that have reefs that work out for them. i personally have about 20 nitrates. my softies and LPS obviously love it. my SPS arent dying from it, but i feel it is probably the reason why i have no polyp extension on half of them (they came from a tank with less than 5 nitrate and were fully open in that tank). on the other hand, i have some SPS that have excellent polyp extension in the same environment.