nitrate

[sergifed91]

I have absolutely no nitrates per my tests. I haven't tested my PO4 yet. but the only thing I have changed is my salt a month ago from reef crystals to liveaquria reef salt. I have lost corals but not from my no nitrate issue. I came home and found 1 hammer upside down in the sand and dead so I took that out and the second is my zoa frag is dieing but that's from my puffer picking at it. everything else is spot on.

I do plan on testing my PO4 after I post this.

bet all corals other than those 2 look good and healthy. I do run my skimmer all the time. I have it turned on right now on the lowest setting and it's just putting air into the tank and not skimming at all.
I also have a HOB filter that I turned into a refugium with cheato in it. I have that turned on. but not seen any growth from it the past 2 months I have had it. but it is not dead at all. so it's consuming something. I will be taking that off line soon to try to get my nitrates up.
also I usually put in a cube of frozen mysis shrimp. but today after finding out 0 nitrates I put in 2 cubes and will hope to see nitrates go up a little the next 24 hours.

60 gal tank
KH/ALK
8.9
MG

1350
CA
450
PH
8.2

 

[sergifed91]

just test PO4 and that's at .2

 

[sergifed91]

I also for got to mention. I tested with salifert, api test kit and also tried the api strips all 0 or not detectable. I decided to go to 2 LFS not Petco or petsmart. and had them test it. 1 used the test strips and the other one used the api reef test(liquid) and no nitrates at all. i'm not doing any wc or anything until I start getting nitrates detected.

 

[jtl]

I periodically need to dose for nitrates.

 

[SeaDweller]

Try turning your skimmer off for a few hours a day. Do you run a fuge?

 

[sergifed91]

Try turning your skimmer off for a few hours a day. Do you run a fuge?

I just have a HOB Filter with cheato in it.

 

[sergifed91]

I periodically need to dose for nitrates.

should I be doing water changes at all. I plan on doing a wc this weekend like 4 to 8 gallons out of 60. I usually do a 20 g wc everyweek.

 

[zack801]

should I be doing water changes at all. I plan on doing a wc this weekend like 4 to 8 gallons out of 60. I usually do a 20 g wc everyweek.

Water change will lower my nitrates each time. I’m really only doing them to try to replace any trace elements. After each bigger change I end up test and then dosing nitrates because they are nearly undetectable.