Nitrates disappearing

[emain879]

Recently tested my nitrates they’re at 0.0 on my hanna checker and I did a salifert test as well. They’re usually at a 10. What could cause this? My phos is at a .02 they’re usually around a .07

 

[emain879]

Nitrates are normal 7-8*

 

[ReefGeezer]

Algae and macroalgae can make nitrates and phosphates drop. So can corals.

 

[emain879]

I know that but they dropped a significant amount in 12 days

 

[emain879]

Algae and macroalgae can make nitrates and phosphates drop. So can corals.

The tank has been consistently 7-8 nitrates and .7-.9 phos for 3-4 months

 

[ReefGeezer]

I know that but they dropped a significant amount in 12 days

So no increase algae or added corals? Other changes?

 

[melonheadorion]

along with algae, corals, etc., are you dosing anything?

 

[emain879]

I added one torch last week, but I also stopped using filter socks, so I’m not sure if the filter socks would cause nitrates

 

[emain879]

along with algae, corals, etc., are you dosing anything?

No nothing

 

[ReefGeezer]

How old is the tank?

 

[emain879]

How old is the tank?

9 months old

 

[ReefGeezer]

If testing error is ruled out, then it could simply be that the biological processes in the tank are maturing.

 

[emain879]

If testing error is ruled out, then it could simply be that the biological processes in the tank are maturing.

Yeah I checked with Hannah yesterday it was 0.0. Did it today it was 0.0, and also did salifert today it was 0

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Also those filter socks harbor a lot of bacteria, if your water passes through them back into DT you might have removed a lot of the nitrates with them from the solids that you took out. Why no filter floss?

 

[melonheadorion]

other than a test kit not reading right, the only other explanation that i can think of would be, something in the tank is using up the nitrate. what it is, is hard to say. assuming that you arent dosing anything, as you said you werent, there should be no carbon dosing that is removing it. if you dont have a refugium, there is no macro algae taking it, if there is no algae in the tank at all, then that obvously isnt either. my only guess is a biodiversity of bacteria that is doing it.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Also how big was torch? I always try to backtrack to when I first notice symptoms and then figure out what change was made around the same time. Seems like your torch is sus. Can u dose for nitrates a bit to get them back up

 

[emain879]

Also those filter socks harbor a lot of bacteria, if your water passes through them back into DT you might have removed a lot of the nitrates with them from the solids that you took out. Why no filter floss?

It’s more of a pain in the **** to change them and they do nothing beneficial for my display

 

[emain879]

other than a test kit not reading right, the only other explanation that i can think of would be, something in the tank is using up the nitrate. what it is, is hard to say. assuming that you arent dosing anything, as you said you werent, there should be no carbon dosing that is removing it. if you dont have a refugium, there is no macro algae taking it, if there is no algae in the tank at all, then that obvously isnt either. my only guess is a biodiversity of bacteria that is doing it.

I have chateo in the tank which I’ve always had in my refug.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

I have chateo in the tank which I’ve always had in my refug.

Chaeto is growing and sucking out the nitrates as it should I suspect

 

[melonheadorion]

is it that you normally have a higher nitrate value, but all of a sudden you noticed that you have 0. in my instance, i was always at about 13, and then after testing again after a month or two of not testing, i found that it jumped to like 40. was there a long period of where you didnt test? if thats the case, your chaeto could have been sucking up all the nitrate over a period of time, without you realizing that it bottomed out the nitrate?