Nitrates dropped to 0

[SMSREEF]

That is exactly my fear right now which im trying to avoid if possible. I have a brownish red algae that grows on the glass (not green) which i tend to scrape off every 2-3 days.

Make sure to turn whites to 100% when assessing algae color.
green algae looks brown under blue “ish” light that most of us run with LEDs.
This is my tank under white. But it looks brown in normal bluer light.

 

[Aerofoil]

It would be in any chemical supply store, but might be more expensive there. Anything food grade should be safe, even from amazon or etsy or wherever.

Perfect! Thankyou all for the help...im sure ill be back with my next issue soon!!

 

[Aerofoil]

Make sure to turn whites to 100% when assessing algae color.
green algae looks brown under blue “ish” light that most of us run with LEDs.
This is my tank under white. But it looks brown in normal bluer light.

I've just learnt something else...yep my algae is green! doh!

 

[SMSREEF]

I've just learnt something else...yep my algae is green! doh!

That’s a good thing! And should set your mind at ease. There is no longer any rush and you have time.

 

[ScottB]

Just playing catchup here. Sorry about the iich. Most people poopoo the in tank treatments, but I have to say the Reef Medic worked to manage an outbreak on large client tank. We did go with dosing every 12 hours for 2 months. Lost a couple fish in the first couple days, but no more in 18 months or so.

I cannot improve on @SMSREEF advice so far. One thing I would ask though: how old is this system? Maybe I missed that.

 

[Aerofoil]

Just playing catchup here. Sorry about the iich. Most people poopoo the in tank treatments, but I have to say the Reef Medic worked to manage an outbreak on large client tank. We did go with dosing every 12 hours for 2 months. Lost a couple fish in the first couple days, but no more in 18 months or so.

I cannot improve on @SMSREEF advice so far. One thing I would ask though: how old is this system? Maybe I missed that.

The tank is about 4 months old now which is the same as my experience level
I do tend to spend a lot of time trying to learn anything i can but im sure others can agree there is that much conflicting and varied info out there its a tough thing to navigate properly. This is the reason i joined this forum and i'm glad that i did

 

[ScottB]

We are all glad to have you aboard; it is a great community.

Unless you began the system with a majority of really well established live rock loaded with all kind of diverse bacteria, sponges, microfauna, good hitchhikers and bad, it will be a very "noisy" biome for 9-18 months. Nutrients bounce all over the place. Different algaes and dinos come and go. All the microfauna and bacteria battle for dominance.

While keeping it simple is pretty sound advice generally, I think it is particularly important while the system is struggling to reach puberty. Just keep temp and salinity stable. Keep a little nutrient consistently available. Feed a little more frequently is you are able to. You can dial that back when the algaes get more aggressive but generally just let the biome do its thing. If you did not start with live rock, it is never too late to add some to your sump.

I am not against dosing nutrient -- I've done it countless times until my bioload gets up and running. It is safe stuff as long as you are testing. If you decide to dose nitrates, I would keep a VERY close eye on PO4 and maybe keep some of PO4 supplements on hand. Dosing nitrate to a nitrate depleted tank will quickly lower PO4.

 

[Miguel Negron]

Check his YouTube and websites, this works wonders

HEX NO3 Nitrate Supplement

My Personal Nitrate Supplement is Made From KNO3 Potassium Nitrate and RO/DI Water. Available Sizes: 500ml, 1 Gallon Keeping the proper nitrate levels in your reef tank is vital to coral growth and coloration. For many of us who sit at zero or near zero nitrates need to supplement when...

fishofhex.com