Nitrates staying around zero, should I dose?

[telsonman]

In my 75g, the nitrates hover around 0ppm. I don't know why. I want them around 5ppm. I have several acros, chalices, and LPS. I have what I would think would be enough fish for a bioload. I'm running a skimmer and a fuge with chaeto. I feed every other day, either mysis, flake, or pellets. I had a laser beam chalice have tissue loss, and I don't know why. Everything is is fine. I checked all of the parameters, and the only things I can tell is the low nitrates. They question is should I dose nitrates (with stump remover?) or get another fish? I could probably add another if I needed to.

 

[telsonman]

alk stays between 8.5-9.5. I dose alk and calcium.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Feed your fish more, at least daily if not more.

 

[ReefWeeds]

agree with @LobsterOfJustice. Feed your fish daily and your corals will appreciate the extra feedings as well.

 

[jwshiver]

Your Alk is too high with zero NO3. Drop it to around 7 to 7.5 until you get your nutrients up. I use Brightwell Aquatics NeoNitro to keep my nitrates up.

 

[telsonman]

I hate feeding more as I don't want to raise the phosphates. But I'll give it a shot

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I hate feeding more as I don't want to raise the phosphates. But I'll give it a shot

That's what you have the chaeto for.

What fish do you have and what kind of skimmer do you have?

 

[telsonman]

That's what you have the chaeto for.

What fish do you have and what kind of skimmer do you have?

I have two clowns, a six line wrasse, a yellow tang, a chromis, diamond goby, and lawnmower blenny.
I'm running a reef octopus 150.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

No fish should sleep with empty stomach!.

Feed a bit more. Your chaeto should be able to keep up with the extra poops. Or you can reduce the chaeto lighting schedule a couple of hours if you like to see "curvy" fish body.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I have the same problem.My phosphates stay around 0.4-.06 and nitrates close to Undetectable. Don't starve your fish your i feed 3 times per day pretty heavy and have a reached max on my bio load.. I just can't get this nitrate up so considering dosing. However, I removed all filter socks/foam pads and lowered my skimmer to very dry. Also, I will have to reduce my photoperiod on the refugium.. If this does not raise my nitrates to around 2ppm then i'll start dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is certainly a fine plan to dose sodium or potassium nitrate.

 

[Deniss]

If you can't get them up, start dosing. I tried with heavier feeding, but coudn't get them higher then 0.
Now i have got them stable at 5 by dosing daily.

 

[Ashish Patel]

If you can't get them up, start dosing. I tried with heavier feeding, but coudn't get them higher then 0.
Now i have got them stable at 5 by dosing daily.

Once you get to 5PPM do you have to dose continuously, daily, or bi weekly? My hope is in time my tanks nitrate will rise to 2-5PPM but for now I've ordered seachem product to dose.

 

[Whipples]

You can buy granulated KNO3 (potassium nitrate) from GLA Aquariums and have enough to last you years and allow you to make your own strength solutions based on how much you want to dose. The Seachem stuff is decent but nothing beats making your own

 

[Ashish Patel]

You can buy granulated KNO3 (potassium nitrate) from GLA Aquariums and have enough to last you years and allow you to make your own strength solutions based on how much you want to dose. The Seachem stuff is decent but nothing beats making your own

Thanks.. Yeah I am on the fence about dosing nitrates or any product besides food.. But overfeeding, underfiltering is just going to lead to other issues I rather not deal with - Fuel aiptasia growth, bristle worm outbreak, algae growth, to name a few.. So I hope i can get nitrates up to 2PPM naturally down the road but for now hopefully some dosing can help while my tank becomes more established. currently only 5 months.

 

[dmw913]

With help from @Randy Holmes-Farley and others, I have started dosing nitrate with measurable results when extra feeding was not doing the trick. I purchased some food grade nitrate and used the calculations done by Randy and another member to make 1L of solution that I now dose daily. If you decide to go the dosing route, I'll be happy to track down the links to the nitrate (inexpensive) and calculations as given to me . Using the stump remover freaked me out.

 

[ReeferBud]

DMW - I would be interested in the inexpensive nitrate source and dosing calculations. Thanks.

 

[Deniss]

My dosing is consistent for now, everyday the same amount. I dose in the morning and in the evening. Keeps the nitrate stable at 5.

 

[telsonman]

I'm tempted to go buy some of that spectracide stump remover, unless there is something else similar.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I'm tempted to go buy some of that spectracide stump remover, unless there is something else similar.

I ordered Seachem flourish nitrogen - I did not want to dose an anything not manufactured for aquariums.. Seachem is made for planted tank but corals requires same nutrients as plants so worth a shot.