Nitrates stuck at 0

[Leadfooted]

.

 

[Leadfooted]

I’ve personally had luck using Seachem Seagel to carefully lower my PO4 without lowering my nitrate. As my PO4 lowers I’m able to feed more which allows my nitrate to climb but not raise my PO4.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve personally had luck using Seachem Seagel to carefully lower my PO4 without lowering my nitrate. As my PO4 lowers I’m able to feed more which allows my nitrate to climb but not raise my PO4.

The phosphate lowering of Seagel comes from the aluminum oxide it it, as in Phosguard. It works well to lower phosphate, but I prefer other methods that do not add aluminum. GFO is an example.

 

[Spare time]

You can always add amino acids.

 

[Dan_P]

My nitrates have been stuck at 0 for some time now. I double checked with a different test kit as well and that came back as 0 as well. Only way I can raise them is dosing Neo nitro. My phosphate levels are .15 and were checked with a Hannah ulr.

System is a 40 gal breeder with a sump. I have chaeto in the sump. I unplugged skimmer a few weeks ago to see if it would make a difference but it hasn’t . I do have some algae growing on rocks and on the glass. It takes it a few days to grow back on the glass enough to notice it.

Corals seems to be doing ok but they aren’t growing really. My zoas have been the same amount of polyps on each one for quite awhile. LPS corals look fine but aren’t really growing.

Alk is always at 7.3 or 7.4 but that’s a whole different issue and not related to the imbalance between the nitrate and phosphate levels.

Anyone have any insight or suggestions on how to correct these issues?

Macro algae consumes nitrates, right?

Get rid of the Cheato until the system is producing excess nitrogen.

 

[Fishy_mcfish]

Macro algae consumes nitrates, right?

Get rid of the Cheato until the system is producing excess nitrogen.

My chaeto barely grows though. But I’ll see what I can do to get it out of the tank but still keep it alive and growing

 

[Dburr1014]

My nitrates have been stuck at 0 for some time now. I double checked with a different test kit as well and that came back as 0 as well. Only way I can raise them is dosing Neo nitro. My phosphate levels are .15 and were checked with a Hannah ulr.

System is a 40 gal breeder with a sump. I have chaeto in the sump. I unplugged skimmer a few weeks ago to see if it would make a difference but it hasn’t . I do have some algae growing on rocks and on the glass. It takes it a few days to grow back on the glass enough to notice it.

Corals seems to be doing ok but they aren’t growing really. My zoas have been the same amount of polyps on each one for quite awhile. LPS corals look fine but aren’t really growing.

Alk is always at 7.3 or 7.4 but that’s a whole different issue and not related to the imbalance between the nitrate and phosphate levels.

Anyone have any insight or suggestions on how to correct these issues?

If you're feeding your fish and you don't see anything dying I wouldn't get too hung up on raising nitrates.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you're feeding your fish and you don't see anything dying I wouldn't get too hung up on raising nitrates.

Seems unnecessarily risky to me.

 

[Dburr1014]

Seems unnecessarily risky to me.

Why?
I don't understand adding nitrates, the end product.

I have a Kole tang, a pair of clowns, a watchman goby and a pj cardinal. I feed almost every day, usually one frozen cube sometimes 2 cubes a day.

Seems like he's adding enough food, ammonium to feed the corals. Just need to work on lowering PO4 a tad.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Why?
I don't understand adding nitrates, the end product.


Seems like he's adding enough food, ammonium to feed the corals. Just need to work on lowering PO4 a tad.

I recommend several N source as suitable. Not just nitrate. Having some nitrate (whether it was dosed or came from ammonium or amino acids) ensures there is enough N, while not having any may be ok, or not.