Nitrates...what's the deal?

[GoVols]

26ml a day of vinegar keeps my nitrates around 5 - phosphates at .1
I have an overstocked 75 gallon and I do about a 20 gallon water change every 2 months.

Did you have to build up the dose slowly for your reef to adjust?

 

[canister guy]

Its what i have always used and felt more comfortable with taking on salt for the first time. I wasnt ready for a sump. Maybe in a year or 2 when move up some.

 

[ReefingwithO]

Did you have to build up the dose slowly for your reef to adjust?

I started carbon dosing from the day I set the tank up. I've done it in the past with success by slowly building up but I know I'm a heavy feeder so why not start from the beginning and have the system stabilized around carbon dosing instead of trying to fight nitrates later.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/

This article provides the general guidelines that I followed.

 

[Sandroni]

If you feed heavily and get 0 nitrates IMO your good. But, if you are seeing some NH4 you know it is working and you should remove it ofc.

 

[GoVols]

I started carbon dosing from the day I set the tank up. I've done it in the past with success by slowly building up but I know I'm a heavy feeder so why not start from the beginning and have the system stabilized around carbon dosing instead of trying to fight nitrates later.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-08/nftt/

This article provides the general guidelines that I followed.

My 4 year old reef doesn't not like carbon dosing but I've heard what your saying, that if you start from the beginning it can take more easily to the carbon dosing than converting an older reef over.