Nitrates

[NicksMixedReef]

Your lfs sells water with a tds of over 100? I'd seriously call them out on that

 

[SouL_Shaker]

I'm having some problem with nitrate as well. But the problem is nitrate is always 0 ppm ever since I have set the aquarium up. The tank is 8 months old. I wonder if anybody knew how to increase nitrates.

 

[NicksMixedReef]

I'm having some problem with nitrate as well. But the problem is nitrate is always 0 ppm ever since I have set the aquarium up. The tank is 8 months old. I wonder if anybody knew how to increase nitrates.

I've never had nitrates in my system either, for four years.

 

[SouL_Shaker]

I've never had nitrates in my system either, for four years.

Lps needs po4 and no3. I'm looking for the way which will increase the levels of po4 and no3.

Feeding much doesn't work. Always 0 ppm both.

 

[NicksMixedReef]

I have a bunch of chalices and zoas in my tank. I only feed acropower and haven't had any problems

 

[SouL_Shaker]

I have a bunch of chalices and zoas in my tank. I only feed acropower and haven't had any problems

The fish store told me increasing the no3 and po4 levels. When I showed him the tank , he'd asked my no3 and po4 levels. I told him both were 0 ppm. Warned me adding some tang fish.

So no clue.

 

[kevinsmixed90]

Yes, I'd love to know where they come from. It's not from my RO/DI, I am a stingy feeder, I target feed the corals, weekly water changes, replace carbon twice a month, use bio pellets both in reactors, test for nitrates with a salifert test kit, all I can come up with is my sand bed is around 5 inches in the back of the tank and goes down to 3 inches in the front. Have 50 plus nessarius snails, sand sifting starfish numerous hermits etc. vacuum the gravel with the water changes and never get below 50 on the test kit. Going to try the vodka method starting Monday and hope I finally see a drop. would love to keep some higher end sps but not until nitrates are down

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Lps needs po4 and no3. I'm looking for the way which will increase the levels of po4 and no3.

Feeding much doesn't work. Always 0 ppm both.

Feeding a sufficient amount should work without a doubt. Just feed more and more fish food if you believe your kits (whether you have fish or not).

 

[SouL_Shaker]

Feeding a sufficient amount should work without a doubt. Just feed more and more fish food if you believe your kits (whether you have fish or not).

I feed 10 times a day. Always 0 ppm . I doubt if it was working.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I feed 10 times a day. Always 0 ppm . I doubt if it was working.

Well, it cannot "not work" it you add enough of the right thing.

What exactly are you feeding 10 times a day and how much?

 

[SouL_Shaker]

Well, it cannot "not work" it you add enough of the right thing.

What exactly are you feeding 10 times a day and how much?

They suggested me feeding with cabbages. They said it would increase high level of phosphate and nitrates. So far it didn't work.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You are feeding the vegetable, cabbage?

I'd just use a fish food.

 

[SouL_Shaker]

You are feeding the vegetable, cabbage?

I'd just use a fish food.

Yes . I serve freezed shrimp for my anemone every two days also.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

More finely chopped shrimp is a good plan, as would be a prepared fish food.

I personally wouldn't keep adding cabbage.

 

[SouL_Shaker]

More finely chopped shrimp is a good plan, as would be a prepared fish food.

I personally wouldn't keep adding cabbage.

I'll try.[emoji4]

 

[glb]

My TDS from my RO =0. When I go to LFS theres is usally between 110-200, not much for RO if you ask me. I'm at a loss for the reasons. Maybe its just the API test kit not reading it right ?[/

It's possible that you have a testing problem. API's not too accurate and maybe you have a bad test kit. I use salifert for nitrates. It's much more accurate and not too expensive. How is the tank overall? If everything looks ok then I'd say your test result was wrong.

 

[kendavjac]

I battled with high nitrates for months until I tried a different test kit. Turns out that mine had expired months before.

 

[SouL_Shaker]

I battled with high nitrates for months until I tried a different test kit. Turns out that mine had expired months before.

I have several test kits. Nothing difference. Eventually I borrowed aquarium shop's test kit , it also marked the solution as 0 ppm.

 

[OldDoc]

How high are the nitrates, what test kit are you using?

I had the same problem but mine where so high they would not come down using vodka, Bioppellets and or NOPOX. So what I did was lower them first with huge water changes to about 8-10ppm nitrates using RED SEA with the new powder reagents, it's more sensitive than earlier Read Sea and definitely API. Afterwards ran NOPOX to keep it below 5ppm up to 1ppm . On phosphates I control them with lanthanum chloride, injected into skimmer with a dosing pump.

Tank is 460 gallons with 65 gal refugium, currently upgrading sump/Refugium to 300 gallon.

The Red Sea and API kits give different readings because they measure different things. To compare them,either multiply the Red Sea value by ~4, or multiply the API reading by ~ 0.23.