Nitrates

nycjwi · Nov 2, 2022

I have a 200 gallon tank that I set up about a year ago WITHOUT live rock. Tank cycled normally and currently have 5 tangs, 3 anthias and 3 Blue Damsels and very little coral. I do have Coraline algae growing. No matter how much I feed I cannot really get a nitrate reading but my phosphates go off the charts when Im feeding a lot. I have resorted to dosing nitrates and I am not getting a reading. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why I cannot get a nitrate reading without dosing them? I also am only dosing 2.5mg so not much to actually trigger a reading. if my phosphates levels didn't spike I would chalk it up to the fact that I have strong bacteria concentration consuming nutrients, but that is not the case.
Greatly appreciate any thoughts.

Gatorpa · Nov 2, 2022

nycjwi said:
I have a 200 gallon tank that I set up about a year ago WITHOUT live rock. Tank cycled normally and currently have 5 tangs, 3 anthias and 3 Blue Damsels and very little coral. I do have Coraline algae growing. No matter how much I feed I cannot really get a nitrate reading but my phosphates go off the charts when Im feeding a lot. I have resorted to dosing nitrates and I am not getting a reading. Does anyone have any thoughts as to why I cannot get a nitrate reading without dosing them? I also am only dosing 2.5mg so not much to actually trigger a reading. if my phosphates levels didn't spike I would chalk it up to the fact that I have strong bacteria concentration consuming nutrients, but that is not the case.
Greatly appreciate any thoughts.

Are you doing anything to lower the PO4?
What does the PO4 run?

The dead rock may have been PO4 laden and is leeching it faster than is being used .

A 200 gallon tank may need more dosing than what you are doing.
How often do you does the NO3? How often do you test the NO3?

What other filtration do you have? Refugium? Skimmer? Algae scrubber?

bnord · Nov 2, 2022

That’s not a whole lot of fish for the 200 gallon, particularly without a lot of corals and other things passing waste. Sounds like the PO4 is indeed coming out of the rock as the above suggested.
more organisms in there generating more waste and more food for those additional organisms, and GFO to get the phosphate down

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 3, 2022

How are you measuring nitrate and do you know if the test it working?

Surojit.bhaduri · Nov 3, 2022

Hello folks, I have a 170G mixed reef tank that is now about 8 months old. I have been dealing with cynos, then dynos, and now diatoms

Doing weekly water changes (about 15-20%).
My question is around phosphate and nitrate. my levels are 0.03 and 0 respectively. With the diatoms, I was thinking nitrate levels would be higher, but apparently not. any suggestions please on how to maybe level up the nitrate and to what range?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 4, 2022

Surojit.bhaduri said:
Hello folks, I have a 170G mixed reef tank that is now about 8 months old. I have been dealing with cynos, then dynos, and now diatoms Doing weekly water changes (about 15-20%).
My question is around phosphate and nitrate. my levels are 0.03 and 0 respectively. With the diatoms, I was thinking nitrate levels would be higher, but apparently not. any suggestions please on how to maybe level up the nitrate and to what range?

Why are you doing such extensive water changes?

Can you clarify what exactly is in the tank, and how you have identified diatoms and do you currently ahve dinos?

If the current issue really is diatoms, removing any source of silicate is generally suitable.

Surojit.bhaduri · Nov 4, 2022

I will try to respond the above questions:
- Why such water change volume - I don't know any better, I am new and read up on the internet to do weekly water changes to keep it fresh and get rid of the algae or other problems.
- What do I have - 4 green chromis, 1 red clown, 1 blue belly trigger, 1 cardinal. Few frags - like zooanthis, couple of LPS, none of them really big yet. Live rock, live sand. Filtration - 1 protein skimmer, socks, some active carbon.
- Diatoms - identified by the brown color, internet lookup, looks similar to the videos I have seen. coats up the walls, and the rocks. I initially thought it was green hair algae, but later realized it was not.

Here are my latest nutrient levels - salinity 1.025, alkalinity - 8.4, calcium - 403, nitrate - 0, phosphate - 0.03.

Gatorpa · Nov 4, 2022

Surojit.bhaduri said:
I will try to respond the above questions:
- Why such water change volume - I don't know any better, I am new and read up on the internet to do weekly water changes to keep it fresh and get rid of the algae or other problems.
- What do I have - 4 green chromis, 1 red clown, 1 blue belly trigger, 1 cardinal. Few frags - like zooanthis, couple of LPS, none of them really big yet. Live rock, live sand. Filtration - 1 protein skimmer, socks, some active carbon.
- Diatoms - identified by the brown color, internet lookup, looks similar to the videos I have seen. coats up the walls, and the rocks. I initially thought it was green hair algae, but later realized it was not.

Here are my latest nutrient levels - salinity 1.025, alkalinity - 8.4, calcium - 403, nitrate - 0, phosphate - 0.03.

Based on those numbers you don’t need to do water changes.

Warer of time and monkeying IMHO

Can you post some pictures under full spectrum lighting?