No Filtration...0 Nitrates

[samrggzy]

So I have been running a 32 gallon biocube for about a year which has been fairly successful. I had a long and difficult battle with dinos for a few months which I eventually won. I knew that the reason I had the dinos was bottoming out of my nitrates and phosphates which had both reached 0.00. So fast forward to now the tank is looking better and clearer than ever and I couldn't be happier. Just to go over my livestock I have a clown, royal gramma, midas blenny and about a dozen snails, no corals yet. In order to avoid another dino outbreak I have stripped back my filtration to pretty much nothing, no skimmer, no bio or chemical media, just filter floss and a 15% water change every two weeks and the tank looks great. The only thing is even with the complete lack of filtration I have still been getting 0.00 nitrate readings for the last month or so. My phosphates have been consistently good at 0.02-0.05 but the lack of nitrates has me a bit worried about another possible dino outbreak and I just dont know what else I can do since I have already stripped all the filtration. All input is appreciated, thank you guys.

 

[Saltyreef]

If it looks good and stuff is thriving.....do nothing.

I ran an amazing tank that had no detectible nitrate and .02 phoshate.
As soon as i dosed nitrates to "try something different"
The tank came spiraling down over the course of 2 years.

 

[dedragon]

I just dose a little bit of nitrate, but what are you using to test nitrate?

 

[dedragon]

yea u have to dose very little nitrate or bad things happen

 

[samrggzy]

I just dose a little bit of nitrate, but what are you using to test nitrate?

Hanna nitrate checker

 

[samrggzy]

If it looks good and stuff is thriving.....do nothing.

I ran an amazing tank that had no detectible nitrate and .02 phoshate.
As soon as i dosed nitrates to "try something different"
The tank came spiraling down over the course of 2 years.

Definitely dont want that to happen, I will just keep a close eye on it and if I see something that doesn't look right, I will take action, thank you.

 

[JNalley]

So I have been running a 32 gallon biocube for about a year which has been fairly successful. I had a long and difficult battle with dinos for a few months which I eventually won. I knew that the reason I had the dinos was bottoming out of my nitrates and phosphates which had both reached 0.00. So fast forward to now the tank is looking better and clearer than ever and I couldn't be happier. Just to go over my livestock I have a clown, royal gramma, midas blenny and about a dozen snails, no corals yet. In order to avoid another dino outbreak I have stripped back my filtration to pretty much nothing, no skimmer, no bio or chemical media, just filter floss and a 15% water change every two weeks and the tank looks great. The only thing is even with the complete lack of filtration I have still been getting 0.00 nitrate readings for the last month or so. My phosphates have been consistently good at 0.02-0.05 but the lack of nitrates has me a bit worried about another possible dino outbreak and I just dont know what else I can do since I have already stripped all the filtration. All input is appreciated, thank you guys.

Pics of the tank might help. It could be something you're unaware of is stripping the nitrates, sponges, algae, etc. But it's hard to say. In a filterless (floss only) tank, there should be some detectable amount of Nitrate... is the Hanna high range or low range?

 

[Acros]

I would dose nitrates. Just enough to bring it up to 2ppm. Dinos are scary.

 

[samrggzy]

Pics of the tank might help. It could be something you're unaware of is stripping the nitrates, sponges, algae, etc. But it's hard to say. In a filterless (floss only) tank, there should be some detectable amount of Nitrate... is the Hanna high range or low range?

its the Low Range hanna checker

 

[Acros]

I use only filter floss and had the same issue of 0 nitrates followed by dinos.

Edit: In my case, the dinos were caused by a dose of fluconazole followed by chemiclean. I noticed 0 nitrates with detectable phosphates once dinos took hold of the tank. Didn’t mean to scare you. Haha

 

[dedragon]

use brightwell neo nitro or seachem flourish nitrogen if you want to increase the nitrate levels, just go very slow

 

[Saltyreef]

I use only filter floss and had the same issue of 0 nitrates followed by dinos.

Edit: In my case, the dinos were caused by a dose of fluconazole followed by chemiclean. I noticed 0 nitrates with detectable phosphates once dinos took hold of the tank. Didn’t mean to scare you. Haha

Lol thats not only using filterfloss tho.
Thats chemical filtration....lol.

 

[Acros]

Lol thats not only using filterfloss tho.
Thats chemical filtration....lol.

I am not sure if fluconazole and chemiclean qualify as chemical filtration. There are more so cures for specific problems.

 

[dank reefer]

Increase your feedings +1 a day and then check nitrates after 1 week and see if they are noticeable. I would also try a different test lit just to be on the same side just to make sure that its not the Hanna that is giving you false readings.

 

[dedragon]

Increase your feedings +1 a day and then check nitrates after 1 week and see if they are noticeable. I would also try a different test lit just to be on the same side just to make sure that its not the Hanna that is giving you false readings.

honestly I doubt it, its hard to get better than the low range nitrate checker unless you want to go neptune trident or other machine operated unit. Neonitro or flourish nitrogen would allow for a more controlled nitrate dosing and it is super cheap. It could also help to validate the hanna checker by testing some nitrate in a glass of freshly mixed saltwater

 

[dedragon]

its just soo cheap

 

[dank reefer]

honestly I doubt it, its hard to get better than the low range nitrate checker unless you want to go neptune trident or other machine operated unit. Neonitro or flourish nitrogen would allow for a more controlled nitrate dosing and it is super cheap. It could also help to validate the hanna checker by testing some nitrate in a glass of freshly mixed saltwater

I would still test with a different test kit just to be on the safe side. Hanna reagents do go bad even though they when they haven't expired.

 

[samrggzy]

I would still test with a different test kit just to be on the safe side. Hanna reagents do go bad even though they when they haven't expired.

I have also used the nitate test that comes in the Red Sea starter kit and still no detectable nitrate.

 

[gbroadbridge]

So I have been running a 32 gallon biocube for about a year which has been fairly successful. I had a long and difficult battle with dinos for a few months which I eventually won. I knew that the reason I had the dinos was bottoming out of my nitrates and phosphates which had both reached 0.00. So fast forward to now the tank is looking better and clearer than ever and I couldn't be happier. Just to go over my livestock I have a clown, royal gramma, midas blenny and about a dozen snails, no corals yet. In order to avoid another dino outbreak I have stripped back my filtration to pretty much nothing, no skimmer, no bio or chemical media, just filter floss and a 15% water change every two weeks and the tank looks great. The only thing is even with the complete lack of filtration I have still been getting 0.00 nitrate readings for the last month or so. My phosphates have been consistently good at 0.02-0.05 but the lack of nitrates has me a bit worried about another possible dino outbreak and I just dont know what else I can do since I have already stripped all the filtration. All input is appreciated, thank you guys.

I'd dose nitrates.

Food grade Sodium Nitrate or Potassium Nitrate from ebay diluted appropriately.

James' Planted Tank - Dosing Calculator

Essentially 16.3g of Potassium Nitrate disolved in 100ml of RO/DI water will give you a dosing solution solution where 1ml of solution will raise Nitrate by 1ppm in 100l of tank water.

That's what I use and is Super cheap and easy.

The Postassium added is not really significant unless you dose LOTS.

 

[dank reefer]

Can you post a picture of your tank?