Overfeed Like Crazy Still No Nitrate

[reeftankdude]

My nitrates are at zero using the API test. My phosphates are between 0.01 and 0.03 using the Salifert test. My corals look puffy and happy. Thinking about these three products or should I just let it alone?

 

[DE FISH]

Yes dose! bringing your nitrate up will lower your po4 so you will need to dose both

 

[DE FISH]

How old is the tank ?

 

[reeftankdude]

How old is the tank ?

Nine months.

 

[DE FISH]

Nine months.

Ok personally I’d get your numbers up unless your planing on running a ulns

 

[Garf]

My nitrates are at zero using the API test. My phosphates are between 0.01 and 0.03 using the Salifert test. My corals look puffy and happy. Thinking about these three products or should I just let it alone?

I have an issue with API nitrate kits, ie. they are all over the show. I’d get a better nitrate kit first.

 

[DE FISH]

I have an issue with API nitrate kits, ie. they are all over the show. I’d get a better nitrate kit first.

I agree missed that Best bang for your buck is going to be salifert.

 

[reeftankdude]

I decided to do is buy a Salifert nitrate test kit before dosing anything. Besides my corals are looking good, and sea water nitrate is 0.7ppm.

SUE - Contents

web.stanford.edu

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For dosing, my recommendation is food grade sodium nitrate (calcium nitrate is good but hard to find). and food grade sodium or potassium nitrate.

I recommend against potassium nitrate of any quality unless you carefully monitor potassium, and not stump remover at all.

The Brightwell products are expensive and of unknown purity and composition.

 

[taricha]

My phosphates are between 0.01 and 0.03 using the Salifert test. My corals look puffy and happy. Thinking about these three products or should I just let it alone?

It's possible to get test kits that hobbyists trust more, and might be able to be more precise/accurate about your NO3 & PO4. (We love arguing about test kits!)

...But the kits are good enough to say you have a small but detectable amount of PO4, and undetectable NO3. And your corals are happy.
None of that sounds like an issue that needs a correction.

 

[Dan_P]

My nitrates are at zero using the API test. My phosphates are between 0.01 and 0.03 using the Salifert test. My corals look puffy and happy. Thinking about these three products or should I just let it alone?

Use food grade sodium nitrate. You will be less likely to add unknown chemicals to your system.

 

[Dierks]

Add more fish!! That would be your natural solution, and its a fun one too.

 

[reeftankdude]

Add more fish!! That would be your natural solution, and its a fun one too.

Yes it would be.

 

[reeftankdude]

Add more fish!! That would be your natural solution, and its a fun one too.

Yes it would be.

For dosing, my recommendation is food grade sodium nitrate (calcium nitrate is good but hard to find). and food grade sodium or potassium nitrate.

I recommend against potassium nitrate of any quality unless you carefully monitor potassium, and not stump remover at all.

The Brightwell products are expensive and of unknown purity and composition.

cool

 

[Spare time]

If you have heavy import of some form of nitrogen (heavy feeding for example), then no you don't need to. This is how I run my tank with around 0-2ppm nitrate)

If you do dose, I would go with aminos over nitrate.

 

[HB AL]

If your corals are happy why mess with it? I would do what I do and "KISS". You start dosing different things next thing you know your corals start going downhill and the spiral continues, if there's nothing wrong with the tank just keep doing what your doing now.

 

[geckoejon]

Personally I would dose before you have an issue…

my nutrients bottomed out and my corals / sps looked great for a month or two… then half of them grayed out & died… I also got Cyano from low nutrients... I’ve been dosing neophos & neonitro for a month now. cyano is 90% gone & the sps that is still alive is coloring up again…

just my $0.02, but I’m no expert

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If your corals are happy why mess with it? I would do what I do and "KISS". You start dosing different things next thing you know your corals start going downhill and the spiral continues, if there's nothing wrong with the tank just keep doing what your doing now.

One good reason is to reduce the risk of dinos.

 

[Heabel7]

I used this sodium nitrate from Amazon. Mixed fantastic into 1 gallon of RODI. Same as you. I Could not get my nitrates up no matter how much I fed. This did it, raised it just a bit and 2 weeks later I already have a small increase in growth and coloration in my SPS. It’s small but noticeable. Also Hanna nitrate tester was the way to go for me. All the other hobby grade test were all over the place. Hanna said zero repeatedly. Added above solution and BAM I had a reading. Just an FYI for those that may be searching for information on this topic….Increasing my nitrates made my cyano that I already have go NUTS. Raising nitrates was a proposed solution after trying to go natural for well over 6 months. In shame I resorted to chemi clean. BUT, tank looks great so far and getting better poly extension after treatment.

 

[HB AL]

One good reason is to reduce the risk of dinos.

Ya I get that, I just have never had dinos, we'll maybe before the internet existed. Probably just thought it was algae. But with all the big poopers I've always kept zero nitrates has never been a problem .