Raising nitrate

[Perthegallon]

Hello guys so I just pulled out my carbon but I still have my skimmer and gfo on.
My nitrate is 0 but my phosphates are 0.14 any tips to raise the nitrate?

I’m thinking about buying a bunch of cromies

 

[Subsea]

Feeding more fish will raise both nitrates & phosphates. Most coral & macro would prefer ammonia instead of nitrate.

Add calcium nitrate to raise nitrate & calcium.

 

[Perthegallon]

Feeding more fish will raise both nitrates & phosphates. Most coral & macro would prefer ammonia instead of nitrate.

Add calcium nitrate to raise nitrate & calcium.

I don’t want to raise calcium though because I’m using black bucket Red Sea salt and I think that would make it go to high

 

[The_Paradox]

I don’t want to raise calcium though because I’m using black bucket Red Sea salt and I think that would make it go to high

Can’t you just dial back dosing to offset it? Either way depending on the size of your tank just dose something like NeoNitro until there you want it then calculate your daily consumption.

 

[Perthegallon]

Can’t you just dial back dosing to offset it? Either way depending on the size of your tank just dose something like NeoNitro until there you want it then calculate your daily consumption.

I mainly have frags so I don’t really have much calcium being used. I should start tracking it but I assume it’s not enough corals yet to consider it I attached a photo

 

[The_Paradox]

I mainly have frags so I don’t really have much calcium being used. I should start tracking it but I assume it’s not enough corals yet to consider it I attached a photo

Barring an outbreak of algae, dinos, etc, I would think if you’re bottoming out nitrate you’re pulling a decent bit of calcium. See a few acans in there. They are pretty big hogs. Also seeing some coralline. In my experience it’s the worst offender of calcium consumption.

 

[Perthegallon]

Barring an outbreak of algae, dinos, etc, I would think if you’re bottoming out nitrate you’re pulling a decent bit of calcium. See a few acans in there. They are pretty big hogs. Also seeing some coralline. In my experience it’s the worst offender of calcium consumption.

Never thought about that before that’s a really good assumption. Going to start tracking calcium now!

 

[Perthegallon]

Do you think I should start checking all yet or mag?

 

[The_Paradox]

Do you think I should start checking all yet or mag?

No one has ever said, “wish I didn’t have so many data sets” when trying to trouble shoot something.

 

[Spare time]

Keep the carbon, it isn't going to do anything with nitrates. put the skimmer on a timer with it off during the day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd dose either nitrate, ammonia, or amino acids.

 

[KStatefan]

I don’t want to raise calcium though because I’m using black bucket Red Sea salt and I think that would make it go to high

A 10 ppm increase in Nitrate will only add 3.2 ppm calcium using calcium nitrate.

 

[Perthegallon]

A 10 ppm increase in Nitrate will only add 3.2 ppm calcium using calcium nitrate.

What calcium nitrate do you reckons buying on Amazon?

 

[Perthegallon]

I'd dose either nitrate, ammonia, or amino acids.

I’m going to combine Amino acid with calcium nitrate if that sounds good?

 

[Spare time]

Why not just dose amino acids, unless you need the calcium?

 

[Perthegallon]

Why not just dose amino acids, unless you need the calcium?

my understanding is that it won’t raise nitrates? Or is this a good substitute for nitrate?

 

[DJF]

Dose initially and long run feed more and run gfo to get/keep phos down. In my experience frozen increases nitrates more then phos. .

 

[KStatefan]

What calcium nitrate do you reckons buying on Amazon?

I used Loudwolf.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m going to combine Amino acid with calcium nitrate if that sounds good?

Sounds fine to me.

 

[Pntbll687]

Seachem Nitrogen Flourish has ammonium and was easy to use for me in the past.

The one thing I did was dilute the solution down and dose over a longer period of time. This way the nitrate was slowly rising and not jumping up in large numbers.