Raising Nitrate

JOKER · Jul 1, 2014

Ok so results are as follows. Ran socks for 4.5 days. Changed 2 days ago. After adding gfo phosphate at .02 with hanna, nitrates tested with 3 kits. Elos showed at 1, api showed 5, red sea pro was a different color than on dial so im not sure. Looking for another nitrate test now may try salifert as I don't really like the red sea and api for sure are a pain with the leaking vials. Anyway I am thinking my nitrate has came up a bit after letting filters run a little longer and phosphate was controlled with gfo and few macro algae that survived. Now I plan to add few more fish. Plan to start feeding a little heavier as I have even fed more reef chili this week and everything seems to be doing good. Lets see where we are next week. Calcium was 450 alk is 8.7.

mcarroll · Jul 1, 2014

How'd the socks look after that long?

-Matt

JOKER · Jul 2, 2014

They were pretty dirty. lol. I think maybe my test kit was testing low. Was using the elos and had 0-1 with the others had like 5. I know api showed that anyways. Is the salifert any good on nitrates?

scoobysnack77 · Aug 23, 2014

JOKER said:
They were pretty dirty. lol. I think maybe my test kit was testing low. Was using the elos and had 0-1 with the others had like 5. I know api showed that anyways. Is the salifert any good on nitrates?

i test with the red sea nitrate kit and its normally spot on and easy to read.

JOKER · Aug 23, 2014

I have the red sea with the dial and do not like it. I think it is pro, I went with salifert and like it. The elos always read way low. Api seemed closer to the salifert. I am real close to 10 now and really happy with the colors. Much better than when was lower.

andress.martinez3 · Oct 15, 2014

My nitrate level is still high after water change, how else can I reduce it?

scoobysnack77 · Oct 15, 2014

JOKER said:
I have the red sea with the dial and do not like it. I think it is pro, I went with salifert and like it. The elos always read way low. Api seemed closer to the salifert. I am real close to 10 now and really happy with the colors. Much better than when was lower.

Yea, I had the opposite experience with the salifert nitrate kit because it only gives you a sliver of water to read the color and I found it difficult to read.

scoobysnack77 · Oct 15, 2014

andress.martinez3 said:
My nitrate level is still high after water change, how else can I reduce it?

you can come get my water change water lol. I have a hard time getting it to show on my test kit

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 15, 2014

andress.martinez3 said:
My nitrate level is still high after water change, how else can I reduce it?

How high is it, and what nutrient export methods do you currently use?

JOKER · Oct 15, 2014

It Is harder to read with the little water you use. I am still searching for the one I really like. Will try something different next time.

JOKER · Oct 15, 2014

Also what test kit you using? It isn't old is it. I had an old kit and it read differently than a new one.

andress.martinez3 said:
My nitrate level is still high after water change, how else can I reduce it?

Pete polyp · Oct 16, 2014

I ended up using kno3 to bring up my nitrate.

JOKER · Oct 16, 2014

I skimped on water changes and ran dirty socks. Am back to my weekly water changes. Mine is hovering around 10ppm now and things look better. The sps have colored up more, I think the nitrate and changes to my led setting are working well for me.