Should I Consider Dosing Nitrates?

Zach W · Nov 30, 2019

Interested to get some opinions on if I should dose nitrates into my system. I run an acro dominant reef and can’t seem to get detectable nitrates. From what I’ve seen nitrates in the ~5ppm range can enhance the color (and growth?) of acropora. Some background of my tank:

IM Fusion Nuvo 20
Ectotech Radion XR30 G4 Pro
Vortech MP10
NuvoSkim DC Skimmer
Jeabo DP-4 Doser

Running Passive Carbon
Dosing Aquaforest 1+2+3+
Dosing Acropower

Because I have such a small tank, and I have gotten into the high end acropora recently, most all of my pieces are just small frags still. I don’t notice and poor coloration and everything seems happy and healthy, just curious if I should consider boosting my nitrates? I haven’t done a WC in about 3.5weeks to see if I could get it up and when I tested my parameters this morning I was as follows

8.4 Alk (Hanna)
0.03 Phosphate (Hanna)
0 Nitrate (Nyos)
435 Calcium (Aquaforest)
1460 Magnesium (Salifert)

I feed LRS Reef Frenzy Nano daily and broadcast feed Reefroids once per week. I haven’t had detectable nitrates, at least on my kit, for a couple months and I’m wondering if I need to boost that up? Thanks!

Zach W · Nov 30, 2019

Also I have 3 fish, a clown, a royal gramma, and a bangaii cardinal. CUC is a mix of snails and hermits

LadyTang2 · Nov 30, 2019

I might confirm the levels with another test kit or ICP before dosing. If that confirms 0/undetectable then yes. I see ESV, the guys who make B Iconic, sell nitrate now. I'd shoot for 4ppm.

Zach W · Nov 30, 2019

That’s a good point, I should send out a ICP test. I was considering Brightwell NeoNitro as the nitrate source, but would you recommend the B-ionic instead?

LadyTang2 · Nov 30, 2019

Zach W said:
That’s a good point, I should send out a ICP test. I was considering Brightwell NeoNitro as the nitrate source, but would you recommend the B-ionic instead?

I'm sure they are all fine, but yes I'd use the ESV nitrate, again not a big deal both will work.

SeaDweller · Nov 30, 2019

Zach W said:
Also I have 3 fish, a clown, a royal gramma, and a bangaii cardinal. CUC is a mix of snails and hermits

I normally advocate just feeding heavy, but seeing how you only have 3 fish and probably feed them sparingly I'd either add more fish and feed more or dose like you're thinking, but au naturale is the best way.

Zach W · Nov 30, 2019

For my tank size I don’t have too much more room for more fish honestly

SeaDweller · Nov 30, 2019

Zach W said:
For my tank size I don’t have too much more room for more fish honestly

for 20 gallons? Im sure you could if you wanted to, but obviously not my tank. Then you either feed your current livestock more so they poop and make NH3 available (even thru respiration) or dose NO3 like youre thinking then cuz 0.000 ppm NO3 is no good.

You just need detectable levels. Until recently I ran 1.0 ppm NO3 and had and still have great colors. Alot of people run just detectable amounts, but throughput is what matters most: heavy import and export, hence just detectable amounts.

Currently my system is 10.0 ppm NO3 but that's because I just wiped out cyano in my tank, but I'll see if I can maintain this level or my system may take itself back to 1.0 ppm NO3.