Struggling to keep Nitrates higher than zero

[Hallowhead]

Howdy,

I have a IM 30 gallon AIO setup. I run a tunze 9001 skimmer (on a 4 hour schedule) and a media caddy with purigen and chemi pure blue. I also have small marine pure blocks in my return chamber.

I've been recommended removing some of my media however, I am nervous to do that. I don't wanna go to work one day and come home and everything is dead.. Guess I would like more confirmations on it being a good idea.

I do weekly water changes and I am wondering if I started waiting a little longer to do my water changes if that would help my nitrates rise a little more? My zoa's are not fully extended.

Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated.

 

[JoeD_]

I always get a little confused why folks who run skimmers/refugiums, etc can't figure out how to get nitrates higher... Just stop running the skimmer.. Feed your fish a little more.. Stop exporting nutrients!

 

[Hallowhead]

I always get a little confused why folks who run skimmers/refugiums, etc can't figure out how to get nitrates higher... Just stop running the skimmer.. Feed your fish a little more.. Stop exporting nutrients!

That's why I took my skimmer to a more infrequent schedule. On for 4 hours and than off for 4 hours. Maybe I will do even less? on 4 off 8?

 

[JoeD_]

That's why I took my skimmer to a more infrequent schedule. On for 4 hours and than off for 4 hours. Maybe I will do even less? on 4 off 8?

You probably don't even need a skimmer AT ALL on a 30g, especially when you are doing weekly water changes. I would start there, and even start feeding your corals something like reef roids or start feeding your fish more.

 

[panui22]

I’ve had this same issue for as long as I’ve had my tank set up (4 years). When I first set it up I had a skimmer, reactor running bio pellets, another running gfo and wondered why I had no nitrates. I slowly took everything off line besides my skimmer. I still had zero nitrates with only my skimmer running!so I set up my skimmer to only run for 4 hour period as well. Then I got cyano lol so the skimmer went back on full time. Eventually I stopped chasing the numbers and looked at my corals and they all seem to be happy and growing.

 

[Jake_the_reefer]

My nitrates are stuck at 0 as well.

 

[CCK_8814]

Mine were stuck at 0 so I started dosing Brightwell NeoNitro and am able to keep/maintain them at 5 or 10 depending how much I dose. Didn’t change anything else.

 

[Hallowhead]

I’ve had this same issue for as long as I’ve had my tank set up (4 years). When I first set it up I had a skimmer, reactor running bio pellets, another running gfo and wondered why I had no nitrates. I slowly took everything off line besides my skimmer. I still had zero nitrates with only my skimmer running!so I set up my skimmer to only run for 4 hour period as well. Then I got cyano lol so the skimmer went back on full time. Eventually I stopped chasing the numbers and looked at my corals and they all seem to be happy and growing.

Zero nitrates do not leed to happy corals !

I think I may run a smaller skimmer schedule or maybe one 8 hour run in 24 hours or maybe just 4 hours a day period

 

[Hallowhead]

Mine were stuck at 0 so I started dosing Brightwell NeoNitro and am able to keep/maintain them at 5 or 10 depending how much I dose. Didn’t change anything else.

I heard that dosing nitrates isn't your best option. That's why I have not yet

 

[CCK_8814]

I heard that dosing nitrates isn't your best option. That's why I have not yet

Might not be. But several other hobbyist friends of mine do it and like me have a lot of high end SPS dominated tanks. It’s working great for me and the big thing was not having to change anything else. As tanks become more established I think it goes hand and hand with nitrates becoming harder to get above 0.

 

[Hallowhead]

Might not be. But several other hobbyist friends of mine do it and like me have a lot of high end SPS dominated tanks. It’s working great for me and the big thing was not having to change anything else. As tanks become more established I think it goes hand and hand with nitrates becoming harder to get above 0.

I swapped my skimmer schedule a bit I'll be adding more fish this week.

I only have two clowns. I think having more bio load will help tremendously

 

[bigdrew]

I have a 64 gallon cube with a 20 gallon sump. I’ve been stuck at 0 nitrates since March...except yesterday, I finally recorded a 1/2 of a PPM. I setup the tank in February.

How’d I finally get a measurable level? I added 3 more fish, doubling from 3 to 6, and I shut off my skimmer for 3 days.

 

[Hallowhead]

I have a 64 gallon cube with a 20 gallon sump. I’ve been stuck at 0 nitrates since March...except yesterday, I finally recorded a 1/2 of a PPM. I setup the tank in February.

How’d I finally get a measurable level? I added 3 more fish, doubling from 3 to 6, and I shut off my skimmer for 3 days.

Fish are the answer !

 

[bigdrew]

Fish are the answer !

It certainly seems that the fish helped...that’s the only thing that has made a difference so far.

 

[JoeD_]

Yup more bioload. And there's no "studies" that prove it, but many many people anecdotally will say more fish poop = happier corals. You still may want to really dial down the skimmer to maybe even only running it 1-2 days a wk.

 

[Hallowhead]

Yup more bioload. And there's no "studies" that prove it, but many many people anecdotally will say more fish poop = happier corals. You still may want to really dial down the skimmer to maybe even only running it 1-2 days a wk.

Would you run it a full 24 hours on those days? Or only several hours on those days?

 

[JoeD_]

Would you run it a full 24 hours on those days? Or only several hours on those days?

That's something you'll have to flirt with yourself. Go 5 days without running your skimmer and see where it takes your nitrates. You are doing ample water changes, that is probably enough for nutrient exports in a 30g without ever having to skim. Remember, the paradigm about nutrients has really shifted over the past few years .. Undetectable = bad. A small amount = awesome for growth and colors. Like I said, you can flirt with it yourself and see where the sweet spot is in terms of how many nutrients will build up over 5 days of not running anything. You can also kind of take some anecdotal looks at your corals when you are getting X readings.

 

[Hallowhead]

That's something you'll have to flirt with yourself. Go 5 days without running your skimmer and see where it takes your nitrates. You are doing ample water changes, that is probably enough for nutrient exports in a 30g without ever having to skim. Remember, the paradigm about nutrients has really shifted over the past few years .. Undetectable = bad. A small amount = awesome for growth and colors. Like I said, you can flirt with it yourself and see where the sweet spot is in terms of how many nutrients will build up over 5 days of not running anything. You can also kind of take some anecdotal looks at your corals when you are getting X readings.

Do you think it would be smart to maybe try and do water changes every week and a half as opposed to once a week?

 

[EmdeReef]

Howdy,

I have a IM 30 gallon AIO setup. I run a tunze 9001 skimmer (on a 4 hour schedule) and a media caddy with purigen and chemi pure blue. I also have small marine pure blocks in my return chamber.

I've been recommended removing some of my media however, I am nervous to do that. I don't wanna go to work one day and come home and everything is dead.. Guess I would like more confirmations on it being a good idea.

I do weekly water changes and I am wondering if I started waiting a little longer to do my water changes if that would help my nitrates rise a little more? My zoa's are not fully extended.

Any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated.

I wish I had your problems
Feed more, if that doesn’t work, feed even more I overfeed and believe me even with multiple export methods it’s not easy to keep nutrients in check/low.

 

[Hallowhead]

I wish I had your problems
Feed more, if that doesn’t work, feed even more I overfeed and believe me even with multiple export methods it’s not easy to keep nutrients in check/low.

I feed mysis everyday - a very healthy amount !! It litters the ground however my nass snails gobble it up