When to dose Nitrate

[homer1475]

Leave a dirty sock in for a few extra days. Guaranteed to increase nitrates.

Also, 0 nitrates isn't necessarily a bad thing. As long as you have biomass to uptake the excess nitrates.

If you don't want to dose nitrates(no idea why not? Neonitro from brightwell is an easy way to start), adding more fish, or just feeding more and allowing it to rot creating ammonia is a good way(more ammonia, more nitrates after it's broken down).

 

[HTXReefer]

went and bought the Hannah low range Nitrate tester today and tested again. Now I have .17ppm of nitrates in the tank. I have also bought the stuff to start dosing nitrates. What is a safe amount to raise my nitrates up to at a time. I am going to use my Red Sea doser’s 4th head to dose.

 

[X-37B]

If your not having issues dont change a thing.
My 120 ran for almost a year before nitrates were measurable.
They slowly increased over time as fish and corals were added.
I have 15 fish and feed 8-10 cubes a day so heavy in/out.

Remember that no3 and po4 that we measure are what our export system is not removing.

Currently your system is very efficiant.

I would feed more!

 

[t5Nitro]

Your tank and mine sound very similar. Mine is 21 months, although completely dry set up and bare bottom. Did have measurable nitrates to around 40 when it was newer. GHA became a major problem and nutrients bottomed to 0 and 0 and had very difficult time raising the numbers. My skimmer is way overrated for the 75g tank (lifereef SVS24). I also had filter socks, monthly carbon change, and an AWC system that changed out 1% daily.

Backtrack about 4-6 months -- I stopped using filter socks completely and change the carbon yet about once a month. I quit doing water changes. I dose all for reef so I had no need to replace minerals that way. Then in the past 1 week I am leaving my skimmer on 24/7 for gas exchange benefits, but I have the drain hose and line opened to re-enter the sump if it does accumulate (granted I had not had to drain the skimmer cup much at all even if the valve was closed, must be running it very dry to begin with).

I have 2 5" tangs, 2 clowns, 1 sixline and 1 chromis in this tank. Nitrates continue to stay 0. Phosphate stays around 0.04 by hanna ULR at the end of the photoperiod. There is certainly an algae problem still but not anywhere what it used to be, but I know the nutrients are consumed in the algae. But I'd been continuing to dose 1-2ppm nitrates daily and 1ppm phosphates daily. The corals look the best with dosing in my system. Not sure if that helps at all. Just sounds like our systems are pretty similar, although you have 0 nutrients and no algae. Following.

 

[HTXReefer]

If your not having issues dont change a thing.
My 120 ran for almost a year before nitrates were measurable.
They slowly increased over time as fish and corals were added.
I have 15 fish and feed 8-10 cubes a day so heavy in/out.

Remember that no3 and po4 that we measure are what our export system is not removing.

Currently your system is very efficiant.

I would feed more!

Over the the past few weeks I have gone from feeding once a day to 3 as well as feeding coral either reef chili or oyster feast

 

[HTXReefer]

Your tank and mine sound very similar. Mine is 21 months, although completely dry set up and bare bottom. Did have measurable nitrates to around 40 when it was newer. GHA became a major problem and nutrients bottomed to 0 and 0 and had very difficult time raising the numbers. My skimmer is way overrated for the 75g tank (lifereef SVS24). I also had filter socks, monthly carbon change, and an AWC system that changed out 1% daily.

Backtrack about 4-6 months -- I stopped using filter socks completely and change the carbon yet about once a month. I quit doing water changes. I dose all for reef so I had no need to replace minerals that way. Then in the past 1 week I am leaving my skimmer on 24/7 for gas exchange benefits, but I have the drain hose and line opened to re-enter the sump if it does accumulate (granted I had not had to drain the skimmer cup much at all even if the valve was closed, must be running it very dry to begin with).

I have 2 5" tangs, 2 clowns, 1 sixline and 1 chromis in this tank. Nitrates continue to stay 0. Phosphate stays around 0.04 by hanna ULR at the end of the photoperiod. There is certainly an algae problem still but not anywhere what it used to be, but I know the nutrients are consumed in the algae. But I'd been continuing to dose 1-2ppm nitrates daily and 1ppm phosphates daily. The corals look the best with dosing in my system. Not sure if that helps at all. Just sounds like our systems are pretty similar, although you have 0 nutrients and no algae. Following.

Ours do sound similar for sure. I stopped my AWC yesterday and have been running the skimmer 12 hours a day and feeding heavier. Going to start testing every couple of days instead of weekly to see if anything starts climbing. Don’t want to do too much at one time. If in a couple of weeks I don’t see any raise in nitrates I’ll start dosing. But have it setup and ready to go if/when the time comes.

 

[X-37B]

Over the the past few weeks I have gone from feeding once a day to 3 as well as feeding coral either reef chili or oyster feast

A note: I never feed my coral just the fish and the fish keep the corals healthy and fed.

 

[HTXReefer]

A note: I never feed my coral just the fish and the fish keep the corals healthy and fed.

Historically I haven’t either. Just trying everything I can to raise nitrates without dosing.

 

[X-37B]

I would also cut back on WC to maybe 1g a day or less.
I do 10% 12gs every 2 months.

 

[HTXReefer]

I would also cut back on WC to maybe 1g a day or less.
I do 10% 12gs every 2 months.

I shut off my AWC for now. So I will see how this goes when I get the nutrients up and figure out how much I’ll change then

 

[bobnicaragua]

Sounds like your tank is doing fine and maybe starting to hit its stride. I would consider feeding a little heavier, and staying the course.