WHY CAN'T I BUILD UP NITRATES?

[BanjoBandito]

Currently have a 80 gallon w/ 26 gallon sump - stocking with Tomini Tang, Neon Dottyback, 2 clowns and a foxface. Various CUC (conchs, urchin)...tanks been up and running for 3 months.....why can't I get nitrates? lol. I have a skimmer (it's been off for a week) and a scrubber (it's also been turned off for a week+) and my nitrates are low. I'm dosing to get to 5, but I'm just befuddled why I can't keep nitrates up? Anybody got any advice on how to build up nitrates? I've been feeding like crazy and my phos is high now that my skimmer/scrubber is off but my nitrates dropped off the map. I was usually around 10 but about 2 weeks ago it just disappeared. I assumed it was the scrubber doing too good a job, but with the equipment off I'm just confused how it's so low.

 

[Crabmanns aquatics]

Currently have a 80 gallon w/ 26 gallon sump - stocking with Tomini Tang, Neon Dottyback, 2 clowns and a foxface. Various CUC (conchs, urchin)...tanks been up and running for 3 months.....why can't I get nitrates? lol. I have a skimmer (it's been off for a week) and a scrubber (it's also been turned off for a week+) and my nitrates are low. I'm dosing to get to 5, but I'm just befuddled why I can't keep nitrates up? Anybody got any advice on how to build up nitrates? I've been feeding like crazy and my phos is high now that my skimmer/scrubber is off but my nitrates dropped off the map. I was usually around 10 but about 2 weeks ago it just disappeared. I assumed it was the scrubber doing too good a job, but with the equipment off I'm just confused how it's so low.

What test kit are you using? I've had api kits go bad on me and start either constantly reading really high or not at all. The scrubber is mostly going to take out po4 so i would turn that back on if its high.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Assure you’re not getting false readings which may Be the case if you’re using api test kits

 

[BanjoBandito]

I'm using a hanna HR checker and double checking it with a red sea kit....so I dunno. I think it's accurate.

 

[nereefpat]

My tanks have always dropped to near zero too. If I dose, they just drop. I attribute it to denitrification in the live rock.

 

[Crabmanns aquatics]

I'm using a hanna HR checker and double checking it with a red sea kit....so I dunno. I think it's accurate.

yeah id say that should be accurate. I just dealt with the exact opposite problem where my nitrate was always super high and no po4. I balanced it out through carbon dosing but im not sure that would work with your issue.

 

[Crabmanns aquatics]

I'm using a hanna HR checker and double checking it with a red sea kit....so I dunno. I think it's accurate.

you could try pulling any biomedia. It very well could be what nereefpat said and just completely converting to gas.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Currently have a 80 gallon w/ 26 gallon sump - stocking with Tomini Tang, Neon Dottyback, 2 clowns and a foxface...

You just don't have the ammonia input (from feeding fish and CUC) balanced with nitrogen reduction capacity you have built. Add more fish, feed them more. Until you can do that, dose nitrate daily as needed. The stuff you buy from the store is very dilute and expensive. Look up how to make and dose your own stock solution. It's cheap and easy.

FWIW, I now have 15 fish from 1.5" to more than 4" in my 90. I feed, at a minimum, 2 cubes of gut loaded Brine Shrimp, a 3/4" square of LRS, and some mussels daily. I still have to add nitrogen to the system daily just to maintain 2ppm nitrate.

 

[BanjoBandito]

You just don't have the ammonia input (from feeding fish and CUC) balanced with nitrogen reduction capacity you have built. Add more fish, feed them more. Until you can do that, dose nitrate daily as needed. The stuff you buy from the store is very dilute and expensive. Look up how to make and dose your own stock solution. It's cheap and easy.

FWIW, I now have 15 fish from 1.5" to more than 4" in my 90. I feed, at a minimum, 2 cubes of gut loaded Brine Shrimp, a 3/4" square of LRS, and some mussels daily. I still have to add nitrogen to the system daily just to maintain 2ppm nitrate.

DID THIS GUY SAY BUY MORE FISH!?!?!

 

[BanjoBandito]

You just don't have the ammonia input (from feeding fish and CUC) balanced with nitrogen reduction capacity you have built. Add more fish, feed them more. Until you can do that, dose nitrate daily as needed. The stuff you buy from the store is very dilute and expensive. Look up how to make and dose your own stock solution. It's cheap and easy.

FWIW, I now have 15 fish from 1.5" to more than 4" in my 90. I feed, at a minimum, 2 cubes of gut loaded Brine Shrimp, a 3/4" square of LRS, and some mussels daily. I still have to add nitrogen to the system daily just to maintain 2ppm nitrate.

I will take you up on that. Thank you for the input!

 

[BanjoBandito]

You just don't have the ammonia input (from feeding fish and CUC) balanced with nitrogen reduction capacity you have built. Add more fish, feed them more. Until you can do that, dose nitrate daily as needed. The stuff you buy from the store is very dilute and expensive. Look up how to make and dose your own stock solution. It's cheap and easy.

FWIW, I now have 15 fish from 1.5" to more than 4" in my 90. I feed, at a minimum, 2 cubes of gut loaded Brine Shrimp, a 3/4" square of LRS, and some mussels daily. I still have to add nitrogen to the system daily just to maintain 2ppm nitrate.

Just to double check, we are talking about stump remover right? Potassium nitrate?

 

[nereefpat]

Do you need more nitrates?
Are you having issues with corals, or algae problems?

Just to double check, we are talking about stump remover right? Potassium nitrate?

Food grade sodium nitrate is better, as to not throw off ratios of elements in the water.

 

[AquaGemCorals]

Currently have a 80 gallon w/ 26 gallon sump - stocking with Tomini Tang, Neon Dottyback, 2 clowns and a foxface. Various CUC (conchs, urchin)...tanks been up and running for 3 months.....why can't I get nitrates? lol. I have a skimmer (it's been off for a week) and a scrubber (it's also been turned off for a week+) and my nitrates are low. I'm dosing to get to 5, but I'm just befuddled why I can't keep nitrates up? Anybody got any advice on how to build up nitrates? I've been feeding like crazy and my phos is high now that my skimmer/scrubber is off but my nitrates dropped off the map. I was usually around 10 but about 2 weeks ago it just disappeared. I assumed it was the scrubber doing too good a job, but with the equipment off I'm just confused how it's so low.

My best guess is that the bacteria has grown to the size to eat all the nitrates. Best advise I can give is to dose more nitrates. I dose 10ml daily and my readings are around 5 ppm.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Do you need more nitrates?
Are you having issues with corals, or algae problems?

Food grade sodium nitrate is better, as to not throw off ratios of elements in the water.

I had some whispy dinos on my sand and checked my nitrates which turned out to be zero. So I didn't turn the lights on a few days and dosed microbacter7 and am doing low light periods now. I don't have dinos anymore, but I have that "modern reefer" fear of dinos so I'm trying to be mindful of nitrates. Phosphates are never a problem. They are always high if I don't do something about it. I had some turf algae show up too, so I'm sure some is bound up in that, but I'm just surprised with the bioload that they bottomed out. I'm just starting to place coral so I'm in a weird spot of "too much real estate for algae" and "nutrient control". I didn't really react to the turf algae though since my herbivores seem to like that much better than my seaweed...

 

[ReefGeezer]

Just to double check, we are talking about stump remover right? Potassium nitrate?

Potassium or sodium nitrate. Potassium builds up... good at the right levels, but bad if it gets too high. I think sodium nitrate is preferred. Either is easy to get on the interweb.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mine are low But stable and no complaints from fish and coral

 

[BanjoBandito]

you could try pulling any biomedia. It very well could be what nereefpat said and just completely converting to gas.

my pods! *grabs chest* but I may have to run little to no live rock in my sump!

Mine are low But stable and no complaints from fish and coral

It was a sudden drop in nitrates. Within a few days with no major changes or water change. I don’t add much outside of phyto. I try and manage most of my nutrients with small water changes. Not enough coral yet to dictate being nit picky. I’m trying to think what has happened to cause a “sudden change” as those usually meant “THIS IS BAD”. I just sent this tank up a few months back so I’m still getting to know it. “What is normal” is not known currently. Need more time and data. Phosphates are still runaway without interference with pre-cycled slightly cured rock. But I’m very lazy about it. I’ve met so many mixed reefers who almost done care about phosphate. Usually goes like this “you grow acros? No? You got algae? No? Who cares.”