It's pretty easy to tell when my system hits too low for nitrates, the acro all lose color, purple and green fades out to almost white. I regularly dose nitrate if/when I notice them losing color. No debate about it, it's very clear when it happens and dosing nitrate clearly colors them back up with effects seen overnight. My friend has the same situation, dosed nitrate and his green slimer finally colored up from pale lime to nice dark green.
Yes, NSW has very little nitrate detectable. Reefs also have a near constant supply of food that the corals eat. Our tanks are not reefs, they never will be, while NSW values were a great place to start, it is very clear there are many other factors in the wild we cannot replicate in our systems.
Yes, NSW has very little nitrate detectable. Reefs also have a near constant supply of food that the corals eat. Our tanks are not reefs, they never will be, while NSW values were a great place to start, it is very clear there are many other factors in the wild we cannot replicate in our systems.