Adding fish to raise nitrate?

[BuddyVanDoodle]

I need to find a way to raise my nitrates. 75 gallon tank with about a 30-some gallon sump. I have four smaller fish in it right now and about 20 frags. I thought about dosing and might try to go with brightwells neonitro to do so but according to their website it will also lower my phosphates at the same time. I do have a little turf algae and a little bubble algae. My Chaeto in my refugium is barely growing at all. So if I did start dosing nitrates is the algae going to eat it up before my corals get to it? Which are all mostly frags right now. About half and half LPS and SPS, and some zoas. I was thinking my other option would be to add more fish and over feed a little bit. I feel like it would be easier trying to get nitrates out than to add since I do water changes and have a slightly oversized skimmer with a refugium. So between those three are my methods of export as of right now.
Hanna checker is saying 0.02 ppm for phosphates and Red Sea is saying about 1 for nitrates. It can’t really be bottoming out if there is algae present in the tank so I’m assuming there is more phosphate than nitrate because my Chaeto would be growing a little faster if there was both right? So question is. Dose, add more fish, or keep searching for some underlying issue. Maybe dosing neonitro will help balance phosphate and nitrate while adding nitrates? Or will the extra waste from fish be more beneficial? And be honest if you think I already have too high NO3 and PO4 and I’m just getting a false reading in my texts. Just be gentle about it lol

 

[Billldg]

I would start by removing the Chaeto. If your N03 and P04 are low then a refugium isn't necessary. What type of fish do you have? My 3 tangs add more N03 and P04 in a day then my other fish combined for a month. Depending on which Hanna you have, the phosphate checker has a margin of error of .05 and the ULR has a margin of error of .03, so you may be at 0 ppm.

Remember, what ever you do, only do one thing at a time. That way you know if that exact action works or not.

Algae will actually cause low readings, depending on how much you have as they consume it and lock it up.

 

[BuddyVanDoodle]

I would start by removing the Chaeto. If your N03 and P04 are low then a refugium isn't necessary. What type of fish do you have? My 3 tangs add more N03 and P04 in a day then my other fish combined for a month. Depending on which Hanna you have, the phosphate checker has a margin of error of .05 and the ULR has a margin of error of .03, so you may be at 0 ppm.

Remember, what ever you do, only do one thing at a time. That way you know if that exact action works or not.

Algae will actually cause low readings, depending on how much you have as they consume it and lock it up.

I have 2 small clowns, a small dusky wrasse and a shmedium copperband. So by taking out the Chaeto won’t that just encourage the algae in the display?

 

[JustAnt]

I need to find a way to raise my nitrates. 75 gallon tank with about a 30-some gallon sump. I have four smaller fish in it right now and about 20 frags. I thought about dosing and might try to go with brightwells neonitro to do so but according to their website it will also lower my phosphates at the same time. I do have a little turf algae and a little bubble algae. My Chaeto in my refugium is barely growing at all. So if I did start dosing nitrates is the algae going to eat it up before my corals get to it? Which are all mostly frags right now. About half and half LPS and SPS, and some zoas. I was thinking my other option would be to add more fish and over feed a little bit. I feel like it would be easier trying to get nitrates out than to add since I do water changes and have a slightly oversized skimmer with a refugium. So between those three are my methods of export as of right now.
Hanna checker is saying 0.02 ppm for phosphates and Red Sea is saying about 1 for nitrates. It can’t really be bottoming out if there is algae present in the tank so I’m assuming there is more phosphate than nitrate because my Chaeto would be growing a little faster if there was both right? So question is. Dose, add more fish, or keep searching for some underlying issue. Maybe dosing neonitro will help balance phosphate and nitrate while adding nitrates? Or will the extra waste from fish be more beneficial? And be honest if you think I already have too high NO3 and PO4 and I’m just getting a false reading in my texts. Just be gentle about it lol

I am also considering dosing to raise my nitrates. Im not saying it’s right for your tank. But wanted to share that 2 people told me the product they dosed Was potassium nitrate from this source:

Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Aquarium Fertilizer - 1lb Jar

Shop Potassium Nitrate (KNO3) Aquarium Fertilizer (1lb Jar) for your planted aquarium aquascape. Brand: Green Leaf Aquariums (GLA). Orders ship fast worldwide and get free shipping on orders $125.

greenleafaquariums.com

im looking at adding more fish also as I have a light bio load

 

[JustAnt]

What test kit are you using to read your nitrates? I just ordered a new NYOS nitrate test kit to compare readings to my existing api nitrate test kit. I read positive reviews about the NYOS test kit which is y I chose it.

 

[Billldg]

Removing the Chaeto will allow the N03 and P04 to rise as that is what it consumes. Only having those fish, the bioload really isn't that much. Now knowing what fish you have, you could definitely add more fish to raise the N03 and P04. I have, but have never used NeoNitro, but I have used NeoPhos with good success. Now knowing something of your setup, I would add a fish or two to help raise your N03 and P04 as I like a more natural approach.

 

[BuddyVanDoodle]

What test kit are you using to read your nitrates? I just ordered a new NYOS nitrate test kit to compare readings to my existing api nitrate test kit. I read positive reviews about the NYOS test kit which is y I chose it.

I use Red Sea for nitrates

 

[BuddyVanDoodle]

I removed Chaeto so will update within a week

 

[jda]

Feed the fish more. What the corals are really after is nitrogen in the ammonia and ammonium, not the nitrate.

 

[RCS82]

Just get one of those nitrate factories people always talk about lol.

 

[Wtyson254]

You need to feed more and have more fish, I would dose aminos before dosing nitrate or phos.

 

[Wtyson254]

You need to feed more and have more fish, I would dose aminos before dosing nitrate or phos.

 

[t5Nitro]

My tank is similarly sized and I'm planning to add more fish for the same reason whenever I can find some locally. I've heard shipping is hit or miss for these priority overnights right now. Planning to increase fish load and feed more. I just put in my new skimmer today on my 75 and it seemed to have bypassed any break-in period, skim dark green skimmate, and return to the boiling water action where it seems to have removed whatever was available already within 2-3 hours. Tank has been without a skimmer for 1.5 weeks.

 

[splitting_lanes]

I removed Chaeto so will update within a week

Were you successful in getting the nitrates up?

 

[kwall737]

I removed Chaeto so will update within a week

How’d it go? I’m having similar problems in my 130 gal