I think virtually everyone who starts a new tank with no live rock or sand runs into this issue.Kind of amazed by some of the responses about nitrate and all the people that actually dose nitrate (the stump destroyer one has always raised an eyebrow lol) and phosphate. I've had numerous tanks over the years and never had a low nitrate issue (or phosphate for that matter). Just curious the situation and cause. If I were to guess it would be people with mostly acro tanks chasing ultra low nutrients with little or no fish or other animals in the tank and minimal bio diversity?? Also going to guess no sandbed.