Difficulty keeping Nitrates above 0

[mwil79]

I’ve edited my previous question, you may need to look at what you dosing and feeding to find the source of the problem one of the items will be high in carbon

I feed a mix of frozen and pellets.

I do use GAC in a media cup but I am not thinking thats the reasoning for it.


Reef Roids

INGREDIENTS: MARINE PLANKTONS​

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 60%
Crude Fat 20%
Crude Fiber 8%
Moisture 6%
Ash 6%

AquaVitro Fuel

fuel™ is a comprehensive carbohydrate, vitamin, amino acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and trace element supplement developed to address nutritional requirements commonly associated with corals. fuel™ contains ascorbic acid in a base of chlorella, which contains a rich assortment of amino acids and vitamins. The health benefits of chlorella are widely known and while spirulina, a similar algae, has been regularly used in the industry, aquavitro is the first to utilize the vastly superior chlorella. fuel™ is formulated to provide nutrients available from natural tropical reef waters.

Chlorella is a unique algae that grows in fresh water. It is extremely high in enzymes, vitamins and minerals, including the full vitamin-B Complex. It is over-flowing with unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and proteins. There are also vitamins found in Chlorella including: Vitamin C, pro-vitamin A (B-carotene), thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6), niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, Vitamin B12, biotin, choline, Vitamin K, lipoic acid, and inositol. Minerals in Chlorella include: phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, and copper. It contains a higher level of amino acids than spirulina and is FDA approved for use with ornamental fish.


Sera Marin Granules

Ingredients
fish meal, wheat gluten, wheat flour, wheat germ, Ca-caseinate, krill (6%), fish oil (containing 49% omega fatty acids), sea algae, brewers yeast, mannan oligosaccharides, spirulina, green-lipped mussel, stinging nettle, herbs, alfalfa, parsley, paprika, spinach, Haematococcus algae, carrots, garlic.
Analytical constituents
Crude Protein 54.8%, Crude Fat 7.8%, Crude Fiber 2.9%, Moisture 5.0%, Crude Ash 6.8%.
Additives
Vitamins and provitamins: Vit. A 30,000 IU/kg, Vit. D3 1,500 IU/kg, Vit. E (D, L-α-tocopheryl acetate) 60 mg/kg, Vit. B1 30 mg/kg, Vit. B2 90 mg/kg, stab. Vit. C (L-ascorbyl monophosphate) 550 mg/kg.


Emerald Entre and Frozen Brine does not mention anything about carbon.


I use the same food in all 3 of my tanks yet this is the only one with 0 nitrates. My 20g runs around 12-15ppm consistently with the same food and additives.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I feed a mix of frozen and pellets.

I do use GAC in a media cup but I am not thinking thats the reasoning for it.


Reef Roids

INGREDIENTS: MARINE PLANKTONS​

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein 60%
Crude Fat 20%
Crude Fiber 8%
Moisture 6%
Ash 6%

AquaVitro Fuel

fuel™ is a comprehensive carbohydrate, vitamin, amino acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and trace element supplement developed to address nutritional requirements commonly associated with corals. fuel™ contains ascorbic acid in a base of chlorella, which contains a rich assortment of amino acids and vitamins. The health benefits of chlorella are widely known and while spirulina, a similar algae, has been regularly used in the industry, aquavitro is the first to utilize the vastly superior chlorella. fuel™ is formulated to provide nutrients available from natural tropical reef waters.

Chlorella is a unique algae that grows in fresh water. It is extremely high in enzymes, vitamins and minerals, including the full vitamin-B Complex. It is over-flowing with unsaturated fatty acids, amino acids, and proteins. There are also vitamins found in Chlorella including: Vitamin C, pro-vitamin A (B-carotene), thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (B6), niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, Vitamin B12, biotin, choline, Vitamin K, lipoic acid, and inositol. Minerals in Chlorella include: phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iodine, magnesium, iron, and copper. It contains a higher level of amino acids than spirulina and is FDA approved for use with ornamental fish.


Sera Marin Granules

Ingredients
fish meal, wheat gluten, wheat flour, wheat germ, Ca-caseinate, krill (6%), fish oil (containing 49% omega fatty acids), sea algae, brewers yeast, mannan oligosaccharides, spirulina, green-lipped mussel, stinging nettle, herbs, alfalfa, parsley, paprika, spinach, Haematococcus algae, carrots, garlic.
Analytical constituents
Crude Protein 54.8%, Crude Fat 7.8%, Crude Fiber 2.9%, Moisture 5.0%, Crude Ash 6.8%.
Additives
Vitamins and provitamins: Vit. A 30,000 IU/kg, Vit. D3 1,500 IU/kg, Vit. E (D, L-α-tocopheryl acetate) 60 mg/kg, Vit. B1 30 mg/kg, Vit. B2 90 mg/kg, stab. Vit. C (L-ascorbyl monophosphate) 550 mg/kg.


Emerald Entre and Frozen Brine does not mention anything about carbon.


I use the same food in all 3 of my tanks yet this is the only one with 0 nitrates. My 20g runs around 12-15ppm consistently with the same food and additives.

if possible try and stop the aqua vitro fuel for a wile and see if that makes a difference, does the bottle has a chemical analysis on it? As I read it sounds like the main ingredient is an algae that normally are high in carbon, all the other foods seem reasonable normal.

As a example this

has a higher carbon content to this

 

[mwil79]

if possible try and stop the aqua vitro fuel for a wile and see if that makes a difference, does the bottle has a chemical analysis on it? As I read it sounds like the main ingredient is an algae that normally are high in carbon, all the other foods seem reasonable normal.

As a example this


has a higher carbon content to this

 

[mwil79]

Doh the picture went into your reply lol

 

[CoralB]

POOP!!! Is good ( I always wanted to say that ) reef kids is your friend . Mix it with oyster feast and Red Sea plus will help , just watch your phosphates. But yes your softies can eat up your nitrates. I use aquavitro fuel once a week and the Red Sea ab+ every day except when I use aquavitro fuel .

 

[mwil79]

POOP!!! Is good ( I always wanted to say that ) reef kids is your friend . Mix it with oyster feast and Red Sea plus will help , just watch your phosphates. But yes your softies can eat up your nitrates. I use aquavitro fuel once a week and the Red Sea ab+ every day except when I use aquavitro fuel .

Added 3 diah yesterday and increasing the feedings. What should I mix with oyster feast and ab plus? Reef kids? Or maybe roids autocorrect lol.

 

[CoralB]

Reef roids , benepets, actually any type of coral food that is high in nitrates . I like benepets cause it doesn’t raise the phosphates to much . Got to feed your tank . A guy once told me that “reef roids was your friend “ and my opinion he was right .
Oh and more poop (fish poop that is )

 

[Subsea]

@Subsea Just curious if you ever read this? I am getting to the point of needing to dose and definitely don't want to dose Ammonia from shoprite if you think its a bad idea

I have been dosing Austin Clear amonnia for more than 25 year. I buy 1G < $20 and it last for a year or more.

 

[frankieg2293]

I have this same issue in two tanks that each have no filter and no skimmer

Im having same problem I’m starting to think it’s my Hanna tester

 

[Chrisv.]

Im having same problem I’m starting to think it’s my Hanna tester

I've tested mine using traditional kits and get the same results. Not saying Hanna checkers can't have problems, but in my case I don't think that's it.

I have also added sodium nitrate solution and measured again and observed the expected change in nitrate.

 

[mwil79]

I am feeding more, added more fish so I'll see what my test results look like after this week. Also stopped using fuel in one of the two main tanks to make sure thats not the issue.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I had the same issue. Until my order of fish comes in ...I'm dosing some sodium nitrate. just a little brought me up to 5ppm...so I'm happy

 

[frankieg2293]

I had the same issue. Until my order of fish comes in ...I'm dosing some sodium nitrate. just a little brought me up to 5ppm...so I'm happy

Did you use a certain brand? (Sodium nitrate)

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Did you use a certain brand? (Sodium nitrate)

Amazon.....

Sodium Nitrate

 

[frankieg2293]

Amazon.....

Sodium Nitrate

What is the size of your tank and how are you dosing ?

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

100 Gallon with a 39 Sump (I calculate 100gallons due to rocks/sand). I use this calculator:

Nitrate Calculator

 

[mwil79]

100 Gallon with a 39 Sump (I calculate 100gallons due to rocks/sand). I use this calculator:

Nitrate Calculator

The calculator doesn't show sodium nitrate which is what you are dosing. Potassium Nitrate vs Ammonium Nitrate there is a difference in the two when calculating the amounts.


Edit:

Just found a post on R2R from Randy Holmes Farley:

"Pick the entry for potassium nitrate, and multiply the answer by 0.84 to get the dose needed (so 0.84 grams instead of 1.0 grams). "

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Yeah...sorry...forgot to mention / link the that correction factor.

 

[mwil79]

So about 2 weeks have gone by with increased feeding. 4 fish added to my 65 gallon making the total 10 fish and 3 fish added to my 50g making the total 6. I stopped using Fuel in the 50g and only did extra food and oyster feast. In the 65 I used Oyster Feast, Extra feedings and Fuel on occasion. Results... increase of .02 nitrates in both tanks. I mean it's something so maybe it will just take a little more time. I started to add some AB+ daily to both tanks to see if that helps. Going to check again over the weekend and see my results.

Oh no protein skimmer of refugium in the 50g and nothing to remove organics (gfo,purigen etc)
In the 65 I'm only running a protein skimmer but very very dry since I did increase the bioload quite a bit.

 

[sixty_reefer]

So about 2 weeks have gone by with increased feeding. 4 fish added to my 65 gallon making the total 10 fish and 3 fish added to my 50g making the total 6. I stopped using Fuel in the 50g and only did extra food and oyster feast. In the 65 I used Oyster Feast, Extra feedings and Fuel on occasion. Results... increase of .02 nitrates in both tanks. I mean it's something so maybe it will just take a little more time. I started to add some AB+ daily to both tanks to see if that helps. Going to check again over the weekend and see my results.

Oh no protein skimmer of refugium in the 50g and nothing to remove organics (gfo,purigen etc)
In the 65 I'm only running a protein skimmer but very very dry since I did increase the bioload quite a bit.

Happy to see that it’s working for you