I can't raise my nitrates

[Chlorinated]

Hi All,

Some background- I have an IM nuvo 20, about 6 years old now. Well established with 2 clowns, lots of softies and LPS and a few SPS mixed in. Only dosing is kalk. Biweekly water changes of 4-5 gallons with RS Blue bucket. Daily feeding with TDO pellets.

Salinity 1.026
PH 8.0
KH 8.8
Cal 420
Mg ?
nitrate 0
Phosphate 0.08

For the last year or so I have been getting on and off bacterial blooms. Not the traditional type where the water is clouded, but a version that coats my glass and filters clogging everything up. My filter floss will fully clog in hours with this clear gel like slime, my reactor for GAC clogs and stops running. Corals seem largely unaffected, but filtration wise it's a nightmare.

We don't burn candles I use air freshener or anything like that in the apartment so this can be ruled out.

It is definitely nutrient driven. The only way I've found to knock it back is to baste my whole sand bed and all my rocks over and over for a couple days constantly changing my floss. After a few days, the tank is back to normal. It will stay this way for a week or 2 and then I get hit with another bloom. As an additional note, I dont have a speck of algae anywhere in my tank. Coralie also isnt growing, coral growth is slow. Colors ok but could be better.

I know having inballanced nutrients can cause all kinds of issues both with algae and bacteria. Every time I test I get phosphate (0.04-0.08) but my nitrate is always undetectable. To get my nitrates up, I feed more, or target feed corals. But...when I do, bacterial bloom the next day.

I'm sure the bacteria is consuming the nitrates before I can detect them, but I can't get my level up. My hope is by raising nitrate, I can get past this stupid bacterial issue.

So, I am looking for advice. No algae is nice, but growth is slow...in a nano not the worst thing I guess...and colors could definitely be better. Thoughts on how to proceed? I'm at a loss so anything would be appreciated!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Hi All,

Some background- I have an IM nuvo 20, about 6 years old now. Well established with 2 clowns, lots of softies and LPS and a few SPS mixed in. Only dosing is kalk. Biweekly water changes of 4-5 gallons with RS Blue bucket. Daily feeding with TDO pellets.

Salinity 1.026
PH 8.0
KH 8.8
Cal 420
Mg ?
nitrate 0
Phosphate 0.08

For the last year or so I have been getting on and off bacterial blooms. Not the traditional type where the water is clouded, but a version that coats my glass and filters clogging everything up. My filter floss will fully clog in hours with this clear gel like slime, my reactor for GAC clogs and stops running. Corals seem largely unaffected, but filtration wise it's a nightmare.

We don't burn candles I use air freshener or anything like that in the apartment so this can be ruled out.

It is definitely nutrient driven. The only way I've found to knock it back is to baste my whole sand bed and all my rocks over and over for a couple days constantly changing my floss. After a few days, the tank is back to normal. It will stay this way for a week or 2 and then I get hit with another bloom. As an additional note, I dont have a speck of algae anywhere in my tank. Coralie also isnt growing, coral growth is slow. Colors ok but could be better.

I know having inballanced nutrients can cause all kinds of issues both with algae and bacteria. Every time I test I get phosphate (0.04-0.08) but my nitrate is always undetectable. To get my nitrates up, I feed more, or target feed corals. But...when I do, bacterial bloom the next day.

I'm sure the bacteria is consuming the nitrates before I can detect them, but I can't get my level up. My hope is by raising nitrate, I can get past this stupid bacterial issue.

So, I am looking for advice. No algae is nice, but growth is slow...in a nano not the worst thing I guess...and colors could definitely be better. Thoughts on how to proceed? I'm at a loss so anything would be appreciated!

You'll either want to add more or take out less. Are you using a skimmer?

 

[Uncle99]

I’d go with bad test.
Very very hard to have zero nitrates.
Especially when you have phosphates detected.
Love the tank, maybe get a second nitrate test to ensure correctness on what looks like a really nice tank.
Sometimes hobby grade tests just lie, sometimes we screw them up, sometimes expired.

 

[Idech]

Does feeding too much / targeting corals only once trigger a bacteria bloom the next day ?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Does feeding too much / targeting corals only once trigger a bacteria bloom the next day ?

It should not with a healthy biome. Something is definitely going weird.
Can you take your water samples to an LFS and have them money panel to confirm your own?

 

[Auquanut]

Just a thought. Keep up your maintenance on filter floss changes, keep feeding constant, and reduce water changes. You've got a beautifully coral packed tank that will contribute to keeping nitrates low. The tank will tend to tell you what it needs. If fewer or smaller water changes is what it needs, it might do the trick. Just a thought.

 

[Chlorinated]

You'll either want to add more or take out less. Are you using a skimmer?

No skimmer. Just filter floss in the media baskets. Carbon in a small reactor in back.

I’d go with bad test.
Very very hard to have zero nitrates.
Especially when you have phosphates detected.
Love the tank, maybe get a second nitrate test to ensure correctness on what looks like a really nice tank.
Sometimes hobby grade tests just lie, sometimes we screw them up, sometimes expired.

It's possible. I use Nyos for nitrates and BRS seems to think it's the best and easiest to use.

Does feeding too much / targeting corals only once trigger a bacteria bloom the next day ?

Sometimes next day, sometimes a couple days later, but it inevitably happens each time.

It should not with a healthy biome. Something is definitely going weird.
Can you take your water samples to an LFS and have them money panel to confirm your own?

Certainly giving it a thought. I do find it odd to have 0.08 phosphate but no nitrate. My only thought is the bacteria involved here are consuming them so fast that they test 0.

Just a thought. Keep up your maintenance on filter floss changes, keep feeding constant, and reduce water changes. You've got a beautifully coral packed tank that will contribute to keeping nitrates low. The tank will tend to tell you what it needs. If fewer or smaller water changes is what it needs, it might do the trick. Just a thought.

I have tried this but I still get the blooms. With nutrients so low, I've debated doing away with waterchanges. The one hold up is trace elements. I do see my corals perk up...even just for a day or 2 after a wc. So clearly a wc is doing something beneficial even for only a day or so. i could also dose trace but haven't ventured down that path yet.



I truly appreciate the advice everyone! Just a thought, but would it be worth generating a potassium nitrate solution and dosing to see if I can get nitrates up without the whole over feeding deal? I have some powder I use for my fresh water planted tank.

@Randy Holmes-Farley has a recipe of adding 10g to 1L of water if I remember correctly. 1mL to 2 gallon of water increases nitrates by 0.8 I think.

Just throwing ideas out there.

 

[Chlorinated]

Here is specs on the potassium nitrate

 

[Uncle99]

IMM Hanna leads with its new High Range Checker.
Fast and easy, just like Alk, has been very close to ICP.
I’m terrible at anything that needs me to discern colour.

An actual Zero in nitrates regardless of tank age would be next to impossible, that would mean all ammonia is being fully converted instantly, to me, does not make sense.

Maybe it’s actually 3ppm but your test can’t read that low so gives a zero….?

Just checking.

 

[Chlorinated]

IMM Hanna leads with its new High Range Checker.
Fast and easy, just like Alk, has been very close to ICP.
I’m terrible at anything that needs me to discern colour.

An actual Zero in nitrates regardless of tank age would be next to impossible, that would mean all ammonia is being fully converted instantly, to me, does not make sense.

Maybe it’s actually 3ppm but your test can’t read that low so gives a zero….?

Just checking.

Nyos does colors for 0, 1, 5, 10....so even at 1 I should see SOMETHING but it stays clear.

I have debated the Hanna high range checker. Maybe an Xmas gift for myself this year....

 

[Rmckoy]

I’d try confirming the same results with another test kit prior to dosing anything .

 

[DrZoidburg]

The only thing about potassium nitrate that can be bad. If your not testing for potassium it can go to high.

 

[Uncle99]

Nyos does colors for 0, 1, 5, 10....so even at 1 I should see SOMETHING but it stays clear.

I have debated the Hanna high range checker. Maybe an Xmas gift for myself this year....

They all have colors, but can they “read them”
Each has a margin of error.
My Hanna reads 14ppm nitrate but my Salifert reads more than 10 but less than maybe 20ppm.
Does it matter, probably not all those numbers are good.

Seachem had a phosphate test that has 0.05, 0.10, 0.25ppm
It returns 0.25ppm every single time where’s Hanna shows 0.04ppm and this backed by ICP.

Hobby grade is just hobby grade.

You may in fact have Zero, but when I look at your tank it does not look a zero nitrate tank or your corals would look like crap.

 

[Chlorinated]

The only thing about potassium nitrate that can be bad. If your not testing for potassium it can go to high.

I thought the same thing. Maybe look I to sodium nitrate? Curious what TLF and Brightwel use in their nitrate additives. I may see if I can get to a LFS this week for a test and maybe grab some nitrate to dose if needed and thir test confirms mine.

 

[Rmckoy]

I thought the same thing. Maybe look I to sodium nitrate? Curious what TLF and Brightwel use in their nitrate additives. I may see if I can get to a LFS this week for a test and maybe grab some nitrate to dose if needed and thir test confirms mine.

I’ve bought and used calcium nitrate ( esv b-ionic ) brand .

 

[Chlorinated]

They all have colors, but can they “read them”
Each has a margin of error.
My Hanna reads 14ppm nitrate but my Salifert reads more than 10 but less than maybe 20ppm.
Does it matter, probably not all those numbers are good.

Seachem had a phosphate test that has 0.05, 0.10, 0.25ppm
It returns 0.25ppm every single time where’s Hanna shows 0.04ppm and this backed by ICP.

Hobby grade is just hobby grade.

You may in fact have Zero, but when I look at your tank it does not look a zero nitrate tank or your corals would look like crap.

I agree hobby grade needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I will try to get the result confirmed this week. I think another Hanna checker is in my future.

 

[DrZoidburg]

Yes usp grade sodium nitrate is pretty cheap. Should last a while too. I usually alternate between them if I have to use.

 

[Chlorinated]

I’ve bought and used calcium nitrate ( esv b-ionic ) brand .

Ca makes sense. Much less impact on parameters.

 

[Rmckoy]

 

[Chlorinated]

Thanks. I imagine Brightwel and others are similar. They never like to list the ingredients even though I am sure most use the same stuff.