Increase nitrates?

[invertebrateliz]

Hi, I have a 20 gallon tank that's been operating for about a year.

I just checked my water parameters and everything is at zero - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate (pH is 8.0). Is this good? Bad? Weird? It seems weird.

Additionally, I have some sea lettuce that stopped growing, and I think it needs more nitrate to start growing again. What's the best way to get my nitrate back up?

 

[tzabor10]

Some reefers report great results by dosing Ammonium Hydroxide. I recently started but it’s too soon to say. Dosing ammonia can get your nitrates off the ground and provide some nutrients to the bacteria your corals feed on

 

[Miami Reef]

You have several options.

1) Feed more.

2) Dose food grade Sodium nitrate or Calcium nitrate: https://a.co/d/9yEJbfb (This is a link for sodium nitrate)

3) Dose Ammonium chloride or Ammonium bicarbonate: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

The parameters seem good, but the nitrate may be too low, especially if you are noticing slow macro algae growth.

 

[Dan_P]

Hi, I have a 20 gallon tank that's been operating for about a year.

I just checked my water parameters and everything is at zero - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate (pH is 8.0). Is this good? Bad? Weird? It seems weird.

Additionally, I have some sea lettuce that stopped growing, and I think it needs more nitrate to start growing again. What's the best way to get my nitrate back up?

Remove the sea lettuce to start with. Then, if the nitrate level does not increase, add food grade sodium nitrate.