Leather Coral Nitrates?

[Tinnerito]

Sounds good, and take a photo of the kit and test card showing nitrates. It will help

Edit we don't need you to retest, just photos of the kit and card

These are what I use most of the time, and yeah it turns out I was reading it at 5ppm, not 0.25ppm. I think its because most of the time I'll be testing for ammonia, and I am used to the second color level being 0.25. But thanks so much for the help though! I think I will buy a nitrate based fertilizer from my local(not so local) reef shop this weekend to get those numbers a bit higher before trying again. :)

 

[Cichlid Dad]

These are what I use most of the time, and yeah it turns out I was reading it at 5ppm, not 0.25ppm. I think its because most of the time I'll be testing for ammonia, and I am used to the second color level being 0.25. But thanks so much for the help though! I think I will buy a nitrate based fertilizer from my local(not so local) reef shop this weekend to get those numbers a bit higher before trying again. :)

How are you measuring salinity?

 

[Tinnerito]

How are you measuring salinity?

I'm using this thing. It measures salinity by ppt. I just put some sea water under the slide, and shine a light through to see.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I'm using this thing. It measures salinity by ppt. I just put some sea water under the slide, and shine a light through to see.

How are you calibrating it?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hello! My first leather coral has officially died, and has melted away. :( However I would like to use this opportunity for improvement. I've read that leather corals need a lot of nitrate, and at the time I was under the impression that the amount of nitrate ideal for a typical reef aquarium would be safe for leather corals, however I was wrong, and they need a lot more. I scoured the internet but couldn't find the info for such a simple question, hence I came here. What should my nitrate be for leather corals? It currently is about 0.25, and I am still working to raise those numbers. Thanks in advance!

I'd class 0.25ppm nitrate as very low.

Leathers I'd run somewhere around 25-50ppm

 

[eliaslikesfish]

what are you running for filtration? if you’re using any chemical media you might try removing that for a while to get your nitrates up.

 

[Tinnerito]

I'd class 0.25ppm nitrate as very low.

Leathers I'd run somewhere around 25-50ppm

50?! I couldn't even imagine. :O

 

[Tinnerito]

what are you running for filtration? if you’re using any chemical media you might try removing that for a while to get your nitrates up.

I run an EHEIM canister filter with biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration. I suppose I can try removing the carbon layer for a bit and see what that does. Thanks for the info! :)

 

[Tinnerito]

How are you calibrating it?

Well according to instruction, it should show accurate results as long as I clean it regularly, and that there is no air in the space that the water is being incased in.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

Well according to instruction, it should show accurate results as long as I clean it regularly, and that there is no air in the space that the water is being incased in.

this is true, as long as it is calibrated first. i have the same one, yours came with a little screwdriver right? grab some calibration solution from amazon and retest after you calibrated. there are some vids on youtube to help guide the calibration process as well. happy reefing :D

 

[Tinnerito]

this is true, as long as it is calibrated first. i have the same one, yours came with a little screwdriver right? grab some calibration solution from amazon and retest after you calibrated. there are some vids on youtube to help guide the calibration process as well. happy reefing :D

I get it now. I watched a video on how to calibrate it, but when I finished, The test for my reef tank showed a salinity of 60 ppt, which can't be right. I was told to calibrate it to 35 ppt with another fluid. What do you do to calibrate it?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/refr...pSfZPzmdaMmh3ZR7NyF7eeWyucFisgYoaAqxCEALw_wcB

 

[gbroadbridge]

this is true, as long as it is calibrated first. i have the same one, yours came with a little screwdriver right? grab some calibration solution from amazon and retest after you calibrated. there are some vids on youtube to help guide the calibration process as well. happy reefing :D

Don't buy calibration solution.

Make your own and that way you know it is correct.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

Don't buy calibration solution.

Make your own and that way you know it is correct.

would if i had time, getting solution has worked perfectly fine for me though. in the year I’ve had this refractometer I think I’ve recalibrated it once