My Nitrates dropped to 0!

[niickjackson]

Hey all! I've been doing a TON of googling because I've just recently setup my first saltwater tank. I've seen this forum come up a lot, so here's to my first post!

I'm a bit stuck... My tank is a month old, cycled with live rock from another established tank. I watched the entire nitrogen cycle finish, but was waiting on my nitrates to reach around 15ppm before doing my first water change. The last I checked, the nitrates were right at 10ppm.

My test today showed:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm

Where did it go? Is this a concern?

I have a pair of clowns, goby, shrimp, and a blenny. For corals, they were just added, but it's just a few tiny zoa's.

Thanks in advance! :)

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What are you testing with? API is almost always inaccurate. I would get salifert test and try those out and see what your nitrates are.

 

[RoanokeReef]

My tank runs 0-2ppm (Hanna and ICP) and have no issues. I tried dosing nitrates and didn't see anything dramatically different, so I just let it be. What test kit are using? What are your phosphates at? I'd be more worried about them.

 

[Subsea]

Hey all! I've been doing a TON of googling because I've just recently setup my first saltwater tank. I've seen this forum come up a lot, so here's to my first post!

I'm a bit stuck... My tank is a month old, cycled with live rock from another established tank. I watched the entire nitrogen cycle finish, but was waiting on my nitrates to reach around 15ppm before doing my first water change. The last I checked, the nitrates were right at 10ppm.

My test today showed:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm

Where did it go? Is this a concern?

I have a pair of clowns, goby, shrimp, and a blenny. For corals, they were just added, but it's just a few tiny zoa's.

Thanks in advance! :)

“Where did it go? Is this a concern?”

Nutrients are assimilated into biomass of reef inhabitants. In your case, nitrification & denitrification bacteria.

 

[niickjackson]

What are you testing with? API is almost always inaccurate. I would get salifert test and try those out and see what your nitrates are.

I test with HANNA testers

 

[niickjackson]

My tank runs 0-2ppm (Hanna and ICP) and have no issues. I tried dosing nitrates and didn't see anything dramatically different, so I just let it be. What test kit are using? What are your phosphates at? I'd be more worried about them.

I’m waiting on my phosphate test kit to come in the mail. I use HANNA testers.

 

[niickjackson]

“Where did it go? Is this a concern?”

Nutrients are assimilated into biomass of reef inhabitants. In your case, nitrification & denitrification bacteria.

I need nitrates for coral though, correct? Am I going to have to dose it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd consider feeding more or dosing N and P. Both are good options. Doing nothing may be suboptimal.

I discuss low nutrient (and high nutrient) issues here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randy’s-thoughts-on-nutrient-target-ranges.1087/
a section from it:

4. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey all! I've been doing a TON of googling because I've just recently setup my first saltwater tank. I've seen this forum come up a lot, so here's to my first post!

I'm a bit stuck... My tank is a month old, cycled with live rock from another established tank. I watched the entire nitrogen cycle finish, but was waiting on my nitrates to reach around 15ppm before doing my first water change. The last I checked, the nitrates were right at 10ppm.

My test today showed:
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm

Where did it go? Is this a concern?

I have a pair of clowns, goby, shrimp, and a blenny. For corals, they were just added, but it's just a few tiny zoa's.

Thanks in advance! :)

Welcome to the zero club!

I would definitely want to know where phosphates are before doing anything. When is your kit coming in?
From my years of reefing and reading on multiple message boards, it's better to raise po4 before no3 and not the other way around, IME.

Post when it comes in and you get a reading or take a sample to your LFS to text.

 

[fishyjoes]

In my tank, seeing nitrate disappear like that is a signal that I'm about to witness an algae outbreak

 

[BryanM]

Easiest would be to feed more, especially while you wait for your other tester(s) to come.

I never had a lot of luck raising my nitrates by feeding more though, so I'd do some research on dosing just to be prepared.