need some extra minds on my 0.0 nitrates

[tagraham]

Ok need some extra minds on this one.

Problem: 0.0 nitrates!

Background: in the hobby since 2006 with the last 6 years having nothing and not paying attention to the industry. Not a noob but not an expert.

Tank info: waterbox 25 (building my 35.2 that everything is going to soon.

Parameters alk 9.0, cal 450 mag 1400 using all for reef on a dose pump and its stable as can be.

Phos 0.02

Tank is 3 months old (probably the answer to my issue lol)

Stock 2 clowns
Randall goby
1 cleaner shrip
1 tiger pistol shrimp
Cuc snails,crabs ,conch

1 hammer, 1 frogspawn, 1 Duncan, assorted zoas. 1 Monti cap that is growing fast but a little pale, 1 Monti digital.
2 mangrove propagules that are rooting but not sprouting leafs yet

Flow 2 x Nero 3
Light xr15
Skimmer combine 9001
So I started by feeding heavier but that has gotten me nowhere. (Still increasing)
Then pulled the skimmer.
Then the filter sock
Then stoped changing the water
Then added the goby and shrimp

Last time I had a reading of nitrates was October 29 at 15.2 based on my log and I test every day with hanna

Thought maybe the reagent was bad so also use salfert. Both reading 0.0!

I started dosing Red Sea ab+ to keep the corals fed with the low nitrates.

I didn’t want to but started three days ago with Neo nitrate from brightewell. 1.57 ml per day. Guess what still 0.0 and phos 0.02 all checked with hanna and backed with salfert.

I never ran into this issue with my last system so im kind of lost.

Not much algae to speak of. Went through the green then the brown (still some) sand has some brown but the conch likes it. Coraline is starting to pop up everywhere and thats a good thing.

Is this normal to go through this? Maybe last time I did but was too novice to recognize it. Honestly first time ive started a system knowing what to look for

Maybe it’s how I cycled in the first place. I stated with dr Tims and dry rock and dry sand. Then dosed microbacter7 for awhile while and still added a cap after water changes. Maybe my biome is out of balance?

If you are still reading then thanks and loo forward to hearing what y’all have to say.

 

[bradreef]

Im guessing you started with dry rock and it is acting as a nutrient sponge. Very common issue. Dose to keep up phos and nitrates or you risk dinos.

 

[Uncle99]

Your nitrate test vials stays clear after full 5 minutes?
No very faint pink? Is that correct?
Raising nitrates with feeding more takes time to implement.

A few drops of neo nitro to a glass of water, then test again.
If you get zero again, bad test.

 

[tagraham]

So ya indid

Your nitrate test vials stays clear after full 5 minutes?
No very faint pink? Is that correct?
Raising nitrates with feeding more takes time to implement.

A few drops of neo nitro to a glass of water, then test again.
If you get zero again, bad test.

So I did do a control to verify the test is working both Hanna and Salifert and I got a good reading from a few drops in a jar of SW. but in the tank absolute zero

 

[Spare time]

Im guessing you started with dry rock and it is acting as a nutrient sponge. Very common issue. Dose to keep up phos and nitrates or you risk dinos.

Rock doesn't adsorb nitrate

 

[Spare time]

Just feed more (either coral food or fish food)

 

[Boehmtown]

Dose phyto. It's the answer. Get the reef nutrition brand and dose phyto daily, more than recommended.

 

[ryanjohn1]

don’t run your skimmer till you hit 10. Then maybe run only after lights out for a few hours.

 

[tagraham]

Rock doesn't adsorb nitrate

I’m sure he didn’t mean the rock itself but the rock as a living piece of biological filtration. The anaerobic bacteria living deep in the rock and sand

 

[tagraham]

don’t run your skimmer till you hit 10. Then maybe run only after lights out for a few hours.

Skimmer is off and will stay off until needed. Or at least dialed back to only help with atmospheric exchange

 

[tagraham]

Dose phyto. It's the answer. Get the reef nutrition brand and dose phyto daily, more than recommended.

Will do and have see this work with others just havnt had a chance to go pick some up

 

[TokenReefer]

I didn’t want to but started three days ago with Neo nitrate from brightewell.

Give it more time I say. Just went through a round with this product. Once I calculated my dose I stuck with it for nearly 2 months dosing daily. Some phos as mentioned going to rock but both no3 and po4 also being consumed by cirals as added. Seemed to take a while to build to a level beyond consumption and absorption where it could be measured. Of course maybe I was dosing too little but I didn't want anything unwanted getting out of control...

 

[tagraham]

Give it more time I say. Just went through a round with this product. Once I calculated my dose I stuck with it for nearly 2 months dosing daily. Some phos as mentioned going to rock but both no3 and po4 also being consumed by cirals as added. Seemed to take a while to build to a level beyond consumption and absorption where it could be measured. Of course maybe I was dosing too little but I didn't want anything unwanted getting out of control...

This is what I’m seeing. The bottle made it seam that it would be testable to .5 in 24 hours but after three days 0. So I’m guessing I’m not overtaking the consumption rate

 

[TokenReefer]

Thread 'DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

You might also try this for much cheaper and can control potency. Fwiw I ordered the brightwell stuff and this and whatever came first I used and stuck with it but I have a 2 liter of it ready to go

 

[Reef Devils]

Ok need some extra minds on this one.

Problem: 0.0 nitrates!

Background: in the hobby since 2006 with the last 6 years having nothing and not paying attention to the industry. Not a noob but not an expert.

Tank info: waterbox 25 (building my 35.2 that everything is going to soon.

Parameters alk 9.0, cal 450 mag 1400 using all for reef on a dose pump and its stable as can be.

Phos 0.02

Tank is 3 months old (probably the answer to my issue lol)

Stock 2 clowns
Randall goby
1 cleaner shrip
1 tiger pistol shrimp
Cuc snails,crabs ,conch

1 hammer, 1 frogspawn, 1 Duncan, assorted zoas. 1 Monti cap that is growing fast but a little pale, 1 Monti digital.
2 mangrove propagules that are rooting but not sprouting leafs yet

Flow 2 x Nero 3
Light xr15
Skimmer combine 9001
So I started by feeding heavier but that has gotten me nowhere. (Still increasing)
Then pulled the skimmer.
Then the filter sock
Then stoped changing the water
Then added the goby and shrimp

Last time I had a reading of nitrates was October 29 at 15.2 based on my log and I test every day with hanna

Thought maybe the reagent was bad so also use salfert. Both reading 0.0!

I started dosing Red Sea ab+ to keep the corals fed with the low nitrates.

I didn’t want to but started three days ago with Neo nitrate from brightewell. 1.57 ml per day. Guess what still 0.0 and phos 0.02 all checked with hanna and backed with salfert.

I never ran into this issue with my last system so im kind of lost.

Not much algae to speak of. Went through the green then the brown (still some) sand has some brown but the conch likes it. Coraline is starting to pop up everywhere and thats a good thing.

Is this normal to go through this? Maybe last time I did but was too novice to recognize it. Honestly first time ive started a system knowing what to look for

Maybe it’s how I cycled in the first place. I stated with dr Tims and dry rock and dry sand. Then dosed microbacter7 for awhile while and still added a cap after water changes. Maybe my biome is out of balance?

If you are still reading then thanks and loo forward to hearing what y’all have to say.

Feed more. That is what I did and within a week I was getting nitrate readings

 

[DrinkinPepsi]

Also went through this. I ordered sodium nitrate off Amazon and mixed my own batch. I dosed enough to bring it up 2ppm per day. It will eventually come up.

 

[TokenReefer]

Feed more. That is what I did and within a week I was getting nitrate readings

I tend to agree but I was feeding heavy but corals couldn't wait (in my mind at least) for the breakdown. They were starvin. Once levels were reached I stopped and now just continue to feed on the heavy side (for now) . Some systems though maybe need to dose forever if the feeding amount gets to be a ridiculous amount...