Nitrate Question. Does this drop seem accurate?

[ajremington68]

In my 180g I sent off a ICP 10.11.25. I got the results back 11.20.25. I am starting reef moonshiners but the one thing was my nutrients where high and they always have been because the amount of fish, and amount my father feeds my tank. Attached is the Oceamo Test Results of my nutrients.

So my phospohate was higher but I hadnt changed my GFO out in a while so I changed that and got my phosphates down to 0.22 which I am okay with. My nitrates I tested once I got this test back and they maxed out my hanna HR checker at 75ppm, and this test was 11.21.25. Then I went ahead (in a little panic) and changed my floss out, cleaned my skimmer out and got it produciing like crazy, and started dosing vinegar at 6ml a day, and bought a turf scrubber of a guy on market place and isntalled it (it doesnt have any algae in it still). Now I tested my tank last night (11.29.25) to see my values as I want to get them all in line and my phosphates tested 0.14 and my nitrates at 27.8ppm... I didnt think that could be possible that it came down that much so I re tested today 11.30.25 and they are 29.7ppm. I also did a water change after i seen the 75ppm on my hanna checker of 25gallons on my 200g system.

My question is am I getting false readings? This doesnt seem right that it came down that quick in the span of a week or two. I was ready to work at it for a month or two and I am questioning how this happened? ATM I dont ahve much corals in the tank as I am shutting down my 55g and moving everything into the 180g and that is why I am trying to zone it in. The corals I currently have in there arent sulking but they are some of my hardiest corals.

Any thoughts would be loved to be heard. Thanks for the read :)

 

[Subsea]

“My question is am I getting false readings? This doesnt seem right that it came down that quick in the span of a week or two. I was ready to work at it for a month or two and I am questioning how this happened? ATM I dont ahve much corals in the tank as I am shutting down my 55g and moving everything into the 180g and that is why I am trying to zone it in. The corals I currently have in there arent sulking but they are some of my hardiest corals.“

I believe the change. Even without corals as a biofilter, how much live rock and substrate do you have?

PS: If you don’t trust your test kits, then bring water sample to LFS.

 

[ajremington68]

“My question is am I getting false readings? This doesnt seem right that it came down that quick in the span of a week or two. I was ready to work at it for a month or two and I am questioning how this happened? ATM I dont ahve much corals in the tank as I am shutting down my 55g and moving everything into the 180g and that is why I am trying to zone it in. The corals I currently have in there arent sulking but they are some of my hardiest corals.“

I believe the change. Even without corals as a biofilter, how much live rock and substrate do you have?

PS: If you don’t trust your test kits, then bring water sample to LFS.

Closest LFS is about 35min drive. My favorite LFS is a hour drive. Which I would potentially make the drive but its currently a blizzard here in illinois snowing estimate 6-10 inches...

Corals is light I have some softys and 3 massive chicago sunburst (the size of a dinner plate each). Rock I have alot. I have in the ball park of 100 pounds in my display I would say. Then I cramped all the rest I could maybe 20 pounds in my sump.

The only new thing I did was the vinegar dosing and I dosed it at the intake of my sump then down a foot or two was my skimmer. So I am questioning if it worked really well and pulled alot of it. Because my skimmer cup was "full" abnormally quick.

 

[ajremington68]

All in all I want to get or very close to 100:1 whch would be like 10-20 nitrates and 0.1-0.2 phosphates. So phosphate range I am there and just need to keep it there. Nitrates still needs to go down about 10-15ppm. I just want to know what did it so fast so if I need to use it again I can if I need to keep them from spiking in the future.

 

[Subsea]

Closest LFS is about 35min drive. My favorite LFS is a hour drive. Which I would potentially make the drive but its currently a blizzard here in illinois snowing estimate 6-10 inches...

Corals is light I have some softys and 3 massive chicago sunburst (the size of a dinner plate each). Rock I have alot. I have in the ball park of 100 pounds in my display I would say. Then I cramped all the rest I could maybe 20 pounds in my sump.

The only new thing I did was the vinegar dosing and I dosed it at the intake of my sump then down a foot or two was my skimmer. So I am questioning if it worked really well and pulled alot of it. Because my skimmer cup was "full" abnormally quick.

You have a tremendous biofilter for nutrient recycling and sequesting of nutrients.

For certain, carbon dosing grows bacteria which consume nutrients and protein skimmers remove bacteria & organics as nutrient export.

 

[Subsea]

All in all I want to get or very close to 100:1 whch would be like 10-20 nitrates and 0.1-0.2 phosphates. So phosphate range I am there and just need to keep it there. Nitrates still needs to go down about 10-15ppm. I just want to know what did it so fast so if I need to use it again I can if I need to keep them from spiking in the future.

What is the significance of 100:1 of N:P

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What is the significance of 100:1 of N:P

Nothing. It’s a false way to think of nutrients since both too low or both too high give the same ratio.

As you know, but the OP may not, simply target both to a desirable range and all will be fine. Fixing on a ratio may or may not be fine.

 

[Subsea]

Nothing. It’s a false way to think of nutrients since both too low or both too high give the same ratio.

As you know, but the OP may not, simply target both to a desirable range and all will be fine. Fixing on a ratio may or may not be fine.

@ajremington68
Ratios are arbitrary numbers. What is important is that sufficient minerals are available.

 

[ajremington68]

@Subsea @Randy Holmes-Farley
I agree 100:1 is just a range for me. If I can keep my tank in the range of 0.1-0.2 and 10-20 I will be happy. Now adjustments may be made if the corals are not happy. Now, my nutrients being this low is massive for me because I have always struggled with them being to high and would cause dinos or cyano all the time. As well as not being able to tap into my reef buddies acro collections that they keep asking me to talk frags to have duplicates in my tank.

With you being here now, @Randy Holmes-Farley, I did a lot of reading on your papers for organic dosing. And I never really saw people have this fast of results and this large of a drop. Do you believe this to be a cause of the Vinegar dosing? If not do you have any suspicions of what could have caused it? Trying to pin point to keep in my pocket for the future of heavy feeding or slacking on the water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

With you being here now, @Randy Holmes-Farley, I did a lot of reading on your papers for organic dosing. And I never really saw people have this fast of results and this large of a drop. Do you believe this to be a cause of the Vinegar dosing? If not do you have any suspicions of what could have caused it? Trying to pin point to keep in my pocket for the future of heavy feeding or slacking on the water changes.

Nitrate reduction is typically slow, primarily due to folks starting the organic dosing slow. I'm sure one could drop it hugely in a day with a massive organic dose, driving a big bacterial bloom.

I'm not sure why you saw a rapid drop, or whether it is real and not a test issue of some sort. I can think of some reasons it might be a test issue (elevated nitrite for example), but I wouldn't worry much about trying to explain it. I'd just go with the current values as likely accurate and go from there.

 

[ajremington68]

Nitrate reduction is typically slow, primarily due to folks starting the organic dosing slow. I'm sure one could drop it hugely in a day with a massive organic dose, driving a big bacterial bloom.

I'm not sure why you saw a rapid drop, or whether it is real and not a test issue of some sort. I can think of some reasons it might be a test issue (elevated nitrite for example), but I wouldn't worry much about trying to explain it. I'd just go with the current values as likely accurate and go from there.

Gotcha, I will run with it. Thinking of it I got rid of my big emperor angel that was like 5-6in as well so that could be causing the drop as well.

Also interesting thought about the nitrite spike, which doesnt show as the nitrate. I wish I had a test kit for that, but I haven't had a nitrite test kit since I started up my tanks a couple years ago.

Thanks for the feedback, tho Randy! Its amazing how much of your DIY recipes I use on my tank, you're the man!