Nitrate question

[bubbaque]

My nitrates lower a little bit each time I check it, about .5 each week. Currently my nitrates are .5 and the way things are going I image they will be 0 soon. I feed LRS reef frenzy 2 times a day and just started dosing oyster feast at night, I'm on my third dose. My sps are not faded but colors suck.

So my question is, if my nitrates fall to zero and my sps don't fade should I do anything? I see most people recommended nitrates to be around the 5pppm~ mark and I am far from that. Would you dose nitrates to just chase the numbers or leave it alone? Thanks

@Diesel #reefsquad

 

[Diesel]

Dosing No3 isn't chasing your #
We call it keep balance.
Of course the uptake would be different everyday as you need to test No3 everyday for a while.
Myself test every day for ALK and No3 as these are the leading factors in a reef tank.
Alk can tell you a lot about Cal and your Ph.
As No3 will tell you a lot about nutrients include Po4.
Let me pull up the Spectracide thread from @twilliard

 

[Diesel]

Here you go,
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/potassium-nitrate-spectracide-stump-remover-dosing-steps.215730/

 

[ahiggins]

I don't have the finicky sps, but when I noticed my nitrates dipping-I just feed the tank more. In my case it's acans and fish eat the excess. Has worked well for me

 

[Diesel]

That's a option too.
After you fed your corals did the No3 hold or did it drop within 24 hrs again?

 

[bubbaque]

I have reads twillards thread before and it's great info. I already have some solution made. So you would go ahead and bump up the nitrate? raising it through feeding seems really hard to do and seems to raise po4 more than anything.

 

[bubbaque]

it has dropped slightly still after dosing oyster feast but I'm only on third dose.

 

[Diesel]

I have reads twillards thread before and it's great info. I already have some solution made. So you would go ahead and bump up the nitrate? raising it through feeding seems really hard to do and seems to raise po4 more than anything.

I would.
Before you do what all nutrient reducing reactors you have connected to your tank besides a skimmer?
Any macro's in the sump?

 

[bubbaque]

No macro or Gfo. I have filter socks, deltec skimmer (mostly used to keep ph up since I use it for an outside line for fresh air), uv sterilizer. I have two gyres in my 75 and I feel it keeps detritus up and out before it breaks down I believe.

 

[bubbaque]

I don't have algae in the tank besides the little that grows on the back glass because I don't clean it.

 

[Diesel]

No macro or Gfo. I have filter socks, deltec skimmer (mostly used to keep ph up since I use it for an outside line for fresh air), uv sterilizer. I have two gyres in my 75 and I feel it keeps detritus up and out before it breaks down I believe.

You use felt or mesh socks?

 

[bubbaque]

Felt 200 micron

 

[Diesel]

Felt 200 micron

Cut three holes in the bottom.
You let some of the beneficial nutrients through but the large pieces still gets stuck in there.
Or get some mesh socks.
No socks are better as I do.

 

[bubbaque]

I might try no socks. I will have to see how dirty it gets down there. Thanks for all your help and advice. I will dose some nitrate to get it around 3-5ppm.

 

[bobssecrtsn]

Dont wanna hijack the thread... looks like he is done asking! so Ill post it here,

Per kn03 dose. Tons of people start with the 2 tspoon:500ml ratio. I used it and dosed my tank 25ML and I got it up to 2ppm. another dose 5ML and got it to 5ppm. my tank is 140 total gallons but I see some people start dosing at 60ML! tested this morning and just now and it kept at 5ppm. So my uptake probably hasnt kicked in yet..

 

[ahiggins]

No macro or Gfo. I have filter socks, deltec skimmer (mostly used to keep ph up since I use it for an outside line for fresh air), uv sterilizer. I have two gyres in my 75 and I feel it keeps detritus up and out before it breaks down I believe.

wish I had that problem ;)

 

[FishLover01]

Personally, if NO3 is at 5ppm, I'd do nothing. Can't get any better than that. Keep the tank at 5ppm and I think you'll be fine over the long term.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Personally, if NO3 is at 5ppm, I'd do nothing. Can't get any better than that. Keep the tank at 5ppm and I think you'll be fine over the long term.

+1. I think the Op mentioned that he had .5. If that is the case I would dose KNo3 to get it up to 5. I use 10g per liter of water and if I remember correctly that makes a 6450ppm solution. That's not the exact ppm, but it's close. I have used up to 200ml of that per day on 360 gallons of water without problems. I wouldn't start with over 1ppm in the tank myself

 

[FishLover01]

+1. I think the Op mentioned that he had .5. If that is the case I would dose KNo3 to get it up to 5. I use 10g per liter of water and if I remember correctly that makes a 6450ppm solution. That's not the exact ppm, but it's close. I have used up to 200ml of that per day on 360 gallons of water without problems. I wouldn't start with over 1ppm in the tank myself

Sorry, my bad. I misread it to say 5ppm, not .5 . I agree with you on dosing in this case or he could just not do a water change as often and that would raise nitrates as well.

 

[Mr V]

I would recommend don't dose anything, you can stop test for NO3 also, numbers does nothing but scared you out! Keep the filtration as it is, increase the feeding portion (for fishes and corals). Keep increasing until you notice the algae film on your glass appear faster (let say you had to clean the glass every 5 days, now 2 days).
I use this method (heavy import/heavy export) and think it has a very possible result on my sps.
I have 0.2 ppm Nitrate but still, my tank has a lot of algae (bubble algae, turf algae, slime algae...), and I have to clean the glass almost every 2 days.