Nitrates? How to raise without dosing

[Reefing_addiction]

Ok. So went away for two and a half weeks. Came back to tank full of algae (but everything was alive) my boyfriend did his best! My fuge was also full of my macro algae!

did a water change and didn’t think anything about ! Cleaned rocks off dipped my frag plugs. Well then my clown passed away and I lost an urchin. Ok so NOW I go and have LFS test my water (don’t have a good ammonia tester)

ok all my numbers came back great! Better than great. Well not really!
0 nitrates and phosphates
Magnesium and calcium in range
A very slight bit ammonia which was expected as my clown had been dead in the tank for 12 hours plus.

ok now I’m worried! Don’t want Dinos.
Local reefer had a Hanna nitrate lr I bought it for $40. He used it 3 times he said.

ok so first time I used it I didn’t do it right (go figure!) second time I got it right nitrates at .12!

ok so how do I fix this?
Can I just start feeding more?
What about increasing my phosphates?
Can I increase that with just broadcaster feeding reef roids a couple times a week?

how often do I feed then?

I plan on giving away some of my fireball algae this weekend.

 

[Jonify]

Check a few times, over a 24 hour period just to make sure you're getting a consistent reading. But yes, if you don't want to dose anything, feed more. Uneaten food and fish poop from eaten food will increase your nitrate and phosphates. But if you had a whole lot of algae, then you probably don't have too little nitrate or phosphates, you have too much--you just couldn't test for it because the algae you had will consume measurable nitrates and phosphate as soon as it hits the water column, and it will ::seem:: like they're both zero, but once you remove most of the algae, it should jump back up. Test over 24 hours before doing anything, and don't overreact

I also would not dip any of your frags--that's something you do when you first get them, or if you have a parasite on the frag, but I wouldn't do that to respond to algae issues--coral dips are pretty traumatic, so limit those.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Check a few times, over a 24 hour period just to make sure you're getting a consistent reading. But yes, if you don't want to dose anything, feed more. Uneaten food and fish poop from eaten food will increase your nitrate and phosphates. But if you had a whole lot of algae, then you probably don't have too little nitrate or phosphates, you have too much--you just couldn't test for it because the algae you had will consume measurable nitrates and phosphate as soon as it hits the water column, and it will ::seem:: like they're both zero, but once you remove most of the algae, it should jump back up. Test over 24 hours before doing anything, and don't overreact

I also would not dip any of your frags--that's something you do when you first get them, or if you have a parasite on the frag, but I wouldn't do that to respond to algae issues--coral dips are pretty traumatic, so limit those.

So I had a whole lot of algae when I came back from vacation. That’s why I didn’t test. But instead I waited like 3 weeks to test. I think my fuge is now taking up all my nitrates and phosphates. I dipped my Zoa frags In h2o2 and then iodine. They all bounced back. I also noticed my KP aquatics rock came with a tunicate which I’ve read can filter 100gal of water a day!

I LFS tested water and they gsaid I had 0 nitrates. I tested again later that night and I had 0. I picked up the Hanna checker today. Fed my tank. Went to the gym came home and tested and got .12.
Should I test in the morning before I feed? And then again several hours after feeding? Should I test both phosphates and nitrates? Next question is should I do a water change? I need to test my alk tomorrow. Forgot to do that earlier.
My calcium the other day was 475. I don’t remember my mag.
The algae in the tank is minimal now. Just a few little patched but my tang is trying to fix that for me!

 

[Redfoxtang]

I would stop testing for now. Add some more fish if you can and food more than you like for a couple weeks. If you have a skimmer turn it off. If you have a refugium turn the light cycle down. Also when feeding more I would use more frozen foods as well.

 

[Jonify]

So I had a whole lot of algae when I came back from vacation. That’s why I didn’t test. But instead I waited like 3 weeks to test. I think my fuge is now taking up all my nitrates and phosphates. I dipped my Zoa frags In h2o2 and then iodine. They all bounced back. I also noticed my KP aquatics rock came with a tunicate which I’ve read can filter 100gal of water a day!

I LFS tested water and they gsaid I had 0 nitrates. I tested again later that night and I had 0. I picked up the Hanna checker today. Fed my tank. Went to the gym came home and tested and got .12.
Should I test in the morning before I feed? And then again several hours after feeding? Should I test both phosphates and nitrates? Next question is should I do a water change? I need to test my alk tomorrow. Forgot to do that earlier.
My calcium the other day was 475. I don’t remember my mag.
The algae in the tank is minimal now. Just a few little patched but my tang is trying to fix that for me!

You can test a few hours before or after you feed, doesn't matter. But test again about 12 hours later. Yes, if you had to remove a lot of algae, you should at least do another water change in the next 2-3 days (and also rinse/replace your filter socks if you're running them, or any other mechanical medium you might be running). Once you've done that and tested for a while (both nitrates and phosphates--because it matters the ratio you have for each), you can post here, and folks can chime in with the best way to proceed.

 

[Jonify]

I would stop testing for now. Add some more fish if you can and food more than you like for a couple weeks. If you have a skimmer turn it off. If you have a refugium turn the light cycle down. Also when feeding more I would use more frozen foods as well.

Hold up--she was asking how to raise nitrates, but the problem is that she came home to a whole lot of algae--so nitrates aren't actually low, just masked. My recommendation is that she continues to test, after manually removing algae, before taking any other action.

 

[Redfoxtang]

Hold up--she was asking how to raise nitrates, but the problem is that she came home to a whole lot of algae--so nitrates aren't actually low, just masked. My recommendation is that she continues to test, after manually removing algae, before taking any other action.

Exactly because the hair algae and macro algae is removing nitrates faster than they are being imported. So with 0 N03 and P04 your asking for problems. So cutting back skimming and macro light should help with raising nutrients as well as increased feeding. With weekly hair algae removal should also help with nutrients.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Hold up--she was asking how to raise nitrates, but the problem is that she came home to a whole lot of algae--so nitrates aren't actually low, just masked. My recommendation is that she continues to test, after manually removing algae, before taking any other action.

So let me make it clear. I came home bam algae.
Removed algae from tank scrubbing manuals removal duping of frags.
Did a 20 gal water change
Fast forward to two weeks later and algae under control in DT. Tested water 0 nitrates and phosphates

 

[Jonify]

Exactly because the hair algae and macro algae is removing nitrates faster than they are being imported. So with 0 N03 and P04 your asking for problems. So cutting back skimming and macro light should help with raising nutrients as well as increased feeding. With weekly hair algae removal should also help with nutrients.

Hmm...no, when you manually remove the algae that is rapidly uptaking nutrients, the tank's nitrate and phosphate levels rise, because the algae is no longer removing it. You can't determine what you want to do until you determine where the tank's nutrients sit AFTER the algae is removed. Which requires testing.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

I would stop testing for now. Add some more fish if you can and food more than you like for a couple weeks. If you have a skimmer turn it off. If you have a refugium turn the light cycle down. Also when feeding more I would use more frozen foods as well.

I have 6 fish going to be added but it will probably be a little bit before I actget them.

 

[Jonify]

So let me make it clear. I came home bam algae.
Removed algae from tank scrubbing manuals removal duping of frags.
Did a 20 gal water change
Fast forward to two weeks later and algae under control in DT. Tested water 0 nitrates and phosphates

If there is no algae growing in your tank, 2 weeks later, and your nutrients are still testing zero (using a low-range test--you need about 2.5-5 nitrates and .01-.1 phosphate--which you can only determine with a low-range kit), yes, it's time to raise. First step should be to feed more.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Hmm...no, when you manually remove the algae that is rapidly uptaking nutrients, the tank's nitrate and phosphate levels rise, because the algae is no longer removing it. You can't determine what you want to do until you determine where the tank's nutrients sit AFTER the algae is removed. Which requires testing.

Well I will be removing some of the macro in the sump tomorrow. Don’t know how much exactly but some will be gone.

 

[Redfoxtang]

Hmm...no, when you manually remove the algae that is rapidly uptaking nutrients, the tank's nitrate and phosphate levels rise, because the algae is no longer removing it. You can't determine what you want to do until you determine where the tank's nutrients sit AFTER the algae is removed. Which requires testing.

Understood sorry I should have said test weekly and not all together. Either way nutrients need to be raised.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

If there is no algae growing in your tank, 2 weeks later, and your nutrients are still testing zero (using a low-range test--you need about 2.5-5 nitrates and .01-.1 phosphate--which you can only determine with a long-range kit), yes, it's time to raise. First step should be to feed more.

Ok fishies will be happy! Lol pellets in the morning frozen at night!

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Thank y’all.

 

[Jonify]

With weekly water changes, and feeding my fish twice a day, I have not had any problems. If anything, I have to feed a little more than usual when nutrients drop (and with a great protein skimmer, nutrients may always be a struggle). Feeding more heavily and doing regular water changes tends to fix EVERYTHING! High-need SPS, nutrient-loving LPS and softies, etc. It's just a good habit. High nutrients in, high nutrients out.

 

[Redfoxtang]

With weekly water changes, and feeding my fish twice a day, I have not had any problems. If anything, I have to feed a little more than usual when nutrients drop (and with a great protein skimmer, nutrients may always be a struggle). Feeding more heavily and doing regular water changes tends to fix EVERYTHING! High-need SPS, nutrient-loving LPS and softies, etc. It's just a good habit. High nutrients in, high nutrients out.

This exactly! Maybe a little less water changes.

 

[SaltISlife]

Hold up--she was asking how to raise nitrates, but the problem is that she came home to a whole lot of algae--so nitrates aren't actually low, just masked. My recommendation is that she continues to test, after manually removing algae, before taking any other action.

You know i hate that saying. Nitrates or phosphates arent low.. just masked.


Listen algae doesnt (mask) or hide results in the water. If thr phosphates and nitrates read 0 they are 0. The only thing the algae is doing is sucking it up and keeping it low. It isnt masking anything.


Thats like saying my ammonia is 0 but it isnt really 0 because i have nitryfying bacteria in the tank.

Whatever genius came up with the (masking ) theory is a moron. So sick if hearing that everywhere because it started with someone online.


If you want more nitratws. Feed the tank heavily get more fish. My 135g recently went from 100 nitrates to 0 due to massive water changes and becauae i stopped feeding as much and my denitrate reactors.


Once i went from feeding once a day to 4x a day they went to 10ppm in 3 days. Wasnt hard

 

[Jonify]

You know i hate that saying. Nitrates or phosphates arent low.. just masked.


Listen algae doesnt (mask) or hide results in the water. If thr phosphates and nitrates read 0 they are 0. The only thing the algae is doing is sucking it up and keeping it low. It isnt masking anything.


Thats like saying my ammonia is 0 but it isnt really 0 because i have nitryfying bacteria in the tank.

Whatever genius came up with the (masking ) theory is a moron. So sick if hearing that everywhere because it started with someone online.

Sorry about that! But if your algae is sucking up nutrients as quickly as they are added, once you remove that algae, nutrients will likely come up. You'll have to find a new equilibrium, and test for that. I call that "masked," you might call that something else. The point I was making is that once you remove a lot of algae, you'll need to determine the new nutrient level in the water column.

 

[SaltISlife]

Sorry about that! But if your algae is sucking up nutrients as quickly as they are added, once you remove that algae, nutrients will likely come up. You'll have to find a new equilibrium, and test for that. I call that "masked," you might call that something else. The point I was making is that once you remove a lot of algae, you'll need to determine the new nutrient level in the water column.

It wasnt directed at you more so everyone who says that. Yes remove the algae nitrates might go back ip.. but that doesnt mean its masking nitrates in the water lol... if i put antibiotics in my tank ammonia will go up due to the nitryfying bacteria dying.. doesnt mean they were hiding ammonia fron a test kit