Safe rate to lower nitrate

[spscrackhead]

I have been fish only for about 6 or 7 months and an just now gearing up for corals. As part of this process I have started testing and nitrates have come back at 45. I have started dosing vinegar as per Miami reef's chart. Which brings me to my question, what is a safe rate at which to lower nitrates?
Furthermore, what is a safe rate to love nitrates when you have corals in the tank?

 

[bluemon]

I have been fish only for about 6 or 7 months and an just now gearing up for corals. As part of this process I have started testing and nitrates have come back at 45. I have started dosing vinegar as per Miami reef's chart. Which brings me to my question, what is a safe rate at which to lower nitrates?
Furthermore, what is a safe rate to love nitrates when you have corals in the tank?

Nitrates you can lower much faster more safely than let’s say.. phosphates.

That being said? You should slowly ramp up for the carbon dosing so you can really build up the bacteria and reach a nice equilibrium through testing. It’s more about taking care not to bottom out nutrients.

Even with corals rapid decrease in nitrates is fine unless you are bottoming them out.

 

[eggie]

Best rate is to just go slow going down you dont have corals but it could affect and bring other issues like Diatoms, Cyano or some type algae. Safe spot to look for is 10-15 Nitrates and 0.08 - 0.10

 

[spscrackhead]

Nitrates you can lower much faster more safely than let’s say.. phosphates.

That being said? You should slowly ramp up for the carbon dosing so you can really build up the bacteria and reach a nice equilibrium through testing. It’s more about taking care not to bottom out nutrients.

Even with corals rapid decrease in nitrates is fine unless you are bottoming them out.

Can you throw out some numbers? I am testing nitrates, phosphates, and alk every 2-3 days, keeping an eye on things. It's a large system (500g approximately) so water parameters tend to move slowly. Last week nitrates dropped about 5. I expect them to move more quickly this week.

 

[spscrackhead]

Best rate is to just go slow going down you dont have corals but it could affect and bring other issues like Diatoms, Cyano or some type algae. Safe spot to look for is 10-15 Nitrates and 0.08 - 0.10

What would you classify as "going slow"? Reducing nitrates by 5 per week, 10 per week, 15? I am trying to get a number here if possible.
Slow and steady is the clear winner, but what is slow? Lol

 

[bluemon]

Can you throw out some numbers? I am testing nitrates, phosphates, and alk every 2-3 days, keeping an eye on things. It's a large system (500g approximately) so water parameters tend to move slowly. Last week nitrates dropped about 5. I expect them to move more quickly this week.

I’d say 1 ppm per day was about as fast I could get it down when I first started dosing. (Wanted it to go down faster)

People do water changes all the time, and let’s say you have 50 ppm nitrates. A 50% change is -25 ppm, and that has little impact to livestock as a reference

 

[Fish Fan]

NItrate at 45 ppm isn't too bad if you're going to keep soft corals. Unless you plan on the most delicate SPS like Acropora corals, there's no need to go crazy trying to lower your nitrates. I'd do a large water change and go from there.

 

[Fish Fan]

And just to mention it, you need to have a good skimmer working to reap the benefits of carbon dosing as far as lowing nitrates.

 

[spscrackhead]

And just to mention it, you need to have a good skimmer working to reap the benefits of carbon dosing as far as lowing nitrates.

I have the regal 250 sss with neck extensions which I have been happy with.

 

[spscrackhead]

NItrate at 45 ppm isn't too bad if you're going to keep soft corals. Unless you plan on the most delicate SPS like Acropora corals, there's no need to go crazy trying to lower your nitrates. I'd do a large water change and go from there.

it will likely be a sps dominant tank at the end of the day. So that 45 does need to go down.

 

[bluemon]

And just to mention it, you need to have a good skimmer working to reap the benefits of carbon dosing as far as lowing nitrates.

This is important; my skimmer has to be emptied daily now since dosing carbon.

 

[eggie]

What would you classify as "going slow"? Reducing nitrates by 5 per week, 10 per week, 15? I am trying to get a number here if possible.
Slow and steady is the clear winner, but what is slow? Lol!

1-2 ppm sounds good you just want to make sure there is no other issues and you reach your vinegar dosing to maintain good numbers

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I personally would not carbon dose at 45 ppm nitrate since that is in my target range of 5-50 ppm, but I think the issues around carbon dosing are the limitation, not the nitrate drop rate (which I don’t see how you will elect anyway). Organic dosing drops O2 and pH and it’s good to go reasonably slowly for those reasons.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

it will likely be a sps dominant tank at the end of the day. So that 45 does need to go down.

I don’t agree. Some great SPS tanks have
much higher nitrate.

 

[spscrackhead]

Wat is your target range for phosphate?

I personally would not carbon dose at 45 ppm nitrate since that is in my target range of 5-50 ppm, but I think the issues around carbon dosing are the limitation, not the nitrate drop rate (which I don’t see how you will elect anyway). Organic dosing drops O2 and pH and it’s good to go reasonably slowly for those reasons.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wat is your target range for phosphate?

Here’s my target range:

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