SPS Nutrient Usage

[Brandon McHenry]

Hey everybody,
I posted this question on another thread but I have some more information and Id rather not hijack that thread.

I have a 150 gallon SPS tank that has been established for a little over 2 years now since the last upgrade. It is fairly heavily stocked with acros, some of which are around a foot across. I have been battling the fact that some of them look pretty drab. I always thought low nutrients was the way to go for SPS coloration but lately im not so sure. My nutrients have been basically undetectable for the past year (NO3: 0.25ppm Salifert PO4: 0.003ppm Hanna). Out of curiosity I decided to dose some potassium nitrate to see how quick my tank used it. I bumped nitrate to 3ppm and by the next day it was back down to 0.25ppm. Yesterday I decided to bump nitrate up to 5ppm and today it is back down to about 2ppm in less than 24 hours. So my question is, are my corals using more nutrients than I am providing in my daily fish feedings and do I need to supplement them with more nitrate to possibly help my coloration?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So my question is, are my corals using more nutrients than I am providing in my daily fish feedings and do I need to supplement them with more nitrate to possibly help my coloration?

yes.

@Diesel

 

[Ty Hamatake]

I recently posted about a similar problem (strange growth/poor coloration) and was given the advice to up my nitrates, after testing for them with something other than my API test kit :)) I don't have much info on the topic, as I am currently researching this myself, just know that you may be onto something!

Also wanted to follow :)

 

[bobssecrtsn]

Not your coral per say(they do take consumption but it shouldn't be that drastic) . But your nutrition export like if your dosing sugar or vinegar, and refuge/skimmer.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

yes.

@Diesel

Thats a very confident answer LOL. So if you think that this is my problem then what would you suggest is a good level to keep my nitrates at? Also, do I continue to keep them elevated with the potassium nitrate?

Not your coral per say(they do take consumption but it shouldn't be that drastic) . But your nutrition export like if your dosing sugar or vinegar, and refuge/skimmer.

I only run a refuge and skimmer on top of live rock and somewhat deep sand bed.

 

[Diesel]

What do you do to dose No3?

 

[Brandon McHenry]

What do you do to dose No3?

I used potassium nitrate to raise my NO3. 1/4tsp the first dose and 1/2tsp the second dose.

 

[Diesel]

Ok.
And your test kit is what brand?

Also where is your Po4 at?

 

[Diesel]

You can dose spectracide as No3.
Maybe @saltyfilmfolks can post the thread from @twilliard on how to mix and to dose this.
Also you keep your skimmer running 24/7?
Is there anything else in your tank that can reduce the nutrients like macro algae, GFO, bio-pellets?

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Ok.
And your test kit is what brand?

Also where is your Po4 at?

I use salifert to test nitrate and hanna for phosphate which is at 0.003ppm.
Yes i run my skimmer 24/7 and I only have macro that could be reducing this, no GFO or biopellets or vinegar/vodka dosing.

 

[Diesel]

Coloration comes from elements not only nutrients.
You must haves lot of SPS in the tank (FTS please) that eats up the nutrients.
Need to know about our fish stock as well.
Reducing your macro algae can be one step closer to keep your No3 on balance.
I dose No3 daily and keep it at 5ppm
My Po4 sits at 0.10

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Coloration comes from elements not only nutrients.
You must haves lot of SPS in the tank (FTS please) that eats up the nutrients.
Need to know about our fish stock as well.
Reducing your macro algae can be one step closer to keep your No3 on balance.
I dose No3 daily and keep it at 5ppm
My Po4 sits at 0.10

Fish stock is as follows:

1 Blue Hippo
1 Yellow Tang
1 Kole Tang
1 Melanarus Wrasse
1 Green Wrasse
1 Black Bar Chromis
1 Tomato Clown
2 Picasso Clowns
1 Candy Basslet

Fish are fed once daily with a mix of plankton, cyclops and mysis along with a sheet of algae for tangs.

As for elements I do monthly 30% water changes with Red Sea Salt (not coral pro). Im not sure if that is sufficient.

Here is the FTS, please excuse the quick iPhone pic.

 

[Diesel]

Your tank looks great.
Try to feed more and keep dosing the No3, daily testing on No3.
When I have more time later I send you the link for the No3.

 

[tomtom2245]

@Diesel, I believe this is the thread you're looking for. Following along as well.

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

 

[Diesel]

@Diesel, I believe this is the thread you're looking for. Following along as well.

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

Yes Sir, thank you.
That's the thread.
It's a stronger solution and a lot cheaper than the potassium nitrate bottles.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@Diesel, I believe this is the thread you're looking for. Following along as well.

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

thank you. honey do list and tankey do list too today.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Yes Sir, thank you.
That's the thread.
It's a stronger solution and a lot cheaper than the potassium nitrate bottles.

Okay I have seen this thread before in my research, lots of good info. Right now I have a bag of pure KNO3 powder from a fish store that I found and it only cost me $2 so I think ill stick with that. That being said, should i aim to give my corals only what they require daily or should I aim to keep my nitrates a bit higher?

 

[Vaughn17]

IME dosing KNO3 my potassium rose too high (460 ppm) after about 4 months of dosing, so I switched to a food grade sodium nitrate.

 

[Diesel]

Okay I have seen this thread before in my research, lots of good info. Right now I have a bag of pure KNO3 powder from a fish store that I found and it only cost me $2 so I think ill stick with that. That being said, should i aim to give my corals only what they require daily or should I aim to keep my nitrates a bit higher?

Heck dude, that's plenty for about 150 years :eek:

 

[Diesel]

IME dosing KNO3 my potassium rose too high (460 ppm) after about 4 months of dosing, so I switched to a food grade sodium nitrate.

Did you use Spectracide for this or just Potassium Nitrate?