Unreadable nitrates.. Help

[ItouchedThebutt]

So I have always stuggled to keep detecable nitrates in my 40 gallon tank. Mainly stocked with softies with maybe 4 lps corals. Problem is i think its starting to effect growth of the corals now. I have nyos nitrate on order and should be here in a few days but before i started to dose i would like to know why im always at 0. I run a skimmer and usually do 10% water changes once a week. I am a heavy feeder between frozen food and pellets. After a week of even doubling up on food adition its still 0. The only algea problem i have is bubble algea. I will say theres a pretty good amount through out my tank. but no dinos or hair algea nothing like that. Does anyone know why its so hard to get detectable nitrates and if so should i go ahead and dose?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you believe the kit, I’d dose ammonia or nitrate. Have you measured phosphate?

 

[VintageReefer]

What is your fish count / list in the tank?
You could change to biweekly or monthly water changes and see what the impact is

 

[TankYouVeryMuch]

What about turning off the protein skimmer for 2-3 days and see what happens? That ought to be enough time for any protein to break down and be processed by bacteria.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Phosphates read .13ppm stays pretty much there regularly.

current stocking list,
2 clowns
1 sixline wrasse
1 purple firefish
1 small tomini tang
1 yasha goby that apears once a month or so

id be fine turning the skimmer off but im not the kind of person that would regularly turn the skimmer on and off as i need. I have a doser pump so itd be easier for me to just dose nitrate instead of finagling with equipment. I just want to make sure me being at zero isnt cause of another problem that needs to be addressed before dosing. I am testing with a nyos nitrate tester and my lfs even tested we both got 0. along with the bottle of nitrate i do have a hannah checker coming since they were 20% off

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I personally would not turn off a skimmer. I’d dose before that.

 

[PopBot16]

Dose NO3.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

thats kinda where im at. i dont wanna put equipment on schedules or anything. but yall dont think something else is wrong in the tank to cause this?

 

[PopBot16]

thats kinda where im at. i dont wanna put equipment on schedules or anything. but yall dont think something else is wrong in the tank to cause this?

No. Bottoming out NO3 and/or NO3 and PO4 is, sadly, not uncommon.

 

[CHSUB]

Does anyone know why its so hard to get detectable nitrates and if so should i go ahead and dose?

Because that is the way nature evolved…. for some reason the “modern” aquarium hobbyist believes that a better way is to go a different direction than a billion years of evidence. And no, imo, don’t dose no3.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Because that is the way nature evolved…. for some reason the “modern” aquarium hobbyist believes that a better way is to go a different direction than a billion years of evidence. And no, imo, don’t dose no3.

Why do you suggest not to dose?

 

[Pistondog]

So I have always stuggled to keep detecable nitrates in my 40 gallon tank. Mainly stocked with softies with maybe 4 lps corals. Problem is i think its starting to effect growth of the corals now. I have nyos nitrate on order and should be here in a few days but before i started to dose i would like to know why im always at 0. I run a skimmer and usually do 10% water changes once a week. I am a heavy feeder between frozen food and pellets. After a week of even doubling up on food adition its still 0. The only algea problem i have is bubble algea. I will say theres a pretty good amount through out my tank. but no dinos or hair algea nothing like that. Does anyone know why its so hard to get detectable nitrates and if so should i go ahead and dose?

You could try running the skimmer with the cup removed. This would get the benefit of gas exchange without nutrient removal.
If that does not help, try dosing ammonium bicarbonate. It is easier for corals to use vs nitrate.
The good news is your phosphate level is good/steady.

 

[PopBot16]

Why do you suggest not to dose?

Off the shelf, BW NeoNitro.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

I have Nyos's nitrate product coming in already sorry. I looked into the BW one

 

[CHSUB]

Why do you suggest not to dose?

Imo, you are overestimating coral growth. Moderate fish stock which are “heavily feed” (your comment) is enough, be patient!

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Imo, you are overestimating coral growth. Moderate fish stock which are “heavily feed” (your comment) is enough, be patient!

Well im seeing more corals get up set more frequently and one of my toadstools start to pale in color on the polyps. My tank has always had an issue with little to no nitrates. Everywhere i look its told you need to have atleast detectable nitrates. so if heavy feeding as in a whole cube of mysis a day for a week plus reef poppers doesnt get a detectable nitrate reading what else is there?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well im seeing more corals get up set more frequently and one of my toadstools start to pale in color on the polyps. My tank has always had an issue with little to no nitrates. Everywhere i look its told you need to have atleast detectable nitrates. so if heavy feeding as in a whole cube of mysis a day for a week plus reef poppers doesnt get a detectable nitrate reading what else is there?

This is a complex subject that I go into in this article. Low nutrient tanks can be fine, as long as organisms have sufficient N and P from all available sources.

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

 

[CHSUB]

2 pictures, just now, of toadstools I have in separate tanks with a connected sump. One doing great and one nothing for months, doesn’t make much sense but corals can be strange and react for no apparent reason….and what Randy stated, it’s a complex subject. Your po4 is readable and you have fish producing nh4 which imo means food inputs are adequate, despite hobby test kit readings. My opinion is nitrogen is not limiting..

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Is there a chance buble algea is taking it all up?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m sure it is taking some.