When to dose Nitrate

[HTXReefer]

I have a 180 gallon tank that has been running around 14 months. The tank was started with dry rinsed sand, about 100lbs dry rock, 60lbs of KP aquatic live rock. Flow and parameters below. I have never had any measurable Nitrates in the tank. Coralline grows really well and all SPS (acro, monti, anacro, etc) are showing color, slight polyp extension, and signs of growth. Should I start dosing nitrate?

Fish (fed pellets 2xdaily and either rods frozen at night or ROE)
14 small to medium

Flow:
2x Icecap 4K on side walls running random flow at max 75%
2X AI Nero 5 on back wall running 1800gph in random mode
Sicce SDC7.0 at 75%

Lighting:
8bulb T5 3xcoral plus and blue plus, 1actinic, 1blue special
2x 60” SB supplemental actinic LED

Filtration:
Bubble Magus Curve 7elite skimmer
Carbon Reactor
Filtersocks 1week a month

Dosing (Red Sea 4head)
Calc
Alk
MG
AB+

Parameters (RednSea/Hannah/trident)(trident for trending only)
1.026sg
77.4-78.9F
9.4DKH
480calc
1300ish MG
0 nitrate
.02-.04 phosphate

 

[BeMoto]

I just took my skimmer offline to raise nitrate and phosphates. My skimmer was way over rated for my tank volume.

If you don't want to try going skimmer less I would try dosing nitrates slowly.

I'm having proplems with keeping corals long term. How long has your sps been in the tank?

 

[Spieg]

I have never had any measurable Nitrates in the tank.

This is pretty unheard of in a new tank (unless you don't have any fish/cleanup crew). makes me wonder about the accuracy of the test you're doing. Have you confirmed this with a LFS (most fish stores will test your water if you bring in a water sample).
If it really is zero, then you should dose some nitrate to maintain some detectable level (I try to stay in the 5-10 ppm range).

 

[Jekyl]

Feed more. Heavy in, heavy out

 

[elorablue]

This is pretty unheard of in a new tank (unless you don't have any fish/cleanup crew). makes me wonder about the accuracy of the test you're doing. Have you confirmed this with a LFS (most fish stores will test your water if you bring in a water sample).
If it really is zero, then you should dose some nitrate to maintain some detectable level (I try to stay in the 5-10 ppm range).

OP says tank is 14 months old, not new really.

 

[Spieg]

OP says tank is 14 months old, not new really.

He also said it has never had measurable nitrate (as I quoted). I assumed that never means never (including when it was new).

 

[elorablue]

He also said it has never had measurable nitrate (as I quoted). I assumed the never means never (including when it was new).

Good point.
My nitrates were at 80ppm at the end of cycle before 80% wc.

 

[fachatga]

Have you tried different tests? Confirm it’s zero? Besides that more feeding. Less filtration. I’d try to do it without additives if possible. If you can’t just dose slowly to monitor what happens. Especially phosphates. Don’t want them to drop to zero when you get nitrates up

 

[HTXReefer]

I just took my skimmer offline to raise nitrate and phosphates. My skimmer was way over rated for my tank volume.

If you don't want to try going skimmer less I would try dosing nitrates slowly.

I'm having proplems with keeping corals long term. How long has your sps been in the tank?

I have cut back my skimmer from 24 hours to 12 to see if that’ll make a difference. The first set of corals (2acros and 1 monti) have been in the tank for around 2 months. I have tried to put a few LPS in (Acans) but they shriveled up and receded within a week and I moved them to my 90 gallon LPS tank and they’re doing good now

 

[HTXReefer]

This is pretty unheard of in a new tank (unless you don't have any fish/cleanup crew). makes me wonder about the accuracy of the test you're doing. Have you confirmed this with a LFS (most fish stores will test your water if you bring in a water sample).
If it really is zero, then you should dose some nitrate to maintain some detectable level (I try to stay in the 5-10 ppm range).

I have confirmed the readings with Red Sea, Hannah and an old salifert tests kit. Haven’t taken a sample to LFS in a while.

 

[Jekyl]

Reduced skimmer time could also mean a dip in Ph. Larger or more frequent feeding may be a better route.

 

[HTXReefer]

I

He also said it has never had measurable nitrate (as I quoted). I assumed that never means never (including when it was new).

have only been really testing for the last 4 months or so. The first 9-10 months as the tank was cycling and going through uglies I didn’t test much if at all. Only vacuumed and did 10% water changes weekly.

 

[HTXReefer]

Have you tried different tests? Confirm it’s zero? Besides that more feeding. Less filtration. I’d try to do it without additives if possible. If you can’t just dose slowly to monitor what happens. Especially phosphates. Don’t want them to drop to zero when you get nitrates up

I have tried multiple test kits and confirmed zero. I don’t really want to dose nitrates if possible. I just know it’ll spiral out of control. The tank has no algae other than coralline and looks really good just figured the SPS would do better if I had a little bit of nitrate

 

[HTXReefer]

I should also add that for the last 3 months I have been doing a 3 gallon AWC daily.

 

[Spieg]

I should also add that for the last 3 months I have been doing a 3 gallon AWC daily.

You can turn that off until there is a reason for it.

 

[HTXReefer]

You can turn that off until there is a reason for it.

I was thinking of doing that for a couple of weeks and seeing if anything happened. Will broadcast feeding reef chili or reef foods add nitrates to the tank. I’d rather go that route than dosing nitrates if it’ll work

 

[air_run]

This is pretty unheard of in a new tank (unless you don't have any fish/cleanup crew).

I have had my tank up and running for 6 months, no detectable Nitrates as of yet. Testing with both Hanna Nitrate LR and HR test kits, Red Sea and Aquaforest. Phosphate has been steady for months at .02 - .03 ppm. Been running lights at full intensity, skimmer 24/7, and doing weekly 10% water changes since week 3. Probably why no nitrates?

Custom 45 Gallon, (2) Clowns, (2) Urchins, (1) Cleaner Shrimp, (15) Trochus Snails, and a Flame Angel. Doing the Aquaforest method, started with 30lbs +/- Marco Rock, AF Bio Sand and AF Sea Salt. Just recently switched to AF Probiotic salt get Cal, Mag and Alk up and added a 15 year old 8lb Fiji live rock about two weeks ago along with some Pods to add diversity.

Also, no "ugly stage" as of yet either. A few GHA patches here and there but, went away. Here is a shot of it today. I just picked up some Potassium Nitrate and I'm going to start dosing that slowly as well as adding a couple more fish.

 

[feelingfishy]

I have the same problem. Tank is up and running for 2years no nitrates unless I dose. But, that was the intended effect.

When I first put tank up I installed an egg crate over bottom. Then put some of the garden cloth sheets over it to keep sand out. Put about 4-5 inches of different size sands on top. I wanted a small amount of water but, not particals to reach the bottom. I have yet to see any sulfur deposits but, lots of nitrogen bubbles everyday.

Maybe you have a similar thing going on in your tank? I dose 30ml of neonitrogen everyday to keep measurable level.

 

[Spieg]

I was thinking of doing that for a couple of weeks and seeing if anything happened. Will broadcast feeding reef chili or reef foods add nitrates to the tank. I’d rather go that route than dosing nitrates if it’ll work

ReefRoids tends to increase Phosphate more than Nitrate. ReefChili might help some though. What do you use as mechanical filtration aside from the skimmer (socks/floss/roller mat?)

 

[HTXReefer]

ReefRoids tends to increase Phosphate more than Nitrate. ReefChili might help some though. What do you use as mechanical filtration aside from the skimmer (socks/floss/roller mat?)

I run mesh socks that came with my Bashsea sump most of the time and use a 100 micron felt socks for 1 week a month