When to start dosing NO3?

Crashnt24 · Apr 25, 2020

Background info:

Running a trition method tank. Dosing the 4 part to maintain 8dkh.
Nitrates - 0
Phosphates - .08

The fuge/skimmer are sucking all the NO3 out of the water but leaving the PO4. The coloration on my corals could be better but it is not the worst. I have some cyano in the sand, not much of it but it is there in 2" patches. I tried a water change to reduse PO4 levels, but they are remaining a constant .08 using red sea test kit.

I have been seeing a lot of posts saying they noticed benefits of dosing KNO3. Would you recommend I gave this a shot? Any good resources out there for how to get started? (ex: a guide and a place to buy the additives?). What about dosing aminos instead of NO3? would I see the same effects?

Things have changed from when I fist got into the hobby and did all my research. I always assumed 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates were the goal. Now I feel like I need to relearn everything IU thought I knew.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 25, 2020

I would either feed more or dose nitrate starting now.

I recommend food grade sodium nitrate unless you are monitoring and determine you need potassium.

Example:

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Crashnt24 · Apr 25, 2020

Wouldn't feeding more also increase my PO4? If I started feeding heavier, should I also run some GFO?

I'll plan on ordering Sodium Nitrate this week, do you have any recommendations on a starting dose?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 25, 2020

Crashnt24 said:
Wouldn't feeding more also increase my PO4? If I started feeding heavier, should I also run some GFO?

I'll plan on ordering Sodium Nitrate this week, do you have any recommendations on a starting dose?

Yes, but not by a lot and it is better for it to go up than nitrate be zero.

For dosing, I'm try 2 or 3 ppm a day for a while and see what that does.

Crashnt24 · Apr 30, 2020

Hey, I gotta say thanks! I started dosing NaNO3 and all my corals started coloring up nicer. My hammer coral started extending more, my Acro colored up over night. I found out my tank is eating up 2PPM of NO3 daily, so I found my maintenance dose and will maintain a NO3 level at 2PPM for now. What do you recommend to maintain NO3 at? 5PPM? less or more? thanks!