Truth about SPS and nitrates

[nothingfishy]

Hi guys, I am relatively new to keeping sps in my mixed reef seahorse tank. The tank has only been running since February, however about two months ago I added an acro colony, jedi mind trick frag, and two 3 inch pieces of montiporas.

Due to high feeding daily, my nitrates wave around 40-50 on a salifert kit. From what I can see, the sps has not lost color, and two of them have appeared to cup out and grow in the direction of the light.

My question is, I have always been under the impression you needed zero to very low nitrates (5-10ppm). However, is this a wives tale, and something that has changed in theory.

I wanted to try it out, and listening to what I have read/heard before, I thought for sure these sps corals would have bleached by now.

I know this is a lot of black science, and there probably is an answer, between what is believed, and what people actually do.

 

[Denadai]

High no3 will not kill your acros, just most of them will become brown

Best Regards

 

[jcdeng]

I think zero to no po4 and nitrates are referring to those ULNS tanks. with those you need to add/feed nutrients to the sps corals daily; ie, zeovit system.

For most systems, sps enjoy a little amount of nitrate and phosphate, along with stable alk/cal/mag. very low nitrate and phosphate the sps will lose color and seem pale, too much will slow down growth though.

 

[Stlouphil]

Where in the ocean'a reefs are nitrates at 40 - 50 ppm? I think the closest we can come to NSW with SPS the better. SPS can live with higher nitrate levels, but not thrive. IMHO

 

[nothingfishy]

Where in the ocean'a reefs are nitrates at 40 - 50 ppm? I think the closest we can come to NSW with SPS the better. SPS can live with higher nitrate levels, but not thrive. IMHO

I would never think anywhere in the ocean is anywhere near that high. I knew this was an experiment, and was looking to see what actually happens with elevated nitrate levels.

In the future, I may implement a biopellet system, however, in the mean time, with siphoning and water changes, I cant get them lower than 40 unless I decrease bio load, and or do higher than 20 percent water changes.

 

[Stlouphil]

I would never think anywhere in the ocean is anywhere near that high. I knew this was an experiment, and was looking to see what actually happens with elevated nitrate levels.



In the future, I may implement a biopellet system, however, in the mean time, with siphoning and water changes, I cant get them lower than 40 unless I decrease bio load, and or do higher than 20 percent water changes.

I did not mean to come off as ****y. : ) I think we both agree high nitrates are not optimal, but there are those who claim success with SPS and high nitrates. I personally am not one of them. Biopellets keep mine undetectable.