Zero Nitrates = Pastel Acros (dosing nitrates)

Just tested nitrates, Big fat ZERO. Gunna up the amount I'm dosing. I was worried I might be going too crazy, but obviously it's not enough to make any difference.

To what some of you are saying, I totally agree. There is a balance, and right now my parameters are not balanced. I don't know if it's as important to have zero po3/po4, as it is important to have a balanced po3/po4. Having zero nitrates and low phosphates def isn't working for me.
 
On a 360 gallon system, for a while I dosed KNO3 to the tune of 3-4 lbs over 1-2 years thinking I had low K+. I don't have good record of how much I added. I never saw negative effects from it but stopped when I bought a K+ test kit and found it was elevated (but not crazy high).

Personally, I think the NO3 has benefits too in moderation. I have a RDSB and chaeto that always drive it down.
 
My preferred method, adding more beautiful fish to increase nitrates.

For me, all it took was taking my fuge offline, no more macroalgea. Nitrates stay low, but not as zero. Now looking at adding a few more fish, and I changed to bi-weekly water changes.

So far, my colors are good with excellent growth.
 
For the folks with low nitrate by nature, how much do you feed? Do you feed just enough for them to eat? With nothing left?

Ive always polluted the tank.. specially with all those frozen food juice. it clears up after a few minutes. Macro algae grows like crazy and i have to keep up with the WC.
 
m0nkie said:
For the folks with low nitrate by nature, how much do you feed? Do you feed just enough for them to eat? With nothing left?

Ive always polluted the tank.. specially with all those frozen food juice. it clears up after a few minutes. Macro algae grows like crazy and i have to keep up with the WC.
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I feed smart. I do small amounts at a time. Let the fish eat, then add more. I never just dump in all the food at once.
 
oscar.millan said:
My preferred method, adding more beautiful fish to increase nitrates.

For me, all it took was taking my fuge offline, no more macroalgea. Nitrates stay low, but not as zero. Now looking at adding a few more fish, and I changed to bi-weekly water changes.

So far, my colors are good with excellent growth.
Click to expand...


I just bought a vlamingi tang and a melanarus wrasse on sat. Hoping it will help somewhat. Looking at adding another large tang. Had my eye on a dussumieri, if anyone sees a smaller one, let me know.
 
Mark405 said:
CG has some 3-4" ones nick. Do you have a tank thread? I wanna see some updates pics! Hope all is well
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No updated pics. Most acros are doing good, but some are just ehh...I wouldn't say thriving. :/

When did you see the dussumieri? I text chad and he didn't know if he had any
 
Is your plan to dose nitrates on a regular basis? Are you tryinging to find a dosage amount say once a day or week?
 
What do you think is the cause of low nitrates in your tank. I would just expect with fish and fish feeding, skimming and chaeto and no carbon dosing that nitrates would not get to undetectable.

There have been other threads on this topic so it is an obvious issue for reefing. Regardless of skimmer, they are all just about equal in skimming power and yes we all have our favorite. Chaeto has been around forever and is good at nutrient reduction but I am not sure it is the cause of undetectable nitrates in a tank full of fish. And for those not carbon dosing, is there new bacteria in the water that are hungrier than in the past.

It has been a challenge for most tanks to keep nutrients in control. Now threads on undetectable nitrates. What is changing to cause this shift.
 
BeanMachine said:
Is your plan to dose nitrates on a regular basis? Are you tryinging to find a dosage amount say once a day or week?
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I have no idea. We'll see how my tank does. Some guys have been able to dose more up front, and then only dose every couple weeks. But other guys have had to constantly dose it to keep their nitrates up.

Every tank is different, and I haven't tested since Thursday, so we'll see where my nitrates are at this morning.
 
watchguy123 said:
What do you think is the cause of low nitrates in your tank. I would just expect with fish and fish feeding, skimming and chaeto and no carbon dosing that nitrates would not get to undetectable.

There have been other threads on this topic so it is an obvious issue for reefing. Regardless of skimmer, they are all just about equal in skimming power and yes we all have our favorite. Chaeto has been around forever and is good at nutrient reduction but I am not sure it is the cause of undetectable nitrates in a tank full of fish. And for those not carbon dosing, is there new bacteria in the water that are hungrier than in the past.

It has been a challenge for most tanks to keep nutrients in control. Now threads on undetectable nitrates. What is changing to cause this shift.
Click to expand...


Could it possibly be skimmers are becoming more efficient? Maybe it's my aquascape? I have a very open aquascape with minimum rocks, and lots of areas with high flow. Maybe there isn't as many places for detritus to settle? I'm just thinking of the older idea of pack your tank with as much live rock as possible. Which in the end turned into big traps for detritus, and possibly turned into nitrate factories?. Same idea with my sump. I have a very high turn over rate in my tank, and I have power heads in my sump that keep detritus from settling. Maybe all of that makes a more efficient skimmer work even better?? Idk, these are just random ideas, because it makes no sense to me either. I have always fed the same food, and the same amount over the past years, and yet I have never had a problem keeping my nitrates up. This tank has been running for about 1-1.5 years and I've never once had nitrates.
 
I have been dosing KNO3 for a week now.....I am having to dose daily because my nitrates drop right back to zero.
Hoping for better colors and growth ahead!
 
Starting to see a drastic difference in my lps. I only have a few chalices and Acans, but they were very pale and extremely slow growers. After bumping up my nitrates, colors are becoming much darker.



(My Miami, crazy fox, tangerine dreams...my OG Jason Fox collection) the tangerine dreams is the newest addition, and hasn't changed much since I got it. but the other two were sooo pale, I thought I was gunna lose them.

Some sps are starting to get better colors, and others are showing better polyp extension. I also did a 50g water change, and sucked out a lot of the cyano that had built up. Hoping the tank keeps going in this direction, it's getting me excited.
 
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