Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > Coral Forums > SPS Keepers
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 08/03/2018, 04:30 PM   #1
ReefTankHunter
Registered Member
 
ReefTankHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 392
0 nitrates

Have problem with some acros fading. Pale.
Everything reads good, except nitrates. 2 different text kits read 0.
Questions, How do I raise nitrates safely.


ReefTankHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2018, 05:03 PM   #2
SnowManSnow
Registered Member
 
SnowManSnow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Georgia
Posts: 956
I do raise NO3 when needed to around 2-3. I use NaNO3. I personally feel its is one of the safer alternatives since it is sodium which is present anyway. I bought 5 POUNDS of it on Amazon. Lab Grade. 5 lbs will last a VERY long time.


__________________
It's dark as the inside of a cow out here! - Mark Twain

Current Tank Info: 120 MRC acrylic Tank (love it). Constellation T5s Mixed Reef
SnowManSnow is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2018, 05:09 PM   #3
tomte25
Registered Member
 
tomte25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
There are threads about dosing a stump remover mix. They mostly mention it for dinos treatment I think. I’ve used it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


tomte25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2018, 06:27 PM   #4
ReefTankHunter
Registered Member
 
ReefTankHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 392
NaNO3, Can someone point me to a link to bye this .
Is it safe.


ReefTankHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2018, 07:57 PM   #5
JMetaxas
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Old Saybrook, CT
Posts: 113
https://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Nitrit...B8KJ2XZHCQB67T


JMetaxas is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2018, 08:43 PM   #6
ReefTankHunter
Registered Member
 
ReefTankHunter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Greenville SC
Posts: 392
Thanks, not sure how mush I will need.
It looks safe enough.


ReefTankHunter is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/06/2018, 09:01 AM   #7
pisanoal
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 705
Alternatively, seachem nitrogen is an easy/safe alternative although more expensive. If you go with nano3 powder, be very careful with your calculations and go slow. Very easy to overdose and raise your Nitrates way higher then intended.


pisanoal is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/07/2018, 02:44 PM   #8
reeftemptation
Registered Member
 
reeftemptation's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 18
Chiming in I ordered the no3 yesterday. I'm having the same problem with zero nitrates


__________________
I was once known as the "fish killer" 😱 sad to say...my fish are glad that changed😁

Current Tank Info: 150 gallon, 15 gallon sump/Refugium, Ecotech Hydra 26(s) lighting,
reeftemptation is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/08/2018, 01:30 AM   #9
Mr. Brooks
MASVC Member
 
Mr. Brooks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 3,477
Do you run a skimmer 24/7? Fuge every night?

Cut the skimmer down to a couple hours a night and reduce the photoperiod on the fuge. Also increase feeding and possibly add more fish.

I found that these methods worked better for me than adding nitrate manually. Too hard to be consistent.


Mr. Brooks is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/08/2018, 09:50 AM   #10
watchguy123
Registered Member
 
watchguy123's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 1,074
All good suggestions. Nitrates am be increased by adding food, nitrate supplements or dead critters, unintentionally. When you add extra food or have dead critters (fish croaking), it results in other things increasing in particular phosphates. And if you add nitrate powders or spectracide, you may drive phosphates down

If your nutrient export, either algae growth and removal or skimming or bacterial processing ( rock, substrate, siporax, marine block, carbon dosing, etc) is functioning really well, it can drive nitrates really low. But keep in mind that phosphates and nitrates need to be kept in a healthy range, too high or too low can be problematic.

You should know your phosphate levels as well as nitrate levels because supplementing nitrates (NaNO3 or KNO3) can drive phosphates down while adding more food can drive phosphates up. There very well may be other interactions taking place.

It is a balancing act and you need to be mindful of your nitrates and phosphate levels and realize that whatever you do, there will be a corresponding reaction to your chosen action


__________________
Reef Hobbyist Magazine, Q4 2017, "Achieving Colorful SPS"
ReefHacks.com, "The Ultimate Guide: How To Successfully Grow Beautiful SPS Corals"
Reef Spotlight February 2013, other Forum

Current Tank Info: 180 Bowfront, 30 gallon sump, 20 gallon refugium, reeflo dart/snapper hybrid pump, 2 x 6105 Tunze ,Tunze ATO, dual chamber CA reactor, 3 x250 metal halides with 2x t5 actinic supplement, Reefbrite Blue XHO's dawn/dusk

Last edited by watchguy123; 08/08/2018 at 09:57 AM.
watchguy123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/08/2018, 12:48 PM   #11
jda
Dogmatic Dinosaur
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 6,256
Throughput is more important than a number on a test kit. Are you feeding your fish enough? If so, then you are fine.

You do not likely have 0 nitrate - we just lack any good test kits to test this. Nitrate in my tank is about .1, but I need a IC test to show this. I feed 15 fish a bunch, so I know that there is plenty of nitrate in there.

If you nitrate are near zero, then you have anoxic bacteria that are consuming them and turning them into N gas. Adding more nitrate will make these multiply and your dose will quickly go back down to zero again.

Also, keep in mind that nitrate is proven to stunt zoox growth and inhibit calcification. Nobody knows the actual levels, but if you want to supplement I would keep the N under 5 and P under .25. This is where the "low levels, but high throughput with heavy feeding and heavy export" comes in handy.


jda is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/13/2018, 10:14 AM   #12
reeftemptation
Registered Member
 
reeftemptation's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 18
Watch the no3. It takes very little. Now my nitrates are too high!! Now using nopox. Getting frustrated.


__________________
I was once known as the "fish killer" 😱 sad to say...my fish are glad that changed😁

Current Tank Info: 150 gallon, 15 gallon sump/Refugium, Ecotech Hydra 26(s) lighting,
reeftemptation is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:55 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.