Zero nitrates: how do I raise?

[Ferrell]

Hello Randy
Just got done searching the forum and your articles for a way to raise nitrates in my 75 but no luck . Only how to lower . If I feed too much i create algae bloom .Don't know best way to proceed.
Background:
75 gallon 11 month old DT\20 gallon sump . Approx 80 gallons
Dry Rock and Fiji sand
Alk 8.6
PH 8-8.2
Salinity 34
Ca 420
Mg 1500
Phos .08
Nitrate 0
Have a small dino outbreak and start of cyano. Few tuffs of GHA
2 Clowns 1 lawnmower blenny
About 25 LPS and 6+ SPS
I feed about 1\2 cube of LRS reef frenzy over a day 2-3 feedings
I feed reef roids once a week
Felt filter socks (2) change twice a week when clogged (switching to mesh today)
Skim very dry - clean once per week when about 1" full
Run carbon once per month for 4 days
10 gallon water change with HW marine reef every 2-3 weeks
Dose 250ml kalk per day plus 10 ml Alk and Ca solutions .

Should I feed more of can you recommend a product that will raise? Or should I turn skimmer off periodically? Going to add two to three more fish one I can get them through QT. First time I ever had to worry about ADDING nitrates.
thank you in advance for your help

 

[Idoc]

I have the same problem with no nitrates... except zero phosphate as well. Im currently dosing Sodium Nitrate and Seachem Phosphorous in a coral QT (that also had no nutrients) to see how things progress before dosing those in my DT. So far, it causes algae outbreaks in the coral QT.

In my DT, I changed my skimming schedule to only at night...still all zero nutrients after a couple weeks. Now, I've shut the skimmer off completely and will probably retest tomorrow to see if any nutrients occur.

 

[ireland425]

.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

Agree with idoc. Using sodium nitrate is a great way to get nitrate up fast. Over feeding the tank will get bacteria blooms and can lead to more problems.

 

[BrianReefer]

I dose with sodium nitrate every few days. Super easy. Mix up whole bottle, I have mine so 3ml increases my nitrate in my 120g by .75-1. Test every few days, dose if needed, keep an eye on Phosphates since they can drop while dosing, if they’re low and you want to dose nitrate, feed a bit extra that day or throw in some dry seaweed.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I would remove the carbon and the filter sock for a while and try to feed more. By removing the filter sock, the food will hopefully keep getting cycled back into the tank to be consumed and then expelled by your fish. Removing the carbon will make the skimmer the only source of removing organics in the water. You may get an increase in algae at first, but your nutrients should balance out and stabilize allowing you to take care of any algae. An increase in CUC would also take care of the algae, and their waste would put nutrients back in the water column.

 

[Subsea]

If you have abundant pods, you have a clean up crew that can recycle live food into feeding filter feeders. Food grows coral. If your tank biofilter is hungry, then feed it more. I have been skimmerless for 35 years. Protein skimmers remove food that feeds coral. Of course, I run high nutrient systems that shun SPS.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/wet-salty-for-christmas-2017.428100/
This tank is less than 1 year old.

 

[JohnnyTabasco]

How about adding more fish?

 

[rhymechizel]

I went from zero nitrates and phosphates by feeding more. I added an auto feeder that feeds twice a day and feed frozen twice a day. Every system is different but that’s what worked for me.

 

[MTBake]

I would mix up a solution and dose. Reagent grade sodium nitrate is readily available on Amazon. As is trisodium phosphate. I'll post a link to a decent calculator for mixing and dosing. Yes, it's for planted fresh water aquariums. Works just as well for our needs. The solutions come out a little on the weak side following the mixing instructions with the ingredients I posted. This will be ok as you should be adding slowly and testing to see if the desired values are being attained. Watch both nitrates and phosphates once you start dosing.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

 

[Subsea]

I would mix up a solution and dose. Reagent grade sodium nitrate is readily available on Amazon. As is trisodium phosphate. I'll post a link to a decent calculator for mixing and dosing. Yes, it's for planted fresh water aquariums. Works just as well for our needs. The solutions come out a little on the weak side following the mixing instructions with the ingredients I posted. This will be ok as you should be adding slowly and testing to see if the desired values are being attained. Watch both nitrates and phosphates once you start dosing.

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

Who would have thought that SPS systems needing to be dosed with nitrogen & phosphorous.

I am curious about fresh water plant uptake of heavy metals. I dose iron & manganese because of my focus on ornamental macro algae. Because I considered Red Ogo as a commercial crop for cuisine, I sent Ogo to an industrial lab to be analyzed:
N: 2.59 %
P: 0.082 %
K: 13.54 %
Ca: 0.555 %
Mg: 1.163 %
S: 4.81 %
Zn: 139 ppm
Fe: 107 ppm
Mn: 20 ppm
Cu: 7.0 ppm

Considering the heavy metals in the dry analysis of seaweed, I ponder on there benefit as enzymes to allow specific biochemistry. I recall, with respect to pecan crop production, addiding chelated zinc to soil around drip line of the tree to increase bioavailability of nutrients already in the soil. I have heard the rule, not to use fresh water feeders for marine predators. Instead use feeders that are raised on marine algae because of its high nutritional value. Are some heavy metals part of that nutritional value?

 

[PatW]

For dosing nitrate, you can use Spectracide ( stump remover ). It would s potassium nitrate but one doesn’t know how pure it is. You can also buy reagent grade sodium nitrate on Amazon. I have used Spectracide but have gone on to sodium nitrate. I mix them up the same way, half a cup in a gallon of RODI water. I have a 300 gallon sps tank and it takes 3 tbs per day to keep nitrates at 1.5 ppm.

For phosphate, I use trisodium phosphate.

 

[Ferrell]

Thanks all for the advice. I've switched over to mesh socks and have gotten a little bump in nitrates, from 0 to 1

 

[JohnnyTabasco]

Thanks all for the advice. I've switched over to mesh socks and have gotten a little bump in nitrates, from 0 to 1

Have you considered adding more fish?

 

[Ferrell]

How about adding more fish?

I'm trying to get them through QT. Had a bit of trouble with last 5. Each were received with various problems and didn't make it.

 

[JohnnyTabasco]

I'm trying to get them through QT. Had a bit of trouble with last 5. Each were received with various problems and didn't make it.

I have the same problem with po4 and no3 being zero. It's funny since I've been striving to get them as low as possible - now I can't get them up and my coral looks like ****.
I added more fish, started feeding more and dosing amino acids, but it's a fine line.

Sorry to hear about the fish, maybe you should find a new dealer.

 

[BrianReefer]

Thanks all for the advice. I've switched over to mesh socks and have gotten a little bump in nitrates, from 0 to 1

Honesty, I’d just buy the sodium nitrate and go for it. It’s super easy and addresses the problem in a consistent way and you’ll get the levels exactly where you want them. I’ve been dosing for 3 months now, do a salifert test 2x/wk, and all is well!

 

[GugsJr]

I dosed stump remover with no ill effects. Haven't had to dose since adding new fish.

 

[Docdiggy]

Keep an eye on phos if you choose to dose nitrates.

 

[Ferrell]

I have the same problem with po4 and no3 being zero. It's funny since I've been striving to get them as low as possible - now I can't get them up and my coral looks like ****.
I added more fish, started feeding more and dosing amino acids, but it's a fine line.

Sorry to hear about the fish, maybe you should find a new dealer.

Been to a not so local LFS, then online retailer, then LFS... tore down my QT and sterilized everything, reread all the articles on QT I could find and how to maintain and treat. Giving it another try this week. Have Protocol from humblefish’s articles so hopefully I’ll get these three through it this time