Nitrate spiking??

[Trillaman954]

Hello so I just got a Hannah tester and I’m learning my tanks nitrate levels. I’ve noticed that in the last 3 days my nitrates have shot up fast. 1st day it was at 0.07, then the next day at 7.9 then today it’s 13 ppm. I am feeding a lot. 3 times a day meaty, pellets, and nori every day. Are these spikes bad for coral?

 

[rishma]

Hello so I just got a Hannah tester and I’m learning my tanks nitrate levels. I’ve noticed that in the last 3 days my nitrates have shot up fast. 1st day it was at 0.07, then the next day at 7.9 then today it’s 13 ppm. I am feeding a lot. 3 times a day meaty, pellets, and nori every day. Are these spikes bad for coral?

I have not found that nitrate changes like that bother my corals. I recall that nitrate does impact alkalinity (I think it lowers it but I forget) so you might want to keep an eye on that. Again, I don’t find your levels or changes concerning on their own. I shoot for >5 ppm, but don’t worry about it much unless it’s near zero. It tends to not get very high in my tanks.

More importantly, in my opinion, is that phosphate may be going up with your heavy feeding. I pay much closer attention to phosphate changes than nitrate. My tanks seem to do well with a wide range of nitrate, but elevated phosphate from heavy feeding tends to result in nuisance algae. Too low of phosphate is an actually a much worse problem. So hopefully you are measuring phosphate too.

 

[Trillaman954]

I have not found that nitrate changes like that bother my corals. I recall that nitrate does impact alkalinity (I think it lowers it but I forget) so you might want to keep an eye on that. Again, I don’t find your levels or changes concerning on their own. I shoot for >5 ppm, but don’t worry about it much unless it’s near zero. It tends to not get very high in my tanks.

More importantly, in my opinion, is that phosphate may be going up with your heavy feeding. I pay much closer attention to phosphate changes than nitrate. My tanks seem to do well with a wide range of nitrate, but elevated phosphate from heavy feeding tends to result in nuisance algae. Too low of phosphate is an actually a much worse problem. So hopefully you are measuring phosphate too.

Yea my po4 is at .9 but I also have Hannah

 

[14 foot reef]

Hello so I just got a Hannah tester and I’m learning my tanks nitrate levels. I’ve noticed that in the last 3 days my nitrates have shot up fast. 1st day it was at 0.07, then the next day at 7.9 then today it’s 13 ppm. I am feeding a lot. 3 times a day meaty, pellets, and nori every day. Are these spikes bad for coral?

Age of tank, products used for filtration, dry rock live rock ?

All of this is a must before we can attempt to get you a solid correct answer to you for guidance.

 

[Trillaman954]

Age of tank, products used for filtration, dry rock live rock ?

All of this is a must before we can attempt to get you a solid correct answer to you for guidance.

Tank is an upgrade from biocube I’ve had for a year, now it’s a 92 gallon with sump. Up for 3 weeks, summer reef octo 150 s, chaeto and caulerpa in sump with miracle mud, running carbon(same portion since set up)

 

[Spare time]

I am guessing a testing error but maybe there was tons of leftover food or something. How many hours is the refugium light on for and what light is it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’d keep watching it. The changes may just be testing noise/error.

 

[rishma]

Yea my po4 is at .9 but I also have Hannah

i think phosphate is what needs attention, unless perhaps this is a typo.

 

[Trillaman954]

I am guessing a testing error but maybe there was tons of leftover food or something. How many hours is the refugium light on for and what light is it?

It’s on 24/7 just a generic white blue and another purple one the white and blue les turn off after 12 hours

 

[Trillaman954]

i think phosphate is what needs attention, unless perhaps this is a typo.

.09**

 

[Trillaman954]

I’d keep watching it. The changes may just be testing noise/error.

But 7 ppm daily is wild I’m going to test again tonight right before feeding