Need help upping nitrated

[AnthonyF]

Hey everyone,

So I was wondering if anyone had some advice on how to raise my nitrates. They are at 0 and ide like to get them back up around 5 or 10 but safely (is there is a way). I know I overfeed already, (its something I'm trying to stop lol) so feeding more is definitely out of the question. Any other advice? Thanks!

 

[mnavick]

You might be reading 0 because they are being consumed by other tank inhabitants.

Do you run a skimmer? if so could run that maybe part time.

Less water changes?

 

[AnthonyF]

I do run a skimmer (but seems to be more of an airater than skimmer lol. I am pretty sure they are 0 because the corals are using them. Since my nitrates hit 0, my corals have not looked too good but they looked awesome when there were about 5 so thats why I want to up them.

 

[JohnK]

What are you looking to accomplish? (increase the effectiveness of organic carbon dosing, feed clams, encourage macoralgae growth)

Here's an link with some discussion and more links related to nitrate dosing to boost the effectiveness of Organic carbon dosing;
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2303916&highlight=nitrate+dosing

 

[JohnK]

Looks like we posted at the same time...

What types of corals are you keeping? Do you do any carbon dosing?

 

[AnthonyF]

All I have right now is a 1 headed torch, 1 headed lobo, and a 1 head (well 3 but 2 are brand new and still haven't really budded). I am fighting crazy cyno right now though. Its only a biocube 29 which I found out is only 22g empty (including rear chamber) and 18g with rock/sand/equipment. I really thought the extra food would have made them go up with suck little corals, unless the cyno absorbs it too?

 

[AnthonyF]

Oh, and no, I don't carbon dose. I don't dose anything yet.

 

[JohnK]

Hmm, are you testing Ca and alk? If you aren't dosing anything it's quite possible that those levels have gotten low and that could be the issue.

As Mike said, what may have happened is that enough algae has developed in the system that it's sucking up the nitrate as fast as it is produced (and depending on how things are set up some natural de-nitrifiaction may have started happening).

 

[AnthonyF]

I have been testing everything except phosphates and everything is reading ok

 

[mnavick]

If cyano is present could be from overfeeding as you mentioned.
What are you feeding? how much? how is it prepared?
What type of lights? length they are on? age of bulbs?
RODI used for water changes? how often? what is TDS reading?
Flow? what type/how much?

Phosphates are probably at 0 due to being absorbed by the cyano

 

[AnthonyF]

I am feeding every day on a rotation. So, day 1, pellets, day 2 mysis shrimp, day 3, I am using food I bought up at LTR which the fish and corals love, then back to day 1 again. I don't measure or anything, I just use a turkey baster and stop when in feel everyone has gotten some. The lights are 10k compact actinics and compact t5 whites and 3 blue LED lunars (stock lights for the coralife biocube 29). The cycle is lunars on at 8 am, actinics on at 11, whites at 1. Whites off at 7, actinics at 9 and lunars at 3. I do weekly water changes of 5 gallons usually (2.5 last week, 5 again today) and I use Petco water. I use RO/DI for top off. I got it from my cousin. It was reading 0 when I got it and the 5 gallons has lasted over a month. It is in a bucket covered. Flow is the stock return pump (600 gph I believe) and a jebao wp10

 

[ro_nicu]

most of the algae is quite good at assimilating nitrites and ammonia so your food might not even break down all the way to nitrates. if you are looking to up the nitrates than look on planted aquarium forums - there's plenty of info on this.

 

[frank180reef]

Can you post your alk, calc and salinity level s , I bet it is one of those

 

[AnthonyF]

These are all of my test results as of 4/29. My parameters have been basically then same all along with very minor changes.
ph-8.0, Ammonia-0ppm, Nitrite-0ppm, Nitrate-0ppm, Salinity-1.026, kh-9.1DKH, ca-375ppm, Mg-1280ppm. Salinity is usually at 1.025 (again, very small changes in the weekly testing.

Thinking I may just need to kill the lights for a few days. Sand in the rear of the tank (under the rock where light isn't present) is still white and bright but its brown and covered with diatoms and cyno where the light is present.

 

[ro_nicu]

ph, alk and calc and mag are on the low side of the range for an SPS tank if i'm not mistaken. might also want to bring the salinity to 1.026 before evaporation.

 

[frank180reef]

Definitely the calc is low, which may be why the corals may not be as happy as you wanted

 

[stingythingy45]

All your parameters are fine except the Ca.
Coral food will cause cyano just about every time. That should be a once in a great, great while treat for the tank. And if there's diatom as well it's most likely caused by excess amounts of silicates in the top off water.
I would say that you need to
"I know I overfeed already, (its something I'm trying to stop lol)"

Take your own advice if you want a nice clean sand bed.

 

[AnthonyF]

I don't have sps and I'm not planning on it. My corals had looked great and the ca has been just about 375 always. maybe 5-10 ppm in either direction on occasion. The coral food is a mixed food in get from the store that they mix themselves and is for fish and corals.

The cyno isn't what my concern was with the thread. Right now I'm just trying to see if there is any way to up my nitrates. All my corals looked great when nitrates were present and since the have hit 0, the corals look bad. And I know the corals use nitrates.

So, is there any "safe" way to up them?