Anyone Dosing Nitrate?

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#1
I recently made it my goal to figure out why the heck my phosphate level would continually rise despite my best effort to reduce it. I was running Phosguard in a media bag in my sump (yes I know a reactor would be better), skimmer, and an algae turf scrubber. My tank is a 40 breeder with a 20L sump so probably roughly 50 gallons total water volume. I feed 1 cube of frozen per day.

Out of all the methods I was using, the ATS showed the most promise as it initially lowered my phosphates. However, it eventually reached a point where it could not get the level lower than ~0.15. I was very confused at this point because between weekly water changes my phosphate would creep up to 0.25 - 0.35! That is when I stumbled upon a nitrate dosing post on R2R...

I tested my nitrate level and sure enough it was undetectable. I had known I had low nitrates based on previous testing but I thought that this was a good thing because having high nitrates is considered bad for your tank. However, my undetectable nitrates had basically become a limiting factor for organisms in the tank that take up carbon, nitrate and phosphate from the water. I went to Lowe's and bought a nitrogen source (KNO3 in Stump Remover) and mixed up a batch of it.

My first dose was 15mL which, based on the concentration I mixed up, was supposed to raise my tank's NO3 level by 1 ppm. I retested after an hour and read 0.75 ppm! I let that first dose do its thing for a day and retested after 24 hours...no detectable NO3. I then tested my phosphate level and it had been CUT IN HALF from the previous day. Nothing I have ever done has shown such immediate, significant results. To me this was verification that my undetectable NO3 had become a limiting factor for my tank.

I am going to continue to conservatively dose KNO3 until I am comfortable with my nitrate and phosphate levels. I guess one of the main concerns is that you can completely bottom out your phosphate level which results in bad things happening to your coral.

Does anyone else have experience with this? Success stories, horror stories?
 
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#2
This is a fad in the hobby right now that is completely unnecessary. Ten years ago we were growing colored up SPS corals and the answer to low nutrient issues was to feed your corals and feed your fish more often. That is still the answer today. Dosing nitrate is a waste of time and money.
 
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#3
This is a fad in the hobby right now that is completely unnecessary. Ten years ago we were growing colored up SPS corals and the answer to low nutrient issues was to feed your corals and feed your fish more often. That is still the answer today. Dosing nitrate is a waste of time and money.
I definitely agree that it seems to be a fad. However, respectfully, could there not be more than one solution to low nitrate levels? Comparing the two options of dosing nitrate versus feeding more, dosing allows you to know know exactly what you're adding to your tank and is also super cheap ($8 for a bottle of stump remover that could easily last over a year).

Regardless of the method used to raise nitrate, it's very interesting seeing first hand how important it is to make sure a healthy balance of nitrate and phosphate exists in your tank and how manipulating one can influence the other.
 

reefes pieces

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#4
Maybe drop the photo period on the turf scrubber and run GFO in a reactor? As much as that scrubber removes PO4 I'm sure it's doing an even more efficient job of reducing NO3. But if dosing nitrates works for you then go for it.
 
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#5
I have both a refugium snd 2 ATS. In addtion I dose vinegar and iron to help control my Nitrate and phosphate. My ATSs and refugium dropped my nitrate and phosphate to low when I first set them up with the lights on 24/7. I had to cut back the photo period substantially till they raised again. I have been dialing in the time they are on to match my nutrient export needs.
 
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#6
I have both a refugium snd 2 ATS. In addtion I dose vinegar and iron to help control my Nitrate and phosphate. My ATSs and refugium dropped my nitrate and phosphate to low when I first set them up with the lights on 24/7. I had to cut back the photo period substantially till they raised again. I have been dialing in the time they are on to match my nutrient export needs.
What is the purpose of the iron dosing? Is it to facilitate growth of macro algae and growth on the ATS?
 

Smite

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#7
I used nitrates with success. I had zero no3 and po4. So I was dosing both supplements. Once I got them detectable everything showed improvement. My system is mostly sps. After a month or so of dosing I noticed my tank balance out and i now don't have to dose anything. No3 5ppm seems to be my sweet spot.
 
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I definitely agree that it seems to be a fad. However, respectfully, could there not be more than one solution to low nitrate levels? Comparing the two options of dosing nitrate versus feeding more, dosing allows you to know know exactly what you're adding to your tank and is also super cheap ($8 for a bottle of stump remover that could easily last over a year).

Regardless of the method used to raise nitrate, it's very interesting seeing first hand how important it is to make sure a healthy balance of nitrate and phosphate exists in your tank and how manipulating one can influence the other.
For discussions sake, I agree that more than one method would be welcome. But if you are only dosing nitrates, you're not benefiting the tank very much. If you feed the fish and corals to increase nitrate you'll be benefiting all of the tank inhabitants. The issue as I see it, is that there is no Nitrate PPM level that is proven to be beneficial to corals. Nitrate is proven however, to encourage nuisance algae growth and inhibit coral growth. You will not find nitrate above 0.1 ppm on a natural reef. Randy Holmes Farley recommends between undetectable (with hobby kits) and 1ppm maximum.
 
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#9
For discussions sake, I agree that more than one method would be welcome. But if you are only dosing nitrates, you're not benefiting the tank very much. If you feed the fish and corals to increase nitrate you'll be benefiting all of the tank inhabitants. The issue as I see it, is that there is no Nitrate PPM level that is proven to be beneficial to corals. Nitrate is proven however, to encourage nuisance algae growth and inhibit coral growth. You will not find nitrate above 0.1 ppm on a natural reef. Randy Holmes Farley recommends between undetectable (with hobby kits) and 1ppm maximum.
Yea I read about how low nitrate levels are in the ocean. That is very interesting indeed. Have you found any foods that seem to add a nice balance of nitrate and phosphate? It seems when I feed frozen only my phosphates rise while my nitrates stay zero.
 

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