Is it such thing 0 NITRATES....

[LuckySingh]

2 things I always consider a myth in reef keeping 0 NO3 and 0 PO4 in a flourish reef .....
I recently installed a koralin nitrate reactor few months ago bc my work and family is keeping me pretty occupied and I was lack in doing frequent water changes.....
I never tested my nitrates since I installed the reactor until this morning ....

It reads 0.... I hve never seen this in my entire reef keeping time ....

[allan]

I've always read 0 nitrates. I don't know about the new tank (haven't measured it), but the last two have always had zero. I blame it on the cyano.

Now that I am doing weekly water changes I've noticed my cyano is limited to just a little in the sump.


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[ramsey]

I don't think there's such a thing as 0 nitrates in your tank. Maybe undetectable, but not 0.

[allan]

lol, I will take undetectable. The test lists we use use such a bland color chart that it would be easy to mistake it for zero.


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[Big_Pun]

since I've been using bio pellets I have always had zero nitrates but that's what they are suppose to do

[CoryDude]

Lucky, I use the denitrator as well and my API will also show 0ppm. If you use the low range salifert it will show around .25 - 1ppm.

Unless your tank is dry, you'll always have some NO3. Gabe brought a good point too. Your algae will also take up some nitrates as well so our test kits don't take the locked up NO3 into account either.

[alton]

What do your softies/LPS look like or is there none in your tank? The last time my tank showed 0 Nitrates was in my 200 and my Xenia crashed and dissapeared.

[Troy Valentine]

What do your softies/LPS look like or is there none in your tank? The last time my tank showed 0 Nitrates was in my 200 and my Xenia crashed and dissapeared.

I have experenced this myself, except without the Xenia crash. I notice my SPS loose their color, and all visible algae in the tank dissappears. It starts a chain reation, a total biological breakdown in the system..... As long as algae is present on top of my rock I know the tank is healthy. Once it disappears is when I start getting nervous. I am experiencing this right now, so I've been dosing nitrates from a new system I am trying to establish. From my experience a traditional system can become to efficient for its own good.

[Big_Pun]

I have experenced this myself, except without the Xenia crash. I notice my SPS loose their color, and all visible algae in the tank dissappears. It starts a chain reation, a total biological breakdown in the system..... As long as algae is present on top of my rock I know the tank is healthy. Once it disappears is when I start getting nervous. I am experiencing this right now, so I've been dosing nitrates from a new system I am trying to establish. From my experience a traditional system can become to efficient for its own good.

Agree which is why i started only using half dosage of bio pellets to about 3/4, my macro still grows nicely and algaes cycle in out. when i was double amount of bio pellets in my 70g tank it looked very bland, sps was pastel, but that dang bryopsis didnt mind it lol.