Is it important to keep nitrates at 0?

[4ddiction]

So far im running a mixed reef tank with a decent bioload. I only have one sps frag currently and its polyps arnt extending yet. (just put him in a week ago). I checked my parameters and everything is fine, except my nitrates are at 5ppm. If want more sps corals is it really that important to have these nitrates at 0?

Tank par:
78deg
cal- 390
10dkh
8.3ph
sg - 1.025
phos- 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 5ppm.

should i try to bring these nitrates down to 0?

[thebkramer]

Nitrates less than 10 are pretty normal.. it would be nice to have them stay at 0.. but 5 is not going to "hurt" anything..
I would be more concerned with your lighting with SPS corals.. where in your tank compared to the lights are they?? I could be wrong.. but I believe SPS and T5's don't mix well.. someone with more experience I'm sure will chime in ;)
IMO.. I would also raise your Ca up to around 450.. which corals also like more when there..
Have you inspected your SPS?? are there little red bugs on it??
Hmmm... am I missing something else?? lol

Edit: how often do you feed your tank?? and how often do you do water changes??

[sporto0]

Unless you have no livestock, inverts & corals included, you will never be at zero nitrates, the end of the nitrogen cycle is nitrates & then nitrogen gas in small amounts, 5ppm is an outstanding number to maintain, it's when you are around 30-40 ppm that problems arise in a reef tank.

[4ddiction]

feed them once a day, and change 10g of water every week.

The frag is on the top of my rock work maybe a foot below the T5s no litle bugs on the guy either.

Guess i gotta slow dose more of the bionic calcium.

[thebkramer]

how long ago did you get it??

[4ddiction]

about a week ago oh and forgot to include that my Mg is at 1350