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View Full Version : What's the right level of nitrates?


MarlinHooker
01/18/2014, 07:29 AM
So can nitrates be too low? My tank is a mixed reef with a some SPS, LPS, anemones, clams, fish, inverts, etc. Is it ok for there to be undetectable nitrates or can that be bad for some animals ...?

cab395
01/18/2014, 12:30 PM
I think you're going to get mixed answers on this one depending on what exactly you are trying to keep (sps/lps, etc). Personally, in my tank which is mostly LPS with some softies and SPS thrown in, I've noticed a pretty dramatic increase in coloration and growth when I raised my nitrates from 0 to only 2-3 ppm. This is purely anecdotal, though, so I cannot say for sure if that is what led to the sudden increase.

hkgar
01/18/2014, 02:01 PM
You might find this thread of interest.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2346279

Want to join the "dirty tank club"?

bertoni
01/18/2014, 02:18 PM
Our hobbyist test kits aren't all that precise, so a reading of 0 on a nitrate test kit tells us very little, unfortunately. So "undetectable" could mean a level that's fine, or a level that's too low. Once the kits get down towards their detection limits, watching the animals is a lot more effective, IMO.

MarlinHooker
01/20/2014, 04:34 PM
my Red Sea test kit says .5 ppm. I had a HA problem which I just got under control so I don't want that to start up again ...

MarlinHooker
01/20/2014, 04:42 PM
I feed roti feast, coral smoothie & phyco pure 3X/week and Fuel trace elements 2x/week ...

bertoni
01/22/2014, 02:22 PM
0.5 ppm is high than natural ocean levels, but should be fine. I don't think it'll be a problem at all.

MarlinHooker
01/22/2014, 03:37 PM
ok, thx. I've tried kalk paste on a small patch of bryopsis and it seems to work. So I think for the time being I'll stick with the Red Sea treatment for the HA & kalk paste for bryopsis ...

bertoni
01/22/2014, 05:37 PM
That sounds like a good approach to me. Good luck!

MarlinHooker
01/23/2014, 07:14 AM
thx, at least my wife will stop asking what I'm doing about "... all that hair algae ..."