Undetectable Nitrates

[jdantunes]

My tank has been running for five years and I have always had my NO3 undetected. I'm using Salifert kit and then I use API to confirm the reading.

I keep mostly softies, lps and anemones. I believe my tank looks ok. But my question is:

Should I worry about this? Should I dose nitrate to raise levels? And if that's a good idea, what can I dose?

[NEWB2004]

Hey Jonathon,
In the last 19 years that I've been reef keeping it has always been accepted fact that near zero nitrates was best. There is some practical and anecdotal evidence supporting better growth with elevated nitrate levels. I have maintained my tanks near zero and have never seen an issue with growth. The added headaches of elevated nitrates was never attractive to me.
That said, if I wanted to elevate my nitrates I would slow down the skimming and stretch out the water changes.....ie slow down your nutrition export until you get the levels you want.

[CHSUB]

Hey Jonathon,
In the last 19 years that I've been reef keeping it has always been accepted fact that near zero nitrates was best. There is some practical and anecdotal evidence supporting better growth with elevated nitrate levels. I have maintained my tanks near zero and have never seen an issue with growth. The added headaches of elevated nitrates was never attractive to me.
That said, if I wanted to elevate my nitrates I would slow down the skimming and stretch out the water changes.....ie slow down your nutrition export until you get the levels you want.

it's refreshing to see this comment and i agree 100%!!! if you have fish and feed them, your corals have enought no3.

[bertoni]

When I was growing soft corals, the levels in my tank almost always measured zero for nitrate and phosphate. For a tiny period, I had a bit of measurable phosphate in one tank, but only briefly, and I went through an initial nitrate "problem" with a crushed coral substrate. After I replaced the substrate, nitrate went to zero.

So when I say zero, remember that I was using hobbyist test kits, and so the precision was not professional level. Still, my corals grew quite a bit, I had minimal algae problems, and the animals in the tank seemed to be healthy and colorful. I did keep a light fish load, though.

[jdantunes]

Thank you for all the answers, they really gave me assurance and peace of mind on this matter...

Like I said the tank is five years and everything in the tank looks healthy and thriving. The tank is mostly big colonies of different leathers, Zoanthids, a few LPS, a couple of anemones and gorgonians. I house a total of 10 fishes of no more than 4" of length and I feed twice a day.

I guess that between my corals, equipment, nitrifying bacteria and constant maintenance nutrients get absorbed in a way that they have been not detected for many years.