Can’t get nitrates above 0.0ppm Hanna checker

[alexanderthefishlover]

Hello,

As the title says I can’t get my nitrates above 0.0ppm on the Hanna checker….

I had 4.5 just a week ago, I’m even dosing neonitro.

I’ve added more hermits even.

Only change is I’ve been dosing live phytoplankton daily. Is this causing my low nitrates even with dosing!!??

 

[Spare time]

How much are you feeding? Have you double checked with another kit?

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

How much are you feeding? Have you double checked with another kit?

I’ve been using the test for months and it’s been very accurate. The water will usually be a tint of pink in the vial and that means nitrate present.

Right now the same lot of reagents are no long tinting pink and reading at 0.0. If I add neo nitro into the mix it reads so it’s def 0.0.

I increased feeding, 2 times a day with frozen foods I don’t use pellets.

I also began dosing seachem reef plus.

I did add more leather corals, and I added more hermits. I just can’t get to climb and I’m dosing 2ml of neo nitro into a 25p AIO waterbox a day. And still, not climbing.

 

[Spare time]

Just up the neonitro or feed more at once. You can also use something like amino acid only mix or ammonium chloride.

 

[FindingNem0]

I had the same problem for a few weeks, where my nirate was about to bottom out. I dose Aquaforest Nirate, started from 5 drops per day to 10 drops per day. Nirate went from 0.1 to 6ppm over 2 months.

 

[Mr. Acantho]

Are you dosing the recommended amount in the instructions?

To get a 1 ppm increase in nitrates for my 217 gallon system, I need to add 200 ml of Brightwell NeoNitro, which is I believe 5x the Ez calculation in the instructions.

 

[splunty]

Nitrate and Phosphorus Control via Phytoplankton Additions?

The new 120-gallon reef tank is doing well and I've added all the fish I feel prudent for now (2-Yellow Tangs, 1-Lamarck's Angel, 2-Maroon Clowns, 2-Ocellaris clowns, 2-Neon Gobies - about 20 inches total length in all and growing.) These fishes are fed at least 3x daily with frozen mysis, live...

www.reef2reef.com

Zero doesn't seem possible, but there's anecdotal evidence posted here showing significant nitrate consumption if dosing phytos.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Are you dosing the recommended amount in the instructions?

To get a 1 ppm increase in nitrates for my 217 gallon system, I need to add 200 ml of Brightwell NeoNitro, which is I believe 5x the Ez calculation in the instructions.

I doubled the dosage! And still it’s dropping to 0 in 24 hours. That’s what neonitro says, dose and test in 24 hours.

Going to skin the phyto for a few days see if that’s the cause .

 

[Mr. Acantho]

I think you need to go with a higher multiple than 2x.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

I think you need to go with a higher multiple than 2x.

I’m adding neonitro to the test tube with reagent will see if it detects the high amount added if it does it’s clearly accurate and my tank is 0 and I will try tripling it

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

I think you need to go with a higher multiple than 2x.

The machine definitely works. I added the neonitro to the vial itself and it’s reading. My water is clearly very very low in nitrates. I’ve added some more to the water will test tomorrow

 

[Lasse]

The phytoplankton is probably one reason for the low NO3 readings. I do not know anything about the product you use. I prefer to exactly know what i am putting into my aquarium. Hence - I use to mix my own product in order to rise NO3 concentration. I buy Sodium nitrate (NaNO3 or Chile salpeter) from the spice rack in my grocery store. The exact mixing ratio is 34 g NaNO3 diluted up to 500 ml with RO water. Of this 1 ml will rise 100 L of aquarium water with 0.5 mg/L NO3. If you use KNO3 (that was my original recipe) - you need 40 mg KNO3 in order to get the same result. However - nowadays I prefer to use NaNO3 instead. But if you are short in K in your aquarium it could be good with KNO3. In that case the addition will rise K concentrations with 0.3 mg/100 L as well. Note that K is not normally consumed as fast as NO3, hence it will accumulate in your water. That's the reason why I use NaNO3 nowadays

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Dan_P]

The machine definitely works. I added the neonitro to the vial itself and it’s reading. My water is clearly very very low in nitrates. I’ve added some more to the water will test tomorrow

The high range nitrate Checker has a variation of 2 ppm. A nitrate level of 0-1 ppm might read 0 ppm. I do agree with your conclusion that the system is depleting nitrate.

 

[Steven Garland]

Try getting something that produces organic waste like more fish. I need to do the same thing myself.

So my 10g,I have a good sized Neon Goby,Peppermint Shrimp,2 turbo's,2 Margarita's,4 Hermits,1 Lettuce Nudi. I feed about 1-2ml of frozen brine a day,along with 2-3 drops of BWA Amino or SeaChem Fuel and I spot feed all my frags with BWA Extreme Coral food mixed with TLF GoniPower every day and Phols Xtra whenever I remember. I haven't done a water change in almost a momth and I have to dose NeoPhos/Nitro everyday. I dose 15ml Nitro & 10ml Phos just to keep nutrients in the water. I even add Phos/Nitro to my water change water lol its that bad.


My only filtration is a pad of filter floss on top top of my filter sock which has a small bag of carbon. And I only change my filter sock 1 time a month lol. So thats that tell you ?!?! Something is absorbing your nutrients,which the quicker you find out the better. For me its Ulva algae.

 

[FindingNem0]

Are you dosing the recommended amount in the instructions?

To get a 1 ppm increase in nitrates for my 217 gallon system, I need to add 200 ml of Brightwell NeoNitro, which is I believe 5x the Ez calculation in the instructions.

I forgot to mention, my tank is only a 20g nano. My tank consumes about 2ppm nirate per week, the other way I increase Phosphate and nirate is using AB+ and reef roid, twice a week each.

 

[splunty]

If you're continually adding phytoplankton and adding nitrates (essentially feeding the photos), and you keep approaching zero, wouldn't that indicate that phytos population is growing faster than it's being consumed?

And once the ratio starts moving the other way, will all of that nitrate be released back into the water column?

I am not trying to be critical, I am also new to the hobby and really don't know the answers here. What do you have in the tank intended to consume the phyto dose? Pods? Corals?

 

[Lasse]

and you keep approaching zero, wouldn't that indicate that phytos population is growing faster than it's being consumed?

Nope - first when you can measure a steady value (above 0) you know you have reach the equilibrium point between dose and consumption, and this point will be higher and higher depending on biomass growth

And once the ratio starts moving the other way, will all of that nitrate be released back into the water column?

If the Phyto is consumed (by corals and other Phyto eating animals) - around 65-75 % of the N in the added NO3 will be released as mainly NH4-N. This NH4-N will partly be transformed into internal produced NO3-N (from nitrification) or up taken as NH4-N of zooxanthella (the algae of the coral) or other algae (as the phytoplankton) As long as there is a total growth of biomass in the aquarium and the NO3 concentration do not rise - the system will consume N as much as the addition of it. Note that the N addition is not only by the dosing of NO3 - the food to the fish also bring in new N in the N circulation. When NO3 rise (as seen by tests) first reaction should be to lower the dose until no dosing is needed. In this situation all N needed for growth comes from the feeding of fish and/or internal production. At one or another point - the feeding of fish will bring too much N into the system - the NO3 rise again. This can happens when the system have growth to its endpoint or the fish population is too high compared with the production of organism that use photosynthesis.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[splunty]

Nope - first when you can measure a steady value (above 0) you know you have reach the equilibrium point between dose and consumption, and this point will be higher and higher depending on biomass growth



If the Phyto is consumed (by corals and other Phyto eating animals) - around 65-75 % of the N in the added NO3 will be released as mainly NH4-N. This NH4-N will partly be transformed into internal produced NO3-N (from nitrification) or up taken as NH4-N of zooxanthella (the algae of the coral) or other algae (as the phytoplankton) As long as there is a total growth of biomass in the aquarium and the NO3 concentration do not rise - the system will consume N as much as the addition of it. Note that the N addition is not only by the dosing of NO3 - the food to the fish also bring in new N in the N circulation. When NO3 rise (as seen by tests) first reaction should be to lower the dose until no dosing is needed. In this situation all N needed for growth comes from the feeding of fish and/or internal production. At one or another point - the feeding of fish will bring too much N into the system - the NO3 rise again. This can happens when the system have growth to its endpoint or the fish population is too high compared with the production of organism that use photosynthesis.

Sincerely Lasse

Thank you kindly. I've been well educated and entertained by your many posts here on r2r. You and your deep knowledge (is that a pun?) are more appreciated than you know!

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Try getting something that produces organic waste like more fish. I need to do the same thing myself.

So my 10g,I have a good sized Neon Goby,Peppermint Shrimp,2 turbo's,2 Margarita's,4 Hermits,1 Lettuce Nudi. I feed about 1-2ml of frozen brine a day,along with 2-3 drops of BWA Amino or SeaChem Fuel and I spot feed all my frags with BWA Extreme Coral food mixed with TLF GoniPower every day and Phols Xtra whenever I remember. I haven't done a water change in almost a momth and I have to dose NeoPhos/Nitro everyday. I dose 15ml Nitro & 10ml Phos just to keep nutrients in the water. I even add Phos/Nitro to my water change water lol its that bad.


My only filtration is a pad of filter floss on top top of my filter sock which has a small bag of carbon. And I only change my filter sock 1 time a month lol. So thats that tell you ?!?! Something is absorbing your nutrients,which the quicker you find out the better. For me its Ulva algae.

I have maxed out on fish I don’t want to push it further. It’s 25p AIO waterbox with 4 damsels and 2 clowns. I have a lot of soft corals.

One thing I have noticed is I have a lot of pineapple sponges in the filter area not over taking the filter but they are there and I don’t mind them but I think they are taking in nutrients also.

 

[alexanderthefishlover]

Got a reading of .8 today! Yay!