Nitrates

[Reefbuilder]

So my tank has been running for 4 years now and it doing good. I have had a few fish deaths over the years but over all corals are looking good. I also have not done water changes in two years and my phosphates are 0.05 and my nitrates are 0 I want to get the nitrates up but don't know how .in hopes that it will improve my coral color can anyone help ?

 

[theMeat]

Feed more and add some bio balls

 

[Dre]

How about add some minerals and trace element. Post a pics of your tank

 

[ourcoralreef]

Raising your nitrates will make your corals look better?

 

[Marek-S]

What test kits are you using ?

 

[theMeat]

Raising your nitrates will make your corals look better?

Yeah, corals need some nitrates.

The problem, or should i say effect of an adequately sized refugium or algae scrubber is that it consumes more nitrates than it does phosphates.

 

[ourcoralreef]

Yeah, corals need some nitrates.



The problem, or should i say effect of an adequately sized refugium or algae scrubber is that it consumes more nitrates than it does phosphates.

Interesting

 

[theMeat]

Ideally you want nitrates between 5-15 ppm. Shoot for 10 and that gives you a lil wiggle room for test kit accuracy

 

[piranhapat]

Adding a amino acid to your tank will add more color to your coral. Especially when nitrates are zero.

 

[Reefbuilder]

here is a picture of my tank ... but all of your comments have been really helpful

 

[Reefbuilder]

 

[ourcoralreef]

Very nice everything looks to be the right colors who said that nitrates help color (im really curious i have been at this for a while and this is new to me)

 

[Reefbuilder]

Thank you for the complament i have only been at this for four years and it been up and down. but i just made a friend in my complex I live in and we where talking about the tank and he as just saying that if i raise my nitrates that ,one its good to some trace amount of it in the take "so it not 0" and it will also help to really make my colors pop. i use the Red Sea Algae Control test kit and the Hanna Phosphorus ULR tester

 

[theMeat]

The lighting makes the colors pop more than anything else. Some would argue that a lower nitrate level close to zero would make corals most colorful. Some corals like lower nitrates and some higher.

 

[Reefbuilder]

I have the 180w Maxspect razor on a program my blues ramp up to 100% and my white lights ramp to 75% my filtration is strong I only have 6 fish and a mix reef of coral I have a skimmer that rated for 180g filter socks and GFO/carbon reactor refugeum

 

[ourcoralreef]

Yea i was under the assumption that lower nitrates better colors happier corals i agree with themeat lighting makes it pop how wide is your tank and how many lights do you have on it

 

[ourcoralreef]

Just looked up your light im guessing 1 light you may need to add actinic lights for better pop i never run my lights at 100% im closer to 15 on the white and 30 on the blues 10 on the actinic

 

[Reefbuilder]

My display tank is a 55g 48" long I have one light Maxspect razor has three clusters of lights on it middle cluster has a 90degree reflector on it and the two sides have 120degree reflectors

 

[Reefbuilder]

Just looked up your light im guessing 1 light you may need to add actinic lights for better pop i never run my lights at 100% im closer to 15 on the white and 30 on the blues 10 on the actinic

What light do you have

 

[ourcoralreef]

The tank that im talking about has 2 165w chinese leds from amazon Ebay its on a 65 bow i think its 3 foot wide
it is a bit much but with only one light i wouldn't have got enough coverage so got two they are the wifi version so Programable through a app (can control the colors separately) works great nice colors etc