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Starting the nitrates dosing

eholceker

NJRC Member
I’m running a radions xr30 80% with the Ab+ setting also a kessil a150 ocean blue on a 45 gallons. Par should be okay
I have checked at night for pest and and nothing. it’s only 2 Frags that I don’t have good PE.
This is why I think the need some more nitrates.

Can't eye test par levels and if your nitrates are 5 it's not a phosphate issue. I bet you either got pests or it's a light issue and the corals need time to acclimate. It can take months for an acro to settle in.
 

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
All my lps are doing great thanks God, the pest problem should bother them too right?

Can't eye test par levels and if your nitrates are 5 it's not a phosphate issue. I bet you either got pests or it's a light issue and the corals need time to acclimate. It can take months for an acro to settle in.
 

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
My alk it’s the most stable parameter in the tank. Literally almost don’t move at all. My red Diablo Frag was literally a flat stick until I added the kessil and started getting pe and now with the nitrates dosing pe it’s so much more.
My asd rainbow have very little PE and
JF jolt almost don’t have pe although they have good color especially Asd rainbow.
 
You will also grow algea and other levels. 15 is to high. Aim for 5 with nitrates and .01 to .03 on phosphates.
i found an interesting topic on Randy's thread on R2R. It appears that if you are running high par, you need higher nutrients. I noticed the same myself and just the tips of my sps were going white. Apparently with high par and high alk, you need high nuturients or the skeletons will grow too fast and the flesh will spread too thin..thus getting burnt. as such, although people shot for certain levels, i dont give out advice anymore on levels unless I know the situation.
 

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
This is picture was taken now:
the yellow it’s good pe
Green it’s ok pe
Red it’s bad pe
This are the sps Frags I have right now so you can get an idea.
 

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eholceker

NJRC Member
This is picture was taken now:
the yellow it’s good pe
Green it’s ok pe
Red it’s bad pe
This are the sps Frags I have right now so you can get an idea.
Go rent yourself a par meter and see what's going on. All I can tell you is nitrates are not your issue. If you had a starving acro it would be pale and washed out but still have PE. Those frags may not like the flow/light where they are. Also sometimes they take sometime to settle in. This coral had no PE for like 3 months and out of nowhere looks fantastic.
 

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I took my water to iconic aquariums today to compare parameters and all good. Although I can’t bring my nitrates more than 5ppm even feeding heavy.
So I got this and dosed 3 ml in my 45.
What I’m looking it’s more color on my sps Frags as I already have nice color on lps.
Guys thought on this please
Hey Eric! have you tired Amino Acids rather than take a chance on an algae explosion from increasing your nitrates? My SPS in my 20 gallon tank took off with color after adding amino acids. I had trace nitrate and over 1ppm phosphate. What is your phosphate measuring?
 

DangerDave

NJRC Member
How high were you trying to get your nitrates?

Anything over 20, but I’m happy with 40-60. Gives me more room for error. I never got the worry over high nitrates. I’ve miscalculated my mix and overdosed for weeks, lol most people wouldn’t believe the number. Nothing cared. It took a while but they slowly came down with no issues. Now I’m dosing again.
 

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
Hey Eric! have you tired Amino Acids rather than take a chance on an algae explosion from increasing your nitrates? My SPS in my 20 gallon tank took off with color after adding amino acids. I had trace nitrate and over 1ppm phosphate. What is your phosphate measuring?
I have been dosing amino! I just finished one last week, although I’m not using it anymore because I see an bacteria bloom when dosing regularly so that lasts one took me a bit to finish it.

Last time I checked my phosphate were 0.09 around 2 weeks ago
 

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
Anything over 20, but I’m happy with 40-60. Gives me more room for error. I never got the worry over high nitrates. I’ve miscalculated my mix and overdosed for weeks, lol most people wouldn’t believe the number. Nothing cared. It took a while but they slowly came down with no issues. Now I’m dosing again.

That’s good to hear!
How are you sps reacting to this high nitrates? I know lps would love it!
 
I have been dosing amino! I just finished one last week, although I’m not using it anymore because I see an bacteria bloom when dosing regularly so that lasts one took me a bit to finish it.

Last time I checked my phosphate were 0.09 around 2 weeks ago
Keep us posted on how things proceed.
 

ericrodriguez

NJRC Member
Everything looks nicer thanks God!
And I was just looking at the corals now and there are some pieces getting a better color and pe it’s definitely increasing
 
Good to hear Eric, sometimes our reefs go through periods of, “ Just not looking good” and the reason may be nothing? What might be working for a while, suddenly stops working. Try to keep consistent with what was going on in your tank when things looked great (color, extension etc.)
 

DangerDave

NJRC Member
Anything over 20, but I’m happy with 40-60. Gives me more room for error. I never got the worry over high nitrates. I’ve miscalculated my mix and overdosed for weeks, lol most people wouldn’t believe the number. Nothing cared. It took a while but they slowly came down with no issues. Now I’m dosing again.

Very well, .
That’s good to hear!
How are you sps reacting to this high nitrates? I know lps would love it!
quite well :)
 
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