how to increase nitrates

im not maintaining a level above zero... just causing there to be more available for metabolism.
My tank will still read zero but will not be so drastic of a SLNS (super low nutrient system) where macro is hard to grow. The point im at now is where the macro lives but doesnt grow

 

I might try feeding the corals/fish a bit more, rather than adding nitrates. The algae is going to need the phosphates anyway.

 

well my chaeto is always there and does slightly grow. im looking to increase the growth on my ochtodes, gracilaria, and ulva. especially gracilaria so i can get some free food for my tangs

 

What is your goal? Is you PRIMARY reason for using macro for nutrient export or anesthetics?

 

aesthetics mostly... except the gracilaria, which will be fed to my tangs

my tank is an very low nutrient system now so i dont have much stuff that i have to export...

 

To answer your question above, Ammonia and Ammonium are the same thing depending on pH and temperature. (It's similar to how water can be a liquid or gas dependent on temperature). In my research I found a neat calculator. Free Ammonia Calculator (Javascript)

Ammonium/Ammonia is actually preferred by plants over Nitrites or Nitrates. What isn't nabbed by the macroalgaes will instantly be nabbed by bacteria. (Remember, there is no such thing a "A Cycle". It is going on non-stop. Every time you feed, every time one animal goes to the bathroom, every time a copepod dies, there's Ammonia and the Nitrogen cycle handles it for you).

OK.....COMPLETE REVERSAL OF WHAT I JUST SAID ABOVE. If you look at what the planted tank fertilizers are made of, all of the pre-mixed ones are using Potassium Nitrate. I'm guessing for the reasons I mentioned previously like the false positives on Ammonia test kits. However, I can think of another reason, a big pH or temperature swing could make things more dangerous. I found a lot of home-made mixes that people with planted tanks use to save money using Ammonium Nitrate because it will work (I've used it in a pond). However, considering how little of this supplement you'll be using, I think you ought to go with the Seachem Nitrate (free of phosphorus)

I'm still researching but this seems much safer to me. BTW, you made me have to go dig out my old bonsai books. LOL

 

Haha! Well thank you and I appreciate you caring enough to help research this! Maybe it will encourage you to start another bonsai

 

Get the Seachem Nitrogen. It should be safe. You can look up the product at their site.

 

If your grac is in the tank with your tangs, you'll never be able to get it to grow faster than consumption.

I would be VERY nervous to add fertilizers to my tank. We go through a lot of trouble to get fertilizers out of our products so the consumer doesn't have nuisance algae blooms.

 

You should be able to find ammonium nitrate in the fertilizer area at most home stores.