right now im at zero nitrate. i use the SERA test kits. love them. the complete kit is amazing. best kit ive ever purchased. ill even post pics if you want showing zero nitrates.
my changes were simple and works AMAZING.
First: RO WATER ALWAYS AND FOREVER. i use to use tap water. then i use to use 5 gallon water jugs i would buy for water changes. now i have an RODI unit and always use RO water.
Second: in my sump i got rid of all the stupid pads and sponges. all i run now is a simple filter
sock. thats the ONLY media pad i run. besides that is just a reactor with carbon, and another reactor with GFO. but the reactors did not do it, it was throwing out all the sponges.
Third: my skimmer. i got rid of the S*** coralife skimmer and picked up a NAC 7. love it.
and last but not least: WATER CHANGESSSSSSSSSSSSS. (With
ESV salt) 30% every week to two weeks....
if you go into my pictures in my profile, go all the way to the begining. you will see my 72bow in there and all pics of corals. no i did not have any SPS. only LPS and softies. i dont think there are any good pics showing all the coral, but some. leathers, rics, brains, acans, favias, p's & z's, euphyillia, GSP, rbta, things in that nature...