nitrate

Then how is it that people have water params on here with nothing from any biproducts of the nitrogen cycle

 

Just my 2 cents:
Marine & Ocean Science ePrints Archive @ Plymouth - Nitrate in sea-water and its estimation by means of diphenylbenzidine

According to this paper nitrates are always found in marine water! The residual concentration of nitrates depends on multiple parameters. One of them is depth! I can imagine that some of the "less" demanding (commonly found in deeper parts of the reef) corals adapted to elevated levels of residual nitrates. Moreover, it is known ed that nitrates along with other simple/soluble compounds may serve as a primary source of energy for various bacterial strains that live in proximity of corals, especially in the less oxygenated parts of the reef. Actually this phenomenon is utilized in very popular in Germany vodka-based nitrate control technique.

 

All corals need some nitrate, same goes for phosphates, even SPS. Thats why most coral "farms" deliberatly add NO3 and PO4 to their water to increase the SPS' growth. Most softies prefer some NO3 as well as gonipora like mentioned. The "dirty" water has some truth to gonis but the main challange w/ gonis is no one is 100% certain to what they "eat" and most believe that is the main issue w/ mortality issues. Xenia does FANTASTIC in dirtier tanks and in some nutrient devoid tanks it suffers. There is definetly a limit as to how much NO3 and PO4 is good and how much is bad, very bad!!

 

Testing at 0 and actually having nothing are two different things. Everyone has a little ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in their tanks at all times. Just a low enough amount that a general hobby kit wont pick it up.

 

Yes sir! We usually confuse two terms:

1. global concentration of nitrate -> as found in randomly selected water samples in our tanks.

2. local concentration that arises from bacterial metabolism, decomposition.

The 2nd one can be very high, but is simply temporal and localized!

 

Yea I agree. It can be shown, for example, in the growth of your macro-algae in your refugium (if applicable). I was able to somehow "squeeze" my algae in there so that the nitrates they consume would be excreted, my livestock would be at serious risk. So it's in the aquarium, just not detectable because it's being consumed by one thing or another, including some corals and even clams!

 

so far 16 voted, 9 voted for live, 7 voted for dead, pretty close poll, wonder who's right?