PDA

View Full Version : Nitrate Factories - Myth


WayneN
09/02/2004, 03:45 AM
Hi Ronald,

I started two threads in 'New to the Hobby' and the 'Chemistry Forum'. The basic question was the validity of the naming of certain filtration systems as nitrate factories -e.g bio balls.

We now have seemed to have come to a cross road with your article on live rock. I would appreciate your comments on this issue (I'm getting bombarded out their, these guys sure like their rock - lol) Here is probably the best post to show as it summarises the current situtation :

"It seems I need to summarise my logic on this issue :

My point 'Nitrate Factories' are a myth are supported by the following :

1. The amount of nitrate produced is dependant on the amount of waste in the system not the type of filtration used. This seems to be agreed by all. The naming of filtration systems as nitrate factories for this reason alone is not correct.

2. The reason for naming systems as nitrate factories is their inability to 'locally' denitrify and as such 'release' the nitrate produced into the water column.

This is where we now disagree.

The 'local diffusion' of nitrates from the live rock or the sand bed surface into an anaerobic zone for denitrification to take place is a theory only.

The reason that I am sceptable about this theory is the difficulty in getting the flow rate correct through the live rock and sand.

Sandras experiment makes the situtation even worse by not identifying an anareobic zone in 10cm of sand.

We all agree that 'denitrification' is taking place i.e we feeding our fish and corals but we have low nitrate levels in our tanks.

I'm saying that it is unlikely that the full course of denitrification through an anaerobic process is taking place and that corals, algae and other nunu's are eating it.

This would therefore take us back to my original point - 'nitrate factories' based on this it doesnt matter how you convert the ammonia but how you get rid of the nitrate.

Hence nitrate factories being a myth."