Randy's Nitrate article from 2003 and Coil DeNO3er vs refugium

[Afishianado]

I am looking for Randy's article on Nitrate from Aug 2003 in advanced aquarist.

I followed the link from the "list of articles" thread and the link inside the "reef aquarium water parameters" article but it seems like this link is dead.

Is it available anywhere? how do I find it? or can someone reccomend a comparable article?

Also speaking of nitrate..I am considering some method for Nitrate control in both Reef systems and FOWLR systems. I see pros and cons in both. Coil denitrators seem to be able to handle a lerge amount of nitrate and also add to the nitrification capacity by thier nature. What concerns me is the stripping of O2 from the water. Is placing the output of a denitrator to mix with skimmer effluent enough to correct this or the anaerobic water in need of more gas exchange than this? What is a good recomendation.

becasue of the stripping of O2 I prefer the idea of a refigium since it actually adds O2, but wonder how much macroalgae should be in a refugium to be effective at removing NO3. I guess the question should be , as a guideline what volume refugium/macroalgae chamber should be used for any given volume of a "normal" reef system.

Thanks anyone for your help

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Is it available anywhere?

Advanced Aquarist seems to be updating them with a table of contents and changed the link. For any old link you can find it in the internet archive:

http://web.archive.org/web/200308202...t2003/chem.htm

I can't located the updated version of this one.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Coil denitrators seem to be able to handle a lerge amount of nitrate and also add to the nitrification capacity by thier nature. What concerns me is the stripping of O2 from the water. Is placing the output of a denitrator to mix with skimmer effluent enough to correct this or the anaerobic water in need of more gas exchange than this? What is a good recomendation.


The flow from a denitrator should be quite low, so it probably doesn't matter much, but into a skimmer is a fine idea.

Volume guidelines with macroalgae are complicated as it depends on lighting very strongly, and on surface area, and type of macroalgae. It does take a lot. I have 15-20 square feet of macroalgae in my refugia, supporting a 120 and a 90.

[Afishianado]

Thanks....

So I shouldn't be worried about my system O2 levels if I have a properly running coil denitrator dripping into a high O2 area like that?

so rough guideline wise...my Oceanic 58 with a 20 sump and a medium bioload would require approx 5-10 square feet of macro (cheato)in order to rely on it for Nitrate reduction? Is that square feet of surface area? or did you mean cubic feet? There isn't that much real estate under my system even without the sump. Seems like a refugium sounds good for several reasons but not if the goal is to use Macro primarily for nitrate control.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I would not worry about O2 because of the denitrator, no.

In my refugium, Caulerpa racemosa rapidly outcompeted chaetomorpha, and I use the Caulerpa racemosa primarily now. I mean square feet of surface area, which, I think, it a better measure than volume since the depth doesn't matter beyond the point where the macroalgae shades itself out. How much is needed depends a lot too on how much you feed the fish.

IMO, macroalgae is close to ideal as it produces O2 (even at night), helps raise pH if that is an issue, and takes up both phosphate and nitrate. But I certainly agree there are other ways to accomplish all of these.

[Afishianado]

Thanks again...

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck.