Nitrate
| Water Parameter | |
| Nitrate | |
| Unit(s): | ppm |
| Target: | 0 ppm |
| Danger: | > 10 ppm |
| Tendancy: | Increase |
| Increased: | Metabolism |
| Decreased: | Anoxic metabolism |
| Testing: | Monthly |
| Maintenence: | Water changes |
|
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Contents |
Introduction
Removal
Water Changes
The simplest way is through water changes. Regularly changing a significantly large proportion of the water in a marine aquarium can reduce the concentration of nitrate through dilution, keeping nitrate at acceptable levels. The required amount of water to be changed, and the frequency of the changes, will depend on the how much nitrate is being produced, and how much needs to be removed. A lightly stocked, lightly fed tank will naturally have lower nitrate levels than a highly stocked and/or overfed tank.
Denitrification
Removal of nitrate from the water by biological means is attained using two two basic processes; dissimilatory and assimilatory nitrate reduction. Dissimilatory nitrate reduction involves anaerobic bacteria using the nitrate for respiration, rather than oxygen. Assimilatory nitrate reduction involves the physical uptake of the nitrate by bacteria or algae. See denitrification for full details.
Resources
- Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine
- Nitrate by Andrew Trevor-Jones
- The Old Becomes New, Yet Again: Sandbeds and Vodka by Eric Borneman - Reefkeeping Magazine
- The Old Becomes New, Yet Again: Sandbeds and Vodka, Part II by Eric Borneman - Reefkeeping Magazine
- Vodka Dosing ... Distilled!: A Powerful Method for the Reduction of Nitrates and Phosphates within the Reef Aquaria by Nathaniel Walton and Matt Bjornson - Reefkeeping Magazine
- Nitrate Removal — A New Alternative by Randy Donowitz - Aquarium Frontiers
