http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/sal...a-powerful-nitrate-phosphate-remover-diy.html
09-20-2008, 12:24 AM #5 (permalink)
SantaMonica
Medium Fish
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Santa Monica, CA, USA
Posts: 346
Thanks, good to be here. Was fun to discover and make this (it saved my tank), and watch others build them too.
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How does this help you feed more?
Because you are not limited by nutrient build up, i.e., causing nuisance algae to start growing in your display.
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How does it help your PH?
Algae absorb CO2, and release O2. Just like trees.
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Every tank has DOC (dissolved organic compounds). They are the end result of your foods you feed the tank and any critter that may have passed and disappeared. I don't understand how algae can remove these.
Algae doesn't; bacteria does. Just like in the ocean. Here are some interesting technical points taken out of the current issues of Advanced Aquarist:
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Feature Article: Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and the Reef Aquarium: an Initial Survey, Part I
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Feature Article: Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and the Reef Aquarium: an Initial Survey, Part II
"Greater than 97% of the organic matter in the oceans is in the form of DOC"
"The majority of the DOC in the oceans is consumed over a time span on the order of hours-to-weeks."
"The generally accepted value of deep ocean TOC (DOC in this instance) ranges from 0.45 - 0.60 ppm, a number that appears to be insensitive to collection location. On reefs, however, the DOC (and TOC) value is considerably higher. Even with this point noted, the values of DOC on reefs from the South Pacific to Japan to the Caribbean to the Red Sea are remarkably consistent in their range: 0.7 - 1.6 ppm"
"Bacteria are a critical component in the food web of the reef, as they occupy the role of 'middle man' in the transfer of energy from the source (sunlight) to the consumers on the reef"
"sponges are some of the most prolific repositories of marine bacteria. In fact, some sponges have been studied as effective bioremediation agents in marine aquaculture as a consequence of their exceptional ability to absorb TOC"
"Where does the DOC go ... studies suggest that it is rapidly consumed by bacteria that live in and on the coral itself and not by bacteria present in the water column. Shutting down these endogenous bacteria by antibiotic treatment abolished DOC uptake."
"In total, these data unequivocally demonstrate that the [skimmer] is not required to deplete the aquarium water of TOC. Apparently, naturally biological processes are sufficient in and of themselves to return the post-feeding TOC levels to their pre-feeding values after about 4 hrs or so ... Clearly the skimmer is doing something, given the copious residue accumulated in the collection cup at the end of the week. Perhaps, however, the residue removed by the skimmer is only a rather small, even inconsequential, portion of the entire TOC load that develops in the aquarium water over the course of a week."
