NITRATES! What is it good for?

[Pseudoshrub]

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

 

No seriously, are Nitrates good for anything? I read somewhere that Goniopora benefit from a "dirtier" tank. Surely Nitrates play a role in the marine ecosystem but is it imperative that every last ppm of nitrate is removed?

 

My current tank sits at 40ppm without any problems, however this may change down the line.

[Weasel Baron]

nitrates in an infant tank and nitrates in a well established tank seem to be different things, at least in my experience. There are a lot of corals that benefit from a higher DOC level, but whether or not that always correlates to only a high nitrate level...Im not so sure

 

how quickly your tank can process waste is also a big factor; you might not be able to see the nitrates on your end via tests, but they're definitely there, they just get processed as theyre made

[farkwar]

Not nitrate per se.

 

Nitrogen is the key element in amino acids and proteins, and DNA and RNA.

 

You really cant have life, on Earth, without it.

[seabass]

No seriously, are Nitrates good for anything?

Well yes, they are good for your corals (as is phosphate), to a point. Undetectable levels of these nutrients usually result in compromised coral health and growth rates. However, high levels of nutrients can also be bad (again, poor coral health, compromised calcification due to high phosphate levels, and increased growth of pest algae). For nitrate, I'd recommend keeping it around 10 ppm (2 ppm for SPS). For phosphate, I'd recommend keeping it between 0.01 and 0.03 ppm.

[Azedenkae]

As you may know, stuff like dinoflaggelates use up nitrate. As corals harbour dinoflaggelates, well, it is good for them. Amongst many things.

[seabass]

Zooxanthellae, the symbiotic algae in coral, use these nutrients (along with light) to produce energy for photosynthetic coral.