Are we killing our corals with elevated nutrients in our tanks?

[MaxTremors]

You can have photosynthesis taking place and still have undetectable nitrates and phosphates. Think for a minute and you’ll see why.

I realize that undetectable is not absolute zero, but if a coral is nutrient limited it can absolutely slow growth

 

[Tamberav]

corals have multiple other food sources we can't replicate in our tanks.

+1, this was going to be my response, we have closed systems

 

[bruno3047]

+1, this was going to be my response, we have closed systems

On the reef, there really aren’t so many food sources. In fact, I think you can lump them into two groups. Sunlight and fauna. And both can be replicated, to some extent, in our aquariums.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I think if yr corals are over 2 years old they could be a heck of a lot bigger provided more nutrients

 

[Tamberav]

On the reef, there really aren’t so many food sources. In fact, I think you can lump them into two groups. Sunlight and fauna. And both can be replicated, to some extent, in our aquariums.

they eat more bacteria and organic material then zooplankton and light

most probably have plenty organics... perhaps carbon dose for bacteria

 

[bruno3047]

Duplicate

 

[bruno3047]

I think if yr corals are over 2 years old they could be a heck of a lot bigger provided more nutrients

Both those torch corals, the gold and the green fade started out as 2 inch frags. About the size of the one in the middle.

 

[dvgyfresh]

This was a 2-3 months of high nutrients with a torch, grew another head , sadly traded it for new tank

 

[bruno3047]

they eat more bacteria and organic material then zooplankton and light

most probably have plenty organics... perhaps carbon dose for bacteria

I don’t think pristine water, such as the water in a tropical reef, would hold large quantities of bacteria. The bacteria have to eat too, don’t they?

 

[Tamberav]

I think we need to keep in mind many keep mixed tanks with different types of corals from different parts of the world. Some having very different light or flow or nutrient ideal conditions from the next coral.

 

[bruno3047]

This was a 2-3 months of high nutrients with a torch, grew another head , sadly traded it for new tank

First picture is a goni I bought about two months ago, taken about a week after I put it into my tank. Second picture is a photo I took about 2 weeks ago,

 

[Tamberav]

I don’t think pristine water, such as the water in a tropical reef, would hold large quantities of bacteria. The bacteria have to eat too, don’t they?

I don't know what the tropical reef has. I just know according to reefkeeping.com. Bacteria are more important food source then even light.

 

[dvgyfresh]

First picture is a goni I bought about two months ago, taken about a week after I put it into my tank. Second picture is a photo I took about 2 weeks ago,

That’s good growth! I think we are safe to say that both methods work but I’m still advocating for higher nutrients lol

 

[Tamberav]

Corals are also able to selectively culture specific strains and increase the density of bacteria in several ways. They “farm” bacteria within recesses and interstitial spaces of their branches and colonies. Reduced water flow and microenvironmental conditions allow the proliferation of microbes used as food. They can also change the composition of their mucus by altering the production of the mucosecretory cells of the epithelium. The change in mucosal composition allows for variations in the microbial community on the surface in that different species and strains are more adept at exploiting various components of mucus.

Bacteria exist in very high diversity and biomass in the marine environment, and especially on coral reefs and on coral surfaces. They play critical roles in virtually all ecological processes that control reefs and are a major component of food webs.

it goes on and on... its really interesting.. I have not read it in a long time. I would not think the bacteria in our closed tanks is the same as a wild reef. I know you can test for bacteria now and tanks can vary from one to another significantly from what people posted of their results.

perhaps this is why dry rock and acros can be tricky. Perhaps live rock high bacterial diversity leaves more room for error.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/eb/index.php#:~:text=It%20has%20been%20found%20that,source%2C%20including%20zooplankton%20and%20light.

 

[bruno3047]

I think we need to keep in mind many keep mixed tanks with different types of corals from different parts of the world. Some having very different light or flow or nutrient ideal conditions from the next coral.

That’s the variable that I think causes a lot of tanks to crash. Trying to meet the needs of so many diverse animals. SPS taken off the reef are going to have different needs than a coral taken out of turbid water. JMHO.

 

[ZoWhat]

Are we killing our corals with elevated nutrients in our tanks?​

I'm not. My tank is the best it's been in 16 yrs.

 

[BirdFish5000]

I'm a bird. I don't understand a thing about nitrates and phosphates.