Today, I watched a very interesting video that @Algaeworrier shared in a thread. It was super fantastic, but there were two things that I couldn't understand. Could you help?
At around 27:55, he says magnesium is bonded to carbonates. So carbonates can show up on a test kit, but it's not available to make calcium carbonates.
Now I understand why magnesium can raise both calcium and alkalinity (carbonates) although those two are on a teeter-totter relation. But, as he states, with high magnesium, even if alkalinity is kept high on a test kit, such alkalinity already bound with magnesium cannot be used for crystallization.
I dose alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium, and everything seems to be balancing well on test kits. However, if his explanation is correct (I'm sure it is), it means my alkalinity is always less than it reads on a test kit and not fully consumed for crystallization?
Here's the other question. At around 30:50, he explains coral's mechanism in relation to nitrates and phosphates. He says corals can live with zero nitrates while they cannot live with zero phosphate. I do not understand this. Because he says corals have excellent mechanism to take nitrates out of water column. I don't understand corals can live with zero nitrates though they have good ability to process it. Does it simply mean that "they can" doesn't necessarily mean "they must (consume)?"
I would appreciate any input. Thank you!
At around 27:55, he says magnesium is bonded to carbonates. So carbonates can show up on a test kit, but it's not available to make calcium carbonates.
Now I understand why magnesium can raise both calcium and alkalinity (carbonates) although those two are on a teeter-totter relation. But, as he states, with high magnesium, even if alkalinity is kept high on a test kit, such alkalinity already bound with magnesium cannot be used for crystallization.
I dose alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium, and everything seems to be balancing well on test kits. However, if his explanation is correct (I'm sure it is), it means my alkalinity is always less than it reads on a test kit and not fully consumed for crystallization?
Here's the other question. At around 30:50, he explains coral's mechanism in relation to nitrates and phosphates. He says corals can live with zero nitrates while they cannot live with zero phosphate. I do not understand this. Because he says corals have excellent mechanism to take nitrates out of water column. I don't understand corals can live with zero nitrates though they have good ability to process it. Does it simply mean that "they can" doesn't necessarily mean "they must (consume)?"
I would appreciate any input. Thank you!