Educate me on how nitrate and phosphate work

[TX_REEF]

I’ve read countless posts and watched countless videos explaining how nitrate and phosphate are important to coral growth, but can someone explain in detail or point me to a resource explaining in detail how exactly the corals utilize these nutrients, and how and why the ratio between them matters functionally? Bonus points if you can also help me understand how alkalinity, calcium, lighting intensity and flow play a part and how they all interact. Thank you in advance!

 

[everpresentnoob]

Following as I am clueless too!!

 

[Subsea]

First:
The ratio of those nutrients in the water are not important, only that no one nutrient is limited.
Phytoplankton ratio is 16:1
Macro algae ratio varies, what I have sent off to be analyzed was 30:1 N:p

Oceeneering 101 Dynamic Equilibrium
When carbon dioxide enters the water as a gas, it combines to form carbonic acid which then contributes to alkalinity.

I will quote Dana Riddle:
“During photosynthesis the inorganic & the organic world come together when alkalinity becomes glucose which is carbon for the reef.”

Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, we are a carbon based planet and it is a required building block for All Organic Matter.

So, when alkalinity turns to glucose during photosynthesis, the glucose absorbs inorganic minerals which include nitrate & phosphate.

 

[Subsea]

Tex,
See if this helps:

https://reefs.com/magazine/coral-nutrition-an-introduction-care-and-feeding-of-zooxanthellae/

What Is the Coral Animal Made Of?​

In our arrogance, we consider corals to be primitive animals, yet they are amazing complex.

Corals could be described as, by a term I believe was used in some Star Trek movie, carbon-based units. They are organic beings possessing varied biosynthetic pathways, with many important in nutritional aspects.

Like all living organisms, corals are composed of atoms of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Nature adds nitrogen to the mix, along with phosphorus, sulfur, and others. To carry our biochemistry class a bit further, corals are composed of proteins, lipids including fats, oils, waxes, along with carbohydrates, and minerals in a measured manner. See Figure 1

 

[Subsea]

First:
The ratio of those nutrients in the water are not important, only that no one nutrient is limited.
Phytoplankton ratio is 16:1
Macro algae ratio varies, what I have sent off to be analyzed was 30:1 N:p

Oceeneering 101 Dynamic Equilibrium
When carbon dioxide enters the water as a gas, it combines to form carbonic acid which then contributes to alkalinity.

I will quote Dana Riddle:
“During photosynthesis the inorganic & the organic world come together when alkalinity becomes glucose which is carbon for the reef.”

Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, we are a carbon based planet and it is a required building block for All Organic Matter.

So, when alkalinity turns to glucose during photosynthesis, the glucose absorbs inorganic minerals which include nitrate & phosphate.

Alkalinity is a buffer to pH change and a source of carbon to the reef thru photosynthesis. Considering that the gas solubility of carbon dioxide into water is a constant that varies with temperature and that limestone sediments on ocean floor contribute to alkalinity from the sediment side of this two way equation of Dynamic Equilibrium with pH and alkalinity.

I never did SPS because of their high maintenance demand on alkalinity.

 

[TX_REEF]

Thank you, I’ll read that link in detail. It’s comforting to know that exact ratios are not as important as making sure that no nutrient is too low as to be a limitation.