mushroom polyps

Question
QUESTION: Do Mushroom polyps help adsorb nitrates? If so I intend to add a lot more.

ANSWER: In essence, one could say that a mushroom polyp would help keep nitrates down, because they filter feed particulate matter from the water, and they harvest zooxanthellae inside their tissue, which can adsorb nitrates. However they also produce waste product, which would add nitrates back to the water.

Regards,
David

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you David for your answer. OK now I'm going to ask you another question that most people get very irritated with So please let me ask your forgiveness in advance. This Q is very controversial as you will soon agree. I am using a UGF and a OVER KILL protein skimmer and a 110 aquaclear filter I have a total of over 3000 gallons per hour of movment in my 120 gallon tank. I'm sorry because im already probably getting the hairs on your neck up. YES ive been told that a ugf is a nitrate factory and i now COMPLETELY AGREE because my nitrates are getting more and more difficult to manage. i have plans or mangroves etc in the near future. OK sorry for the rim roll Now tot he question. I have been told that " reversing " the flow will greatly reduce the nitrate problems associated with a UGF what is now a RUGF. I have done this and it DID blow out a cloud at first and has now settled into clear. Is this going to help? I am kinda stuck with this as it is a established tank and I cannot just reset and start again. ( everything would die ) Letting you know my RUGF previously UGF is NOT a plate type. I made it from 1.5 inch pvc pipe and drilled holes every 2 inch Sideways  So there is three sets of tow rows of holes 1.5 inch apart under 3 inch of crushed coral. Also everything else is perfect only very high nitrates right now about 50 So final conclusions Did I do the right thing in reversing Is there hopes of getting my nitrates down to 5 or less with this method? Ive already researched all the other methods to reduce nitrates and am working on it. You opinion and advice is greatly appreciated
Ken

Answer
Hi Ken,

Under-gravel filters, also known as underground filters are a good method of biological filtration. However they will quickly accumulate  waste matter / detritus after a period of time. The anaerobic bacteria and micro-organisms that live in these oxygen deprived layers of your substrate help to break down the waste into less harmful components.

Depending on your aquariums bio-load, (which depends on how many corals and fish you have, along with how often they're fed) my recommendation would be to reverse your under-gravel filter once a month or once every two months, in an effort to kick out the major build up of detritus. In this manner, some of it will get deposited in your AquaClear's (filter floss), that you can later discard, and the rest of it that settles on top of your crushed coral you can siphon out with a gravel-vac.

Doing this on regular intervals, along with doing your regular water changes with using quality reverse osmosis water should help to keep your nitrate levels down.

Other areas to consider, in an effort to keep nitrate levels down, include: use caution in regards to how much you feed your aquarium, it's really easy to overfeed your corals and/or fish. You may also consider adding a beneficial bacteria to your aquarium once a month, for example BrightWell Aquatics MicroBacter7. This product boosts your existing colony of beneficial bacteria and also adds new strains of beneficial bacteria to help process nutrients in the water.

Regarding filters in general, one of my favorite biological filters is the fluidized sand filter, which I run on my aquarium. This filter does a great job at processing nutrients, because it's home to millions of beneficial bacteria, that are constantly processing nutrients non-stop.

Regards,
Dave

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