Quote:
Originally Posted by Big E
The ability to measure PO4 with the Hanna meter also brought PO4 to the fore front along with the bacterial commercial products.
The whole thing became obsessive when the hand held meters came out and nutrient reduction methods became more economical.
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It would also seem that more people became able to keep nice SPS when good nutrient reduction methods became more economical as well.
We know zoo-x is a plant and we know nutrients like PO4 and NO3 are great at growing plants. We also know that an over abundance of zoo-x will stunt a corals growth and make it brown. So we can easily draw the connection that higher NO3 and PO4 levels will brown corals and affect growth. This is even witnessed in natural reefs when nutrient levels rise from human interference and run off. The cleanest, untouched waters usually produce the nicest corals.
Also I can witness myself phases of heavier feeding and browner corals vs. lighter feeding and lighter colors in some corals.
If nutrients like PO4 and NO3 are not responsible for such events, please explain?
Similarly I believe there is relation between light levels and the amount of NO3 and PO4 a system can handle. A system with a powerful lighting system seems to be able to handle more NO3 and PO4 with out the zoo-x populations getting out of control. Similarly to a system bleaching or lightening a coral up with a change from weak to strong lighting. Also good to note that some SPS are better suited to high NO3 and PO4 levels while others will brown out quick.