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Originally Posted by elegance coral
Metabolism of food does not create nitrogen. Nitrogen is not being created anywhere on this planet. Nitrogen is an element. It is created in the heart of stars. Not in the bellies of a fish.
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Speaking the language of aquarium hobbyists, fish eat organic matter. They metabolise that food & as a result, pass ammonia from their gills.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elegance coral
When algae like you culture on your ATS is involved, the process of nutrients in and nutrients out is not testable via aquarium test kits.
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Yes it is. I can measure the inorganic phosphate & nitrogen levels via test kits.
Growing algae removes inorganic phosphate & nitrogen from the aquarium water & prevents them from increasing to detrimental levels.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elegance coral
How is it that you add nutrients in organic form. Like in the form of mysis shrimp, pellets, and nori. Then remove nutrients in organic from by harvesting algae from you ATS, yet you're able to test for this process with test kits that only register inorganics???????
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The volume of organics added to the water by algae is low in comparison to the amount of inorganics (the by-products of metabolism & decomposition) removed by algae. The organics that are added to the system, both via feeding the inhabitants & algae growth, are either utilized by all the aquarium inhabitants, filtered out, or removed via regular water changes. Basic stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elegance coral
Just as a tree in the forest is constantly shedding leaves, seeds, and branches, the algae in your ATS is constantly shedding organics as well. Like spores, fragments, and organic substances dissolved in water. When you harvest from your ATS, you do not remove all the organics that the algae produced and released into your system between cleanings of your screen.
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But unlike your Brazilian rain forest, the organics that are added to an aquarium, both via feeding the inhabitants & algae growth, are either utilized by all the aquarium inhabitants, filtered out, or removed via regular water changes. Basic stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elegance coral
People that support ATS's can not deny this process so they try to justify it by saying that it "feeds" the system. What it does is feed decomposers. Organisms that live in the sediments (rock and sand). These organisms, from microbes up, feed, defecate, reproduce, and die. Over and over again. This process traps, holds, and recycles nutrients within these sediments. The longer this process goes on, with the constant supply of nutrients/food from the ATS, the more nutrient rich these areas become. None of which is detectable by our test kits.
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Yes, I cannot deny that the “system” i.e. all aquarium inhabitants, including the decomposers living in rock & sand (if you have sand) do feed on the various nutrients, including the nutrients you feed your fish & perhaps corals. It’s called fish food.
Better stop adding those fish nutrients to your aquarium elegance. Begin feeding your fish non-organic stuff only. No telling what may happen otherwise.