Organics and mineralisation.

[Belgian Anthias]

Organics in the aquarium! A main concern for managing a reef aquarium. How to prevent accumulation of organics? In most cases one will try to prevent organics may become mineralized by removing them as soon as possible, in most cases by using a skimmer. Although a skimmer is not that effective in removing DOC it still may remove about 35%.
Why trying to prevent mineralisation? Mineralization makes it possible to reuse all the building materials and makes it possible to close the nitrogen cycle. What can be reused must not be added.

What are for You, reefer, the main reasons fore using a skimmer in your systems?
Why is preventing compleet mineralization important in your system?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Organics in the aquarium! A main concern for managing a reef aquarium. How to prevent accumulation of organics?

Why trying to prevent mineralisation? Mineralization makes it possible to reuse all the building materials and makes it possible to close the nitrogen cycle. What can be reused must not be added.

Why is preventing compleet mineralization important in your system?

I'm confused?

 

[mcarroll]

Maybe mineralization as in chemical reduction? As in redox? As in Iron is "completely mineralized" as Rusting?

I'm not sure I'm on the right track either though...

 

[mcarroll]

If mineralisation is a reference to all the various nutrient cycles that reduce/reuse nutrients then I don't think we want to avoid it. (I'm not sure that's even possible.)

If I'm on track with this, then I think what we want to limit is the amount of food going into the system and especially sharp changes in the amount of nutrients going in.

You limit the amount of food going in by limiting the amount of livestock, not by removing byproducts from the water.

Being consistent with feeding (not over- or under-feeding) takes care of the other part, but that's sometimes easier said than done.

 

[mcarroll]

E.g.

The phosphorus cycle in coastal marine sediments

The biogeochemistry of manganese and iron reduction in marine sediments [PDF] semanticscholar.org

Production of N2 through anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction in marine sediments [PDF] asm.org

Nitrogen as the limiting nutrient for eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems: evolving views over three decades

 

[norfolkgarden]

"You limit the amount of food going in by limiting the amount of livestock, not by removing byproducts from the water. "

It's a fish tank with fish in it.

Limiting the amount of livestock kind of defeats the purpose ??

Not sure where we are going with this but it is an interesting conversation.
[emoji4]

 

[norfolkgarden]

Is this where the "sponge loop" comes in?

I still don't completely understand that.

OK, I don't really understand it at all....
[emoji848]
But the take away I got was that the more cryptic sponge you have the more complete your "recycling" is.
Does that sound right?

 

[reeferfoxx]

;Facepalm