Belgian Anthias
Valuable Member
Reminieralization is braking down organic waste back to its basic elements, from organics back to inorganic compounds, making it possible to be reused for new growth. If remineralization mainly takes place in a refugium DOC may be kept very low. The endproducts of aerobic remineralization are nitrate, phosphate, CO2, and all other essential components for growth. Algae will use the produced CO2 and nitrate to grow, using everything left over after remineralization was completed, closing the internal carbon and nitrogen cycles. Using up the nitrate will restore the alkalinity consumed by the production of nitrate. In a nitrifying remineralization filter +- 15% of the produced nitrate-nitrogen may be exported due to natural denitrification.
An important part of remineralization is dissimilation, aerobic cellular respiration.
Heterotrophic Bacteria breaking down organics do this because they need organic carbon present in the bio-waste for growth and energy production. As most of the organic carbon present in the bio-waste is used for energy and CO2 production only a minor part of all produced basic elements are reused for fast heterotrophic growth, which means most essential elements become available for autotrophic growth, dangerous ammonia leftover is transformed into nitrate, safely stored nitrogen waiting to be used up along with all other essential building materials by photo-autotrophs, algae, this way reintroducing organic carbon and oxygen.( ref: MB CMF de Haes 2017-2019 )
