FREE ISSN 1045-3520 Volume 20 Issue 1 - 2003 Marine Aquarium Hobbyist Day Highlights Responsible Aquarium Keeping Photo by Dr. Timothy Hovanec By Sylvia Spalding, Marine Aquarium Council More than 500 marine aquarium enthusiasts opted to attend the first Marine Aquarium Hobbyist Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific despite a conflict with Super Bowl Sunday celebrations. The Jan. 26th event at Long Beach, Calif., focused on responsible aquarium keeping. It attracted hobbyists and retailers from as far away as Arizona—-an eight-hour drive. Julian Sprung delivered the keynote address, “A Responsible Marine Aquarium Hobby: From Sea to Your Home,” to a standing room only crowd. Sprung is the co-author of the popular book The Reef Aquarium, Volumes I and II. “When properly handled, delicate marine creatures have better survival chances in captivity, and the proper handling of living creatures is both ethical and consistent with aquarists’ concern for For an aquarium like this, a nitrate level up to 20 ppm NO3-N is acceptable. their welfare,” Sprung noted. Sprung’s presence was made possible through a sponsorship by Marineland, manufacturer of aquarium filtration systems and accessories. The event was co-hosted by the Aquarium Nitrate in Marine along the research of friend/college chum and the Marine Aquarium Council (MAC), an Dr. Tim Hovanec who identified the true international not-for-profit organization dedicated Aquarium Systems species/groups actually involved, giving us new to protecting coral reefs by setting standards and By Bob Fenner names such as Nitrosospira and Nitrospira (Hovanec and DeLong 1996, Hovanec et al. 1998, certification for the global trade in marine “Oh no! I’ve got a “high” nitrate Burrell et al. 2001). aquarium organisms. MAC Certified exporters, concentration in my aquarium! What do I do!?”... The Nitrosospira, Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira importers and retailers are authorized to carry First, and foremost, an understanding of the groups of microbes do this conversion, called marine aquarium organisms labeled as MAC sources, ways of alleviation and relative nitrification, which can be summarized as: Certified, a sign to buyers that they have been placement of nitrate in the grand scheme of Ammonia to Nitrite to Nitrate harvested in a responsible, environmentally “water quality” is absolutely necessary for NH <=> NO <=> NO friendly manner and handled properly to ensure aquarists. In reality, nitrate by itself is not “that” 3 2 3 with the equal signs representing bacterial their good health. deleterious. What an increase in nitrate means is involvement. Nitrification is an oxidative process Marine aquarium enthusiasts were treated to an accumulation of nitrogenous wastes that may (the reactants on the left are “losing electrons”) free admission to the Aquarium, a series of signal that one needs to react (slowly) and change and results in a lowered pH value, loss of presentations on responsible aquarium keeping one’s management/maintenance procedures of alkalinity, and is an indicator of the aerobic and a dozen informational exhibits. The talks their marine aquarium. (oxygen using/needing) nature of the involved ranged from “What to Look for in a Good Local Here’s what I deem an overall picture of organisms. Fish Store,” by Rick Preuss, owner of MAC nitrate should be to most saltwater hobbyists; the Nitrification, by way of biological filtration Certified Preuss Animal House, Haslett, Mich., to sources, importance and some means of keeping (Wet-Dry filters, undergravel filters, fluidized bed “Saving Reefs with the Marine Aquarium Trade,” nitrate in check. by Gregor Hodgson, Ph.D., founder of Reef filters, etc.), produces nitrate which will Check, an international network that tracks the Sources: The Greatest Pet-Fish Story accumulate given sufficient nitrogenous foods, a global status of reefs. Ever Told! paucity of organisms or methods that “use up” “Marine aquarium hobbyists and public Oh for the good old days when real pet-fish- (export) the nitrate such as water changes to aquariums are both concerned about the ionados could recite the bacterial nitrification dilute the nitrate, efficient skimming to extract sustainability of marine ornamentals and the coral mantra by rout... “Ammonia is converted to them or some version of denitrification. reefs they come from,” notes MAC Executive nitrite by Nitrosomonas bacteria species and nitrite Director Paul Holthus. “Events like these help to nitrate by Nitrobacter species...” Then came Continued on page 2 Continued on page 4 ©2003 Aquarium Systems, Inc., Mentor, OH - Printed in U.S.A. Nitrate in Marine Aquarium Systems Continued from page 1 About Testing Methods/Units of Measure A brief mention that there are two common ways of expressing the nitrate concentration. Photo by Dr. Timothy Hovanec One is as the nitrate ion itself (NO3) and the second is nitrate as nitrogen (NO3-N). Due to the latter’s consideration of the three oxygen atoms atomic weight per molecule, measuring the nitrate ion by itself results in value 4.4 times as much as nitrate-nitrogen. However, it’s like measuring in inches or centimeters: both give the right answer, just in different units. Do check your test kit so when comparing your values with others or recommendations in book you are comparing apples to apples, so to speak. Importance Most fish groups are remarkably tolerant of practical concentrations of nitrate (30-40 ppm Nitrate levels in fish only systems such as this can safely be 40 to 50 ppm NO3-N. nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N). A few tens of ppm in their water, changes in same over days time is not Detritus in the substrate can be a manage/manipulate when employed in the life-threatening or stressful compared with reservoir and manufacturer of nitrate. main/display system. Aquarists are encouraged fluctuations of temperature, varying light/dark Vacuuming a portion of your substrate along to build these in separate sump/refugium where cycles, measurable ammonia or nitrite or hobbyist with your water changes can reduce this source. their utilization will not disrupt the principal tank hands coming into their space, for instance. For Similarly, mechanical filtration media that traps they service. fish-only or FOWLR (fish only with live rock) food and wastes needs to be cleaned and ASD: Autotrophic sulfur systems, nitrate by itself is rarely a worry. replaced on a regular basis to limit the denitrification, a type of anaerobic denitrator Some invertebrate groups are notably decomposition of trapped organic materials utilizing elemental sulfur as a chemical feed source touchy to too much or sudden increases of and subsequent release of nitrate. for reducing nitrate has been advanced and used nitrate in their water. Fifteen to twenty ppm in places. The reaction series (4NO + 3S = 2N Dilution 3 2 NO3-N are upper limits for most non-vertebrate + 3SO4) involved is acidic, can be best tied-in with marine livestock. Many corals are reported to Here comes the usual pitch for frequent melting down a source of carbonate, does result being adversely affected at even lower levels of partial water changes. Obviously switching out in excess sulfate, but these don’t appear to be nitrate but controlled scientific studies are lacking ten-twenty percent of your water with water of problematical (natural seawater contains about to support these claims. zero nitrate reduces the percentage of nitrate 2,700 ppm of sulfate. (and other metabolites) by the same amount. Methods of Control Skimming/Foam Fractionation Ammonia is the main excretory product of Bio-mediation/Bacterial Aggressive foam fractionation, also known as fishes and invertebrates. And toxic to them at Denitrification protein skimming, removes much organic matter sufficient concentration. It must be dealt with. The so-called “reverse reaction” of before it is converted to nitrate. I’ve stated this a The easiest, simplest, surest, most fail-safe nitrification: denitrification is a largely anaerobic bazillion times: almost all marine systems should method is through biological conversion. Hence, set of reactions by microbes that serve to utilize skimming, even if only on a punctuated the great hub-bub regarding “cycling” convert nitrate ultimately into dinitrogen. A time basis. (establishment of beneficial microbial populations) summary of the reactions involved is: in new captive systems and the protection of said Nitrate to Nitrite to Nitrogen Chemical Filtration bacteria… Ammonia becoming nitrate is a good NO3- <=> NO2- <=> N2 Entails many possible areas for discussion. thing. Note, these reactions are reductive (the Of most practical importance is that while there But there are techniques, gear, and reactants on the left are “gaining electrons”) are “nitrate chemical filter materials” sold in the approaches that can be employed for reducing which is this case are supplied by H+ (protons) hobby/trade; they don’t work in many sets of and removing nitrate, or even preventing some thus the pH is elevated. (Editor’s note: in circumstances, and never directly. There is no nitrate production. improperly run denitrifying systems the nitrite practical chemical means of removing nitrate can be reduced to ammonia, a process called from aquarium systems. Prevention dissimilatory nitrite reduction). Feeds, Feeding and Livestock Loads. Biological Uptake/Export Too much nitrate is the result of too much food Live rock, sand use In the early days of reefkeeping, mid- to input, simply put “you’re feeding too much” and NNR: Natural nitrate reduction systems late-1980’s, vigorous algal growth was touted your maintenance routine can’t keep up with the include such propositions as Plenums (Jaubert et as a/the sure-fire means of reducing nitrate nitrate production. One easy approach for al.), DSBs (Deep Sand Beds), and various accumulation. In actuality, a good deal of limiting nitrate is to simply stock and feed your contraptions that are anaerobic to hypoxic nitrate can be taken up by many groups of system lightly, particularly with foods of high containers (boxes, coils, trays) for culturing and algae, microbes and other photosynthetic life protein content.