Adding sugar to reduce nitrate???

[ReefObsessor805]

Ive read on a thread in a fish only tank that you can add granulated sugar to reduce your nitrate in your system?

Is this true?

What about SPSs? What effect could it have on your system negatively?

Does adding sugar colonate bacteria that denitrifies???

 

[ACBlinky]

Wrong forum, but I'll bite
I'm testing the theory right now, no conclusive results yet but nothing negative has happened. The idea is similar to adding vinegar or vodka -- you're offering a food source to denitrifying bacteria so they'll convert NO3 to N, which exits the tank as a gas. The bacteria are already present in the heart of larger pieces of LR and the bottom layers of a sandbed, but AFAIK the sugar is intended to increase their numbers.

If you start a thread on this in the reef chemistry forum, maybe someone else can give you some more definite answers

 

[clord]

Yes its true and no one really knows the long term effect even though in europe I hear it pretty common.