K1 Media?

[Lou Young]

Can I replace my live rock with K1 Kaldness media?

 

[IanWR]

No. K1 works like bio balls. They are good at converting to nitrate, but that is where the cycle stops.

 

[Lou Young]

This is what is says on the product page:

"Robust bacteria colonization is essential to the nitrification process of converting ammonia to nitrite and ultimately nitrate."

 

[IanWR]

Right. As i said, just like bio balls. There is no denitrification happening with this type of media. They are very efficient at converting ammonia to nitrate, but that is it. Good rock is porous enough to house bacteria that are capable of converting nitrate to nitrogen.

 

[tmz]

For anaerobic nitrate reduction a porous media like:live rock,a sand bed or Seachems matrix and other pourus media is usefull.

K1 is not porous;it supports surface area exposed to high flow like bioballs do, maximizing O2 availability for ammonia oxidizing bacteria that colonize it's surface,providing a good environment for these nitrifying bacteria as they oxidize ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate.

It is not useful n for anaerobic denitrification which occurs in lower flow and lower O2 environments where the bacteria use the O from the NO3(nitrate), when the O in the surr9ounding water is used up, leaving N some of which joins with N forming N2 nitrogen gas which bubbles out of the water.

 

[Lou Young]

Thank you. I have the same initial questikn but with using a different product. I will make a new post.

 

[tmz]

You are welcome.