robertloop
Member
Hey guys. If you havn't already.. Take this link ....( http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/index.php ) to this months Reef keeping online and then click the "Renaming our corals" link.. A very good article on dispelling HUGE myths that I hear on a constant basis in our reef hobby. The quote below is in the "SPS" portion of the article. I totally agree with the below statement. If high nitraes and phosphates = "brown out" corals, then how come none of mine are brown?
>>"Speaking of coloration, elevated concentrations of nitrogen (ammonium and/or nitrate) are often blamed when corals (especially Acropora but others as well) "brown-out." This happens through increases in the density of zooxanthellae in coral tissue and increases in the chlorophyll content of those zooxanthellae (making each one darker) (Hoegh-Guldberg, 1994; Marubini and Davies, 1996). To my knowledge, phosphorus (phosphate) has never been implicated in this process, though it has been shown to decrease calcification and linear extension when elevated (Ferrier-Pages et al., 2000). This makes sense because most algae (including zooxanthellae) are good phosphorus competitors and their growth rate or ability to overpopulate a coral is probably not limited by phosphorus in most cases." <<
and...
>>"Polyp size simply has nothing to do with either light or water flow requirements. In fact, some smaller-polyped corals are among the most tolerant of variable light and current. Stylophora pistillata can grow in inches of water on the reef crest or over 30 m deep in almost no current, but this doesn't match the present view of what this coral is supposed to be. Again, I tend to trust the coral more than popular opinion."<<
Food for thought alright. My nitrates are always between 25~50 mg/l. I dont have a phosphate test kit so I dont know those numbers. :rollface:
>>"Speaking of coloration, elevated concentrations of nitrogen (ammonium and/or nitrate) are often blamed when corals (especially Acropora but others as well) "brown-out." This happens through increases in the density of zooxanthellae in coral tissue and increases in the chlorophyll content of those zooxanthellae (making each one darker) (Hoegh-Guldberg, 1994; Marubini and Davies, 1996). To my knowledge, phosphorus (phosphate) has never been implicated in this process, though it has been shown to decrease calcification and linear extension when elevated (Ferrier-Pages et al., 2000). This makes sense because most algae (including zooxanthellae) are good phosphorus competitors and their growth rate or ability to overpopulate a coral is probably not limited by phosphorus in most cases." <<
and...
>>"Polyp size simply has nothing to do with either light or water flow requirements. In fact, some smaller-polyped corals are among the most tolerant of variable light and current. Stylophora pistillata can grow in inches of water on the reef crest or over 30 m deep in almost no current, but this doesn't match the present view of what this coral is supposed to be. Again, I tend to trust the coral more than popular opinion."<<
Food for thought alright. My nitrates are always between 25~50 mg/l. I dont have a phosphate test kit so I dont know those numbers. :rollface:
