What's the best media for a sump to reduce nitrates

I hate that I can't edit posts here. Anyways here is a great read about carbon and nitrates.

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/activated-carbon-in-reef-aquarium-2908/

IMO the deeper the sand bed will just set you up for deeper problems later. Yes the sand bed allows for more bacteria to grow NOW, but in a few years you will struggle with "old tank syndrome". So you will be replacing all that sand and basically recycling the tank. Your tank has grown accustomed to your habits, but it can't support it anymore. You have to think about more than next year in this hobby. Not trying to turn you off, I'm just trying to pass along valuable information I have learned.
 
I have a refugium that is 15% of my systems total water volume lit with a powerful light in the proper spectrum and it brought the nutrients down far enough that i am dosing 10mL of nitrate back into my tank daily.
 
I hate that I can't edit posts here. Anyways here is a great read about carbon and nitrates.

http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/activated-carbon-in-reef-aquarium-2908/
There are a few factual errors in the article, but carbon can be useful as a filtration media. It's not clear how much it can remove.

IMO the deeper the sand bed will just set you up for deeper problems later.
A deep sand bed requires some careful stocking choices, but I ran one for a bit over 10 years. The sand was completely fine after that period of time, and I would have kept on running the tank if I hadn't had such a difficult work travel schedule.

If the tank is stocked with animals that kill the sandbed (goby fishes, "sand sifting" starfish, etc), it won't function, and if the tank gets more food that it should, the sand can become a mess, but deep sandbeds do support some interesting animals, and they might help some with filtration.
 
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