[Willow]

i just saw these on the marine depot site.

We have long held the view that if you design a natural system with the management of nutrients in mind, nitrate and phosphate can be almost forgotten. But with all the best laid plans, you often end up with excess nutrients. These may be due to a higher load of fish or inefficiency in the system’s denitrification abilities. Either way; even the best systems can end up with a nagging 10-20ppm of residue nitrate. The options currently available to resolve excess nitrate would normally take the route of increasing water changes, adding more live rock, or increasing things like the deep sand beds or adding mangroves.

An option that many people have tried is the slow flow denitrator. These rely on anaerobic bacteria, colonising a suitable medium and the flow of water being slow enough, to become depleted of oxygen to create an environment they can thrive in. These bacteria will then multiply and consume the nitrate in the low oxygen water. If well set-up this method can be quite successful.

looks like it might be a handy item for people with huge bioloads and nitrate problems.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...or.asp?CartId=