Oh the fun ones I miss when I am gone.
OF course liver rock removed nitrate, well that is if it is in good condition and the right type. it has to have enough porosity and they type of fissures that can create anoxic areas.
I know when I bought my tank I took 240lbs of established liver rock and put it into a cycling tank with 30ppm nitrates. in 24 hours my nitrates were never seen again.
now what makes bad rock or reduces the amount of nitrate reduction. Coraline algae. the more this covers the more it seals. That is why I think people who do racks for there rock to get by with less rock are just asking for trouble down the road. I personally thing you need to have a substantial amount of rock that doesn't get light that way Coraline can't seal it up.
when I had the stuck heater incident, I had a lot of coral dying in my tank in efforts to save them (was a heavily stocked coral tank and everything died overnight) and still not one nitrate measured as I had enough rock to handle the on slot of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
Steve
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 *everything said above is just my opinion, and may or may not reflect the views of this BBS, its Operators, and its Members. If cornered on any “opinion” I post I will totally deny having ever said this in a Court of Law…Unless I am the right one*
Some strive to be perfect.... I just strive.
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