Nitrate Plus is the new additive for coral aquariums for more advanced users proposed by Colombo, which is paired with the brother Phosphate Plus that we presented some weeks ago (here the article).
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Even in this case we can say that one problem of the aquarists is to keep the nitrates to a value close to zero, in order to obtain oligotrophic conditions in our aquariums, so that the algae can’t prosper.
But by improving in the hobby many advanced devices are used, like lights, pumps, skimmer and so on, the aquarium also improves and it can have a nitrate contain even not detectable. In particular nowadays with a technique oversized compared to the real needs.
And this is a problem. The Zooxanthellae, the symbiont algae living on the surface of the corals in a mutual survival relationship, need precisely the nitrates to survive (together with a low percentage of phosphates). From the biological point of view the zooxanthellae can be considered similar to plants, they also need light to survive, water and food, represented by nitrates and phophates. Obviously, we’re talking about small quantities…
There are cases in which not only nitrates aren’t detected by tests, but they aren’t at all in the aquarium. About this, I recommend the reading of this article about the reasons why you can find low levels of nitrates and phosphates in aquarium while you could have many. In fact, as you know, it happens that even with a bioavailable source of nutrients, usually due to an high number of fish, these are absorbed by the algae. So they aren’t detectable, but present.
In this case you need to add a source of nitrates well manageable.
Colombo Nitrate Plus
In this case we’re helped by Colombo Nitrate Plus, that is precisely a bioavailable and manageable source of nitrates.
The level of nitrates to keep in a marine aquarium has to be, in absence of algae, between 0,1 and 0,2 mg/l. But remember that these values has to be pursued in complete absence of algae, that otherwise could falsify the final result.
The package is of 1 liters and costs 20,65 euro.
