Hiya Willy (Scott)!!
This question is kind of based on on an article by Dr. Ron where he said that because LR was covered in Corraline that it would not act as a biofilter anymore and thus it was a useless waste of money to purchase it.
What we have to keep in mind is that bacteria live and work in the world of microscopic and more importantly in the world of biofilms. Microscopic bacteria build biofilms that cover pretty much any and all surfaces, living or dead. With in these micro enviroments bacteria reproduce, travel, reduce, waste and basically do all thing that bacteria do. Nutrients (or food sources) are sequestered, reduced and moved on to other bacterial types with in the biofilms. So when looking at bacterial communities and their relationship to the surfaces they grow on we can determine that the rougher the surface the more biofilm/bacteria we will get (glass say being smooth so a lower amount).
In corraline algae it grows by forming plates basically, we see round spots of it on our rocks to start with, each of those being an algae spore that has grown. As time goes by these round spots continue to grow and/or fill in. When then encounter each other to us it looks like a continious sheet, but in reality it is millions of individual colonies. They will either bump into ecah other and create a wall between themselves and grow up, or one will overgrow another. Now look at this happening over and over again as time goes by, what you end up with is a multi layered mix match of substraights. This in itself provides a great surface area for bacterial growth.
Next thing to incorporate is the interaction between bacteria and the algae itself. Several scientific studies show bacteria begin to rely on the algae's organic matter exuded from the algae with which they are associated. So a slightly more complex yet just as effective means of reduction.
Thirdly is as mentioned above thier is never a case where corraline actually covers all of the rock. In most cases not even 50%. Through mechanisms for water movement: advection diffusion, pumping by organisms, and flow induced by pressure differentials all create and healthy enviroment for the induction and expulsion of nutrients via a LR system with in the tank.
Woo its to earlier to have to think this hard, time for more coffie
MIke
This question is kind of based on on an article by Dr. Ron where he said that because LR was covered in Corraline that it would not act as a biofilter anymore and thus it was a useless waste of money to purchase it.
What we have to keep in mind is that bacteria live and work in the world of microscopic and more importantly in the world of biofilms. Microscopic bacteria build biofilms that cover pretty much any and all surfaces, living or dead. With in these micro enviroments bacteria reproduce, travel, reduce, waste and basically do all thing that bacteria do. Nutrients (or food sources) are sequestered, reduced and moved on to other bacterial types with in the biofilms. So when looking at bacterial communities and their relationship to the surfaces they grow on we can determine that the rougher the surface the more biofilm/bacteria we will get (glass say being smooth so a lower amount).
In corraline algae it grows by forming plates basically, we see round spots of it on our rocks to start with, each of those being an algae spore that has grown. As time goes by these round spots continue to grow and/or fill in. When then encounter each other to us it looks like a continious sheet, but in reality it is millions of individual colonies. They will either bump into ecah other and create a wall between themselves and grow up, or one will overgrow another. Now look at this happening over and over again as time goes by, what you end up with is a multi layered mix match of substraights. This in itself provides a great surface area for bacterial growth.
Next thing to incorporate is the interaction between bacteria and the algae itself. Several scientific studies show bacteria begin to rely on the algae's organic matter exuded from the algae with which they are associated. So a slightly more complex yet just as effective means of reduction.
Thirdly is as mentioned above thier is never a case where corraline actually covers all of the rock. In most cases not even 50%. Through mechanisms for water movement: advection diffusion, pumping by organisms, and flow induced by pressure differentials all create and healthy enviroment for the induction and expulsion of nutrients via a LR system with in the tank.
Woo its to earlier to have to think this hard, time for more coffie
MIke
