Does live rock actually perform denitrification?

[kimoyo]

I'm getting my tank back together so I've been doing a lot of refresher reading. One of the best threads I've seen for starting a tank is TOM's (aka Waterkeeper on RC) thread So you got a new fish tank Newbie.

Here's a paragraph he wrote back in 2003.

"Nitrogen compounds have a more complex natural cycle and, so far, your tank has only succeeded in converting them into a more reef friendly form. Eventually your system will convert nitrate to nitrogen gas and eliminate it as well. This process usually takes awhile as the sand bed plays a crucial role. In a newly established tank conditions are usually not achieved for a couple of weeks after the initial cycle. There are many that contend that de-nitrification, the process of converting nitrate to nitrogen gas, occurs in the pores of the LR. IMO the chief method that LR provides in removing nitrate is through uptake by the coralline algae growing on the rock. Serious reduction of nitrate occurs in the sand bed in the anoxic zones. In the new tank they just haven't had time to properly form"

This isn't the first time I've read this but its been a while and I probably just glanced over before. It makes sense to me and just wondering what others think.

 

[ShaunW]

Yes it does. Corals do too! I spoke about it in detail at the last fragswap.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I think it needs a scentific controlled study to find out.

If I have to guess, I would say, most live rock that we use in our tanks would not de-nitrify in the pores because it seems the rocks are too porus and too small to create such an environment.

But as Shaun said, it did, I would like to know what is creating the denitification process?

 

[Bob 1000]

I think it does, just not on the scale we want it to..