Protein skimmers do a great job of exporting dissolved organic compounds, which bond with air bubbles in the reaction chamberAmong the myriad mysterious terms that might give neophyte marine aquarists a migraine (okay, I’ll stop with the gratuitous alliteration now) is “nutrient export.” What does this term mean? Is it just a fancy way of saying “filtration”? Well, not exactly, though certain forms of filtration do play a part. For our purposes, nutrient export can be defined as the elimination of substances that (directly or upon decomposition) degrade water quality and fuel the growth of undesirable algae in marine aquarium systems. So, let’s take a look at some of the common methods we rely on for nutrient export, including some that only do the job partway:Mechanical filtration First and foremost, it’s important to understand that mechanical filtration—the straining of particulate matter from the water—is not, in and of itself, a form of nutrient export. Uneaten food, fish poop, and other detritus trapped in a mechanical-filtration medium (e.g., floss, sponge, or a sock) with water flowing through it will continue to break down and release dissolved nutrients into the system. It’s not until the hobbyist rinses or replaces the medium that the nutrients are actually exported. Water changes Provided your makeup water isn’t nutrient-rich (which it shouldn’t be if it’s processed through an RO/DI unit or otherwise purified), water changes are the most reliable method of nutrient export
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