does high Nitrate levels=mature tank?

[Toooloud]

Mechainical filtration would be ... if all you where keeping is an aquarium and fish..lol

but you are not .. you are keeping a whole Ecosystem in a tank..

you are looking to simulate the ocean in your tank.. all a reef tank need to filter its self is..

Lighting, waterflow, Live rock and live sand!

Now when you take things away you need to add things in..

Most people will not or cant afford enough live rock! so then they will subliement the liverock with mechanical filtration.. but then they have issues with Nitrates.. But the issues are that they are never cleaned enough.. thats why you get nitrates.. but if you keep mechanical filtration and clean it correctly and fequently.. then you will not have issues!

[coral]

Ah! That makes sense.. Thanks Toooloud!
I do have bio, mech & chem filters going.. will removing them take away the beneficial bacteria & therefore set back the "age" of my tank? Thanks again for the help. It's awesome how everyone helps out here.

[ALRHA]

if you remove them slowly (not all at once) the rest of your tank will build up the bacteria that you lost on the item you removed. Remove them all at once, and you nutrients will spike faster than your bacteria can reproduce.