Do nitrates die off?

[TheWeaz]

Warning: This maybe a dumb question....

I just soaked a filter sock in bleach water. So after I rinsed it off with tap water and let it dry in the sun, will the nitrates still be trapped in the sock from the tap water?

 

[Reefmack]

Good question. The nitrates are water soluble and generated by bacteria living in the sock. Bleaching and rinsing should have removed them, as well as killing the bacteria that produced nitrates. The nitrates are a product of the bacteria - bacteria gone - nitrates gone!