| The novice aquarist must face a variety of | | | | to the concept of bacterial augmentation of the |
| problems when a new tank is started. Beginning | | | | biological filter. Although there are disagreements |
| aquarium woes often commence with the lack of | | | | of which particular strain of bacteria that actually |
| understanding exactly what is going to happen in | | | | do the work removing ammonia, classically it has |
| the first six weeks the tank is active. Without | | | | been defined as nitrosomonas, and few would |
| knowing what processes are occurring invisibly in | | | | argue that these are the bacteria that can do the |
| the aquarium, too many beginners overload the | | | | work. In the past few decades, certified pure |
| aquarium with fish right away and sentence their | | | | strains of both nitrosomonas and nitrobacter have |
| new pets to death by their own excretions. The | | | | been isolated and cultured quite successfully. Even |
| fish actually create the majority of the poisons | | | | before this advance, it was long felt that if you |
| that kill them! Often the rest of the deadly | | | | added these bacteria to the aquarium directly, |
| compounds comes from excessive feeding that | | | | they would help reduce the length it takes to get |
| rots and promotes decay. In the new aquarium, | | | | the populations up to size as well as keep the |
| Ammonia is produced by the fish and decay | | | | actual concentration levels much lower. |
| processes. It can rapidly build to toxic levels. If the | | | | In the very early days, this was done by simply |
| pH is acid (below 7.0) the toxicity of ammonia is | | | | grabbing a handful of gravel from an old, |
| often minimal, even in what could be considered | | | | established aquarium and adding it directly into the |
| high concentrations. However, it rapidly becomes | | | | new aquarium. Since both of these previously |
| extremely deadly when the pH reading rises over | | | | mentioned beneficial bacteria are lithotrophic and |
| 7.0. The higher the pH, the more dangerous | | | | attach firmly to clean hard surfaces, this did work |
| ammonia becomes, even in smaller concentrations. | | | | to inoculate a beginning aquarium with the bacteria |
| As time goes by, even starting from a sterile | | | | living in the old tank, whatever the strains. There |
| environment, beneficial bacteria that specialize in | | | | was always the risk that the older tank had |
| using the ammonia as an energy source establish | | | | other, less desirable strains that tagged along as |
| a foothold. With enough time, adequate | | | | well. Many tanks introduced a disease into it along |
| populations develop that can reduce the ammonia | | | | with the beneficial bacteria. |
| as quickly as it is produced. They produce nitrite | | | | Then came the first bacterial suspensions that |
| as a by-product. Nitrite has no relationship with pH | | | | contained living bacteria, in the early 1980's. These |
| or any other water characteristic. As nitrite rises | | | | were actual living and breathing bacteria, bottled |
| in concentration, it is equally deadly for fish in any | | | | active and alive and sold with very short |
| water conditions. Once again, nature has provided | | | | expiration dates. The concept was to provide a |
| a bacterial strain that will rapidly eliminate nitrite, | | | | concentration of specifically cultured bacteria that |
| nitrobacter. The specialized bacterial strains use | | | | do a particular job and supercharge a new |
| nitrite for energy and create nitrate as the final | | | | system with them. The spikes of ammonia and |
| step. | | | | nitrite were felt to be reduced and the fish had a |
| Nitrate is a good plant fertilizer, but otherwise is | | | | better chance of surviving the break-in ordeal. |
| not removed by standard processes in the | | | | The main drawback of this first product was that |
| aquarium. It constantly builds to levels that | | | | it went out of date so fast. You had to get it |
| eventually become harmful to fish. There really is | | | | right off the truck and use it immediately, as |
| no reliable way to remove it other than by dilution. | | | | every hour saw the loss of some more of the |
| The standard water change is the most effective | | | | bacteria. |
| method to remove high levels of nitrate with the | | | | Soon a newer product arrived that was able to |
| waste water. Fresh tap replacement water | | | | deliver much higher concentrations of both |
| replacement normally has low or non-existent | | | | bacteria, coupled with some of the best waste |
| amounts. As new water is added to replace | | | | reduction bacteria in the same bottle. The shelf |
| siphoned used aquarium water, the overall levels | | | | life, from culture vat to consumer was extended |
| of nitrate are lowered and controlled by this | | | | because it exploited the newest technology, which |
| simple method. | | | | allowed pure cultures of nitrosomonas and |
| The entire system heavily depends on a strong | | | | nitrobacter along with a few powerful waste |
| and vibrant population of two separate bacterial | | | | reduction strains to be cultured into extremely |
| strains (nitrosomonas and nitrobacter) doing their | | | | high concentrations and then shut down and |
| job. In addition there are a multitude of other | | | | forced to hibernate until the bottle was opened. |
| bacteria that are constantly at work breaking | | | | The advancement of causing the dormancy of |
| down waste materials into component parts this | | | | the bacteria was thought to be impossible, and |
| is the natural decay process. A big part of this | | | | although many seem to believe it still can't be |
| waste removal is the production of ammonia. In | | | | done, the success of the product for over 20 |
| the very beginning, there are no bacteria of any | | | | years on the market proves it to be viable. |
| kind to start with, they have been killed by the | | | | When the technology advanced to the point |
| chemicals water companies put into the water | | | | where billions of bacteria spores and hibernating |
| supply to make it safe for human consumption. | | | | cells were concentrated into every ounce, the |
| Assorted bacteria strains do start to populate | | | | concept of competitive exclusion also became a |
| quite quickly, but as far as the invisible bacterial | | | | reality. Unlike throwing a handful of gravel into a |
| world is concerned, ammonia and nitrite reducers | | | | new tank and hoping the right bacteria strains |
| are quite slow to replicate. There are many other | | | | make it, the ability to culture a pure strain of |
| types that are much faster to exploit a suitable | | | | bacteria, mix it with other pure strains to form a |
| niche and can inhibit nitrosomonas and/or | | | | team allows the knowledge of exactly what is |
| nitrobacter from thriving. | | | | being put into the aquarium. By dosing in |
| It takes ten days in a perfect environment for a | | | | recommended amounts every week, the balance |
| single starting bacteria that reduces ammonia to | | | | of population is shifted in favor of the strains |
| populate the billions upon billions of its fellows | | | | being added. Over time, they become the |
| required to eliminate ammonia as soon as it | | | | dominant bacterial strains, which is fine, because if |
| occurs. The bacteria that reduces nitrite to nitrate | | | | other pathogenic species appear, they are |
| is even slower to replicate. It has the further | | | | crowded out by the more dominant types. This is |
| disadvantage of being inhibited when there is too | | | | the definition of competitive exclusion, inoculating |
| much ammonia present. Once the ammonia | | | | the aquarium with the beneficial bacteria and |
| removing bacteria are plentiful enough to eliminate | | | | crowding out potential pathogens. |
| ammonia immediately, then these weaker strains | | | | Many companies have provided products like this |
| will begin to grow, taking another three weeks to | | | | to the market, have a friendly chat with your |
| get to high enough densities to remove nitrite | | | | local life fish store about which one of these |
| immediately as well. | | | | preparations they recommend. By regularly dosing |
| Biological Augmentation of the bacterial filter | | | | the filter and aquarium with billions of bacteria |
| The above is a very brief synopsis of the | | | | every week, the tank stays in better health and |
| Nitrogen Cycle, it is meant neither to be complete | | | | actually seems to run with less chance of bacterial |
| or exhaustive, but the timing of the bacterial | | | | disease. Fungus is also reduced as the amount of |
| population crests are important. It is this long lag | | | | waste is more rapidly decayed to composite |
| behind many other types of bacteria all fighting | | | | parts before a problem can occur. |
| for the same space and elements that gave rise | | | | |