The object of this medium is to grow bacteria. That’s right, some bacteria are actually good!

As you know, the health of the animals that live in your custom aquarium or fish tank relies on proper and consistent aquarium maintenance. So far we’ve reviewed mechanical filtration, we’ve reviewed chemical filtration…now it’s time to take a look at the third crucial piece of the puzzle: biological filtration.

Biological filtration is the most important function of an aquarium filter. Biological filtration is facilitated in a filter with a coarse medium, usually a ceramic noodle or plastic, spiked ball called a “bio-ball”. The object of this medium is to grow bacteria. That’s right, some bacteria are actually good! The bacteria actually grow on all surfaces in the aquarium. The biological filter media simply creates a larger amount of surface area for the bacteria to grow on. Your gravel bed is also a great biological filter. These bacteria eat organic waste (fish urine, feces and leftover food) in your aquarium.

The Nitrogen Cycle

More specifically, bacteria in your fish tank facilitates the nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle is the process by which organic matter is converted to gas and released from the water. In the first stage of the nitrogen cycle the bacteria begin to eat the organic waste and convert it into ammonia (NH₃). Ammonia lowers the pH of your aquarium and also burns the fishes’ skin and gills making it difficult for them to breathe.  It is also introduced directly into the aquarium in the form of urine by your fish.

Next the bacteria begin to convert the ammonia into nitrite (NO₂-). Nitrite is also highly toxic to fish and both ammonia and nitrate levels should be monitored on a routine basis in order to ensure proper filter functionality. Both compounds are measured in ppm (parts per million) and both should always read  zero (0) ppm in a properly maintained aquarium.

The third stage of the nitrogen cycle consists of the bacteria converting the nitrite into nitrate (NO₃-). This compound is relatively non-toxic to fish as long as it does not reach excessive levels. Also measured in ppm, nitrates should be kept under 100-150 ppm in a freshwater or marine “fish-only”(no corals or live plants) aquarium and under 10 ppm in a marine reef aquarium. This is not the final stage of the nitrogen cycle but, in an aquarium, it is where nature stops (or slows drastically) and the hobbyist must pick up the slack.

Too much weird science for you? Give Diamond Aquatics a call and we’d be happy to help you maintain your aquarium, or answer any questions you may have.

A couple of posts back we talked about aquarium filtration, and how important it is for the health of the animals that live in your custom aquarium or fish tank. As a reminder, proper aquarium maintenance will not only prolong the life of your favorite aquatic pets, but also help save you money in the long run (by reducing the number of animals you will have to purchase).

A good filtration system is an important part of aquarium service. As we mentioned already, there are three main functions to most common filters:

• Mechanical filtration
• Chemical filtration
• Biological filtration

Read our previous post to find out about mechanical filtration. This time we dive into chemical filtration (no pun intended!). Chemical filtration comes in many forms to remove many different dissolved elements from the water; but they all work in a similar fashion. Each one absorbs a harmful/unwanted element from the water, like a sponge absorbing a liquid. For example, activated carbon or charcoal, possibly the most common chemical filter medium, absorbs dissolved organic material from the water like a sponge. Dissolved organics are what lead to foul odors and cloudy water when left unchecked. So you want to reduce the proliferation of them within your tank, or they can lead to larger issues including excessive algae growth and ammonia build-up.

Just as a sponge can only hold a certain amount of liquid, carbon can only hold a certain amount of dissolved organics. This medium should be replaced frequently! In most cases once per month is adequate. Some aquariums may produce excessive dissolved organics requiring more frequent carbon replacement. There are products on the market that have been manufactured to last longer than one month. These are usually carbon resins mixed with other chemical filter media and are generally more expensive than plain activated carbon.

Feel like this is a daunting task? For those who would rather not take it on, but would still love an aquarium, DiamondAquatics provides maintenance services to fit your needs. We can answer your questions and guide you towards the right aquarium maintenance solution. Give us a call at 973-356-4434 today!

Stay tuned, in our next blog post we’ll outline biological filtration.