Difference between revisions of "The Nitrogen Cycle"

Revision as of 22:32, 7 November 2019 (edit) Rmehlhouse (talk | contribs) m (Tag: Visual edit: Switched) ← Older edit		Latest revision as of 13:00, 21 January 2021 (edit) (undo) Arvil (talk | contribs) (Changed Category: Starting Your Cycle to Category: Cycling Your Aquarium, a broader category to perhaps include more pages.)
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−	[[Category: How to Start Your Cycle]]	+	[[Category: Cycling Your Aquarium]]

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Latest revision as of 13:00, 21 January 2021

What is the Nitrogen Cycle?[edit]

Fish waste, uneaten food, and decaying plant matter all produce ammonia. Ammonia is poison to your fish and must be removed. When ammonia is present in an aquarium, a bacterium called Nitrosomonas will start to form. Nitrosomonas oxidizes ammonia and puts off a byproduct called nitrites. Nitrites are also poisonous to fish but less than that of ammonia. In the presence of nitrites, a bacterium called Nitrobacter will form which converts nitrites into nitrates. Nitrates are significantly less poisonous to fish and are removed from a tank by doing water changes. Plants will also feed off of nitrates so having a planted tank can slow the build-up of nitrates in an aquarium ^[1]