Habitat - Indoor :: Biological Filtration and the nitrogen cycle

[Fuzzy Hamster]

I've noticed that there are a lot of discussions regarding water quality, and that the discussions in some of the threads on the forum involve some technical aspects of how to maintain or modify various water quality factors.

Along those lines, I though that some of you might find the following website provides a very good, although somewhat technical, overview of the water life cycle in a fish tank, which to a great extent also applies to turle tanks. The chemists on the forum (you know who you are ), may already know some of this but may find it a beneficial reference in any case. I'm always open to learning new things, so comments, criticisms, and corrections are encouraged.

The info was put together by Fritz, but other than a couple of brief references to their products, it is essentially a generic explanation of how an aquarium's life cycle works and what factors can impact it.

http://www.bioconlabs.com/nitribactfacts.html

I hope you find it useful.

[Chrisbarnett]

Thanks for posting this. They did a really nice job of not getting too technical while still getting the info across.

I think this should be made a sticky, there is much confusion over the nitrogen cycle, it's easy to see why, but this would help greatly!

[imderanged]

Very useful! Thanks. One thing that I noticed, it says the bacteria are sensitve to UV lights! I use "cycle" by nutrafin (a simmilar product by the sound of it) and I obviously have a UVB lamp (MVB). I wonder if that means the product is really useless the way I have been using it? They suggest leaving off these lights for 3-4 days! but that just isn't doeable. I wonder if it would help to add it at night when I turn out the lights, but thats only 12 hours, but maybe it better than nothing?

[Chrisbarnett]

Yep, they are sensitive to UV lights, Otherwise UV sterilizers wouldn't work.

But if you think about it, UV rays only penetrate water so far, Maybe a few inches, so your only losing a small percentage of bacteria.

But putting it in at night would be better than nothing.

[mat012]

Very useful! Thanks. One thing that I noticed, it says the bacteria are sensitve to UV lights! I use "cycle" by nutrafin (a simmilar product by the sound of it) and I obviously have a UVB lamp (MVB). I wonder if that means the product is really useless the way I have been using it? They suggest leaving off these lights for 3-4 days! but that just isn't doeable. I wonder if it would help to add it at night when I turn out the lights, but thats only 12 hours, but maybe it better than nothing?

The dock is also blocking some of the UV light from reaching the water as well right?

[Fuzzy Hamster]

I also use "Cycle" in my tanks and typically put it in at night, especially after I have cleaned or replaced filter media. You have to remember that the bulk of the benefit drived from adding bacteria is the work that they do in your filters, where they are not affected by lighting.

If you use UV sterilization in-line with, but before, filtering (as part of the water filtration cycle) than I could see that adding "Cycle" might be a waste of time, but if the UV sterilization is just used for 'new' water added to the tank, or in-line, but AFTER the filtration, then you should still find that it is beneficial to add it occasionaly in order to refresh or replenish the bacteria in the filter.

Chris is probably right as far as the depth that UVB light penetrates into the water for most UVB light sources, particularily compact fluorescents, but if I recall correctly, one of the major benefits of Mercury-Vapor lighting was that it would penetrate far deeper into a tank. This is partly why they are very popular for use in marine (salt water) tanks, along with pretty 'bluish' tone they give the water

[imderanged]

I just had a thought, maybe I should put the "cycle" right in my canister filter instead of the tank

[Fuzzy Hamster]

Seems like it might be more work than its worth, but I guess if you were to put it right in the basket with the biological filter it would be good. I am of the mind that "if it works, don't fix it". In other words, unless you are having a water quality issue with the way things currently are working, I wouldn't change anything.

I think that perhaps just putting it in at night, near the filter intake hose, should suffice.