BIOLOGICAL FILTRATION IN AQUARIUMS

While there are 3 key forms of aquarium filtration (mechanical, chemical, and biological), the latter ranks as the most important in aquatics. The biologically lethal byproducts of organic fish waste breakdown that are controlled and converted by nitrifying bacteria represent an ongoing process that defines water quality. These essential bacteria take time to develop in new aquariums and, as such, Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer must be dosed during this period.

It doesn’t end there, however! Many events that take place in aquariums can reduce or even eliminate these key bacteria species. Medications, for example, can entirely wipe them out. Filter and aquarium maintenance will usually reduce their populations, whereas adding fish or feeding heavily contributes to greater amounts of organic waste, resulting in lag times where ammonia and nitrite can develop and stress fish before being properly processed. On top of all this, the bacterial world, invisible to the human eye, is a very competitive and predatory space where bacteria and related organisms prey on one another. The bacterial strains that dominate may not be ideal in terms of their crucially important nitrification efficiency. The solution? Regular dosing of Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer, which establishes and maintains optimal strains of nitrifying bacteria, and benefits both aquarium water quality and the overall health of fish.

Regular supplementation of Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer drastically shortens the establishment period of nitrifying bacteria populations in new aquariums, and ensures optimal proportions of these bacteria. New tank syndrome and extended cycling times are all but eliminated when an aquarium is lightly stocked, feeding is carefully controlled, and Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer is added. To ensure expected results, it is always recommended to follow the new aquarium dosing recommendations clearly outlined on the product’s label. There are some additional steps that can help ensure new aquariums are properly seeded with essential nitrifying populations: adding established filter media and substrate from a healthy, established aquarium, for example, is always a good idea.

In the case of marine aquariums, the use of a protein skimmer and cured live rock is strongly recommended to avoid issues with ammonia and nitrite. Marine aquariums present an even greater challenge, as they typically have pH levels of 8.0 to 8.2: at these pH levels, a far greater percentage of any ammonia present is in its toxic gaseous form. The addition of a biological supplementation product such as Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer is thus all the more important.

Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer is bottled at a specific point in time when the bacterial culture has been carefully sent into a self-protective, dormant state. During this process, Bio-Flocs are produced by the bacteria. It is thus important to vigorously shake Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer before dosing it: the Bio-Flocs introduced into the aquarium can then be used by heterotrophic bacteria and help to begin the establishment of nitrifying bacteria populations.bacteria must be grown, evaluated, and performance assessed based on a number of variables. Thus, it takes time to refine and establish the perfect team of nitrifying bacteria and to ensure every step of the process contributes to a fast-acting and more efficient product. Simply put, time is a competitive barrier to entry in this field: Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer has had the necessary time invested into it, whereas the competition has not.

All Biological Supplements Are Not The Same!

Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer is the culmination of many decades of extensive research, and the quality of the product is a testament to this fact. The sourcing of new strains of bacteria in different environments is very time-consuming, and the species of bacteria and their relative proportions in the solution has been painstakingly established over the years. This type of research, by definition, necessitates the investment of significant amounts of time, as multiple generations of bacteria must be grown, evaluated, and performance assessed based on a number of variables. Thus, it takes time to refine and establish the perfect team of nitrifying bacteria and to ensure every step of the process contributes to a fast-acting and more efficient product. Simply put, time is a competitive barrier to entry in this field: Fluval Cycle Biological Enhancer has had the necessary time invested into it, whereas the competition has not.