Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Key Information Concerning Nitrogen Levels Within Salt Water Aquariums

By Julie Lowry


With salt water aquariums it is extremely essential to keep the nitrogen levels down or else the fish would die. Fish are living creatures and like human beings they are going to eat food and discharge waste. The discharge of waste material results in elevated levels of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the water. The carbon dioxide is removed either by algae living inside the tank or by the process of aeration.

The nitrogen must be transformed to less poisonous products by bacteria. These micro organism convert waste materials into ammonia which is then transformed into nitrite and subsequently into nitrate. That is then used by the plants as fertilizer and eliminated from the water. In some salt water aquariums there can be no plants thus these nitrates must be eliminated by other measures, often with filters.

Fish tank filters may be mechanical, chemical or biological. Most aquariums would accommodate all 3 sorts of filters and it will be up to you, the owner, as to which sort to utilize. In case you are a novice you may wish to take advice on this and avoid the organic filters for now or at least don't just rely on them as they take some getting used to.

In addition to filters you will also need some kind of ventilation. Fish use a whole lot of oxygen and you should maintain the levels topped up in salt water aquariums. You could get air pumps, air stones or air hoses. You will need a heater to keep the water temperature inside the specific level which is dependent on the kind of fish you've selected to buy. Lastly you'll need proper aquarium lighting. Fish do not like to be lit up just like a Christmas tree so do not go overboard on the bulb selection.

This all could seem a little bit complicated but in actuality it isn't.




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