Cycles in Fish Tanks

Though the fish tanks that adorn your homes or offices may seem like small enclosure with little tumult, all the processes occurring in a large aquatic ecosystem are replicated subtly in these and hence impact the survival of its inhabitants. Important processes that ensure this survival include nutrient cycling and nitrogen cycling. To complete these cycles, continuous circulation of water throughout the aquarium is necessary. Water circulation causes an even distribution of heat in the aquarium and removes debris and waste particles by means of mechanical filtration.

Nutrient Cycling in Fish Tanks

Nutrients in the fish tank must circulate by means of moving water currents so that all spots in the tank are rich in food particles and the inhabitants of the aquarium are not affected by settling of food in a single layer at the bottom. Such static settling of nutrients is an invitation for growth of noxious algae. Current water directors are available for efficient circulation of water through the aquarium. Sulfur, iron, and phosphates are important nutrients. These and other micronutrients serve as food for the fish. Afterwards, these nutrients are excreted as nitrogenous waste and must be removed through the nitrogen cycles to prevent creating toxicity in the environment.

Nitrogen Cycling in Fish Tanks

Nitrogen cycle is important in fish tanks in order to defuse the biological waste produced by the tank inhabitants, which also include fungi and bacteria. This waste is mostly in form of ammonia (NH3) that might assume the composition ammonium (NH4 ). High levels of this nitrogenous waste are a threat to the fish’s health. An important role in the handling of nitrogenous waste is played by naturally occurring nitrifying bacteria in fish tanks; these bacteria change the chemistry of ammonia to that of nitrates, a less dangerous product in regard to the fish’s health.

Aquatic plants play their role in detoxifying the tank’s environment by using the nitrates for making plant proteins. The death and decay of these plants or their parts again produce nitrogenous waste in the aquarium. This cycle continues, though human role in the cycle is of significant importance. The tank keepers should change the tank’s water from time to time while remembering the kind of species they have; marine fish need a saltwater mix. In case the fish tank is lacking in naturally occurring nitrifying bacteria, nitrogenous wastes must be removed artificially through the use of activated carbon filters or by using special biological filters that help the nitrifying bacteria inhabit the aquarium.