Understanding the Nitrogen cycle
Before adding fish to your aquarium there are some important things you need to understand about how the aquarium water remains clean and healthy enough for fish to live in. The short video below talks you through this process, or read on for more.
The breakdown of fish waste; too much food and dead plant matter, causes ammonia and other poisons to build up in the water and kill your fish.
Because an aquarium is a ‘closed’ environment, harmful waste can quickly build up. There isn’t enough water to dilute or wash away the toxic compounds, unlike in a natural situation like a pond or river.
But there’s hope; as fish-keepers we can harness a natural process called the ‘Nitrogen Cycle’. Once established in an aquarium, it converts toxic waste into safer compounds.
Take a look at the image below to understand more about how this process works.
