Bacterial activators are devices that allow you to start the nitrogen cycle.
If you intend to start an aquarium, you must remember that in the home ecosystem that you are going to create, unlike what happens in nature, there is no continuous exchange of water.
The fish – or any other animal – that you decide to breed produce polluting waste that must be destroyed to protect their well-being.
In fact, any food scraps, organic residues or deceased and decaying specimens, can generate bacteria that give life to what is called the ammonification process.
Some particular bacteria, in fact, degrade the amino nitrogen, releasing ammonia, a very toxic substance for the inhabitants of your aquarium.
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The importance of bacteria
To eliminate this problem, two oxidation reactions must be used:
- Nitrification
- Nitration
The first transforms ammonia into nitrites (NO2) while in the second the oxidized nitrites produce nitrates (NO3).
The latter can be toxic if greater than 25 mg.
However, in aquarist parlance this process is known as the nitrogen cycle.
There are other types of bacteria that promote these reactions: they are called nitrifying and nitrating and are not present when starting a new aquarium.
For this reason it is necessary to use a bacterial activator, a tool I was telling you about
Bacterial cultures belong to the genera nitrosomonas and nitrobacter: these bacteria too must find nourishment from carbohydrates and proteins.
I recommend inserting the bacterial activator, in fresh water, after inserting aquatic plants, while, in sea water, after inserting live rocks.
As an aid, you can add a small amount of fish food or, alternatively, a few drops of amino acids.
I conclude by telling you that to limit the presence of ammonia in the aquarium there are also other expedients, such as water changes or the insertion of absorbent materials in the filtering system.
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