Aquarium filters: Any discussion of ANY filter requires a disclaimer. ALL commercial filters almost without exception tell the owner to replace the filter media (cartridges, sponge, ceramic rings, carbon, Matrix, etc.) regularly, once a month, once every three months, or once every six months. Replacing the Filter Media is a Big SCAM!!!
Cloudy Water in the Aquarium: Many people have their water turn cloudy, often looking like someone poured milk into the aquarium. Another term for this is a “bacterial bloom”.
The “brown gunk” found in aquarium filters is all a type of aggregate called a “biofilm”; a matrix or gel of polysaccharides and proteins with bacteria, protozoans, fungi and water molds.
In the eyes of most hobbyists “detritus” is any “brown gunk” in an aquarium. Other words used to describe this material is mulm, organic matter, sludge and debris.
The most important part of an aquarium’s filtration is what goes on at the microscopic level. This is so called biofiltration. It is the world of bacteria and micro-organisms that can’t be seen with the naked eye. This biofiltration is the key to good water chemistry, good fish health and crystal-clear water.
A “mature aquarium” (sometimes called a “seasoned aquarium” or a “balanced aquarium”) is an aquarium with a lot of diversity in the brown gunk in its filter, tank, and substrate.
Cycling Test: A series of tests were run in buckets to see what feeding regimes produced the fastest cycles. The second series of tests were run in the buckets to see what water parameters give the best cycling times.
There are several general types of beneficial bacteria involved in oxidizing ammonia to relatively safe nitrate in the freshwater aquarium. Scientists call these organisms “nitrifying” bacteria and archaea. We will use the term “beneficial bacteria”
An understanding of the nitrogen cycle is NOT REQUIRED to have a good aquarium. This idea that every hobbyist needs to understand the nitrogen cycle is a myth promulgated by well meaning but ill-informed individuals on social media.
Inoculate for Cycling. To jumpstart the cycling of an aquarium, you can inoculate the aquarium with “seeding” material.
