New aquariums are a killer for fish / by Jessica Enslein not rarely the shock hits the initial aquarist shortly after setting up his new basin ice cold: for some unknown reason, the fish with the belly swim upwards, so that everything is tip top and clean out, lacks any hint of problems. Which is often to blame for this so called nitrite peak, a phenomenon especially day or even weeks after establishing occurs in newly established aquariums and where the concentration of nitrite (NO2) in the water pllotzlich so high values assumes that it can be deadly fish for, use this connection only up to a certain concentration. About the red blood pigment is stifle blocked fish hemoglobin. It is essentially that the bacterial balance in the new basin, has not yet properly played a. You, the naturally occurring in the basin ammonia via the intermediate is nitrite mined to relatively harmless nitrate. Ammonia is included in the excrement of the fish or is created by reducing by Food residue on the floor. Two varieties of bacteria are involved in the degradation.

First, bacteria of the genus Nitrosomonas oxidize the ammonia to nitrite. This is the second type of bacteria, which are nominal Nitrobacter, further oxidized to nitrate ungifigen. In older aquariums that is no problem at all, because there are enough bacteria from two genera. An aquarium newly set up, so must both cultures once develop and accumulate. The Nitrosomonas are faster when the thing than that, so the former already diligent nitrite produce, while not enough bacteria have Nitrobacter, which further process the nitrite. The result: The dreaded nitrite peak, making can kill fish in the nu occur within a short time a surge of nitrite concentration.

It is therefore necessary to once a while run a brand new Aquarium without fish and then carefully insert the desired fish piece by piece so that the natural bacterial balance has enough time. to adjust. To employ all the fish immediately and at once after establishing leads even in large aquariums with security to that of most goodbye. Jessica Enslein