Posts Tagged ‘bacteria’

 

What is new pond syndrome. A fact is that every, yes every, new pond goes through new pond syndrome.

It does not matter how big the pond is, how much money you spent on it, what fancy gadgets it has on it. It will go through new pond syndrome.

 

It is all about the filter being immature, a filter is alive, alive with bacteria that biolgically processes water as well as removing bigger waste that you can see.

 

The nitrite cycle needs to be established in the filter.

 

The Nitrite Cycle is Ammonia – bacteria converts to – Nitrite – bacteria converts to – Nitrate

 

Ammonia is toxic to fish above zero

 

Nitrite is toxic to fish

 

Nitrate is relatively safe below levels of 100

 

It is filter immaturity that is killing the fish because the ammonia produced by the fish in their faeces, urine and normal respiration and it is also produced by uneaten food. The ammonia in the system rises slowly and the filter endeavours to grow the bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrite but it takes time, this process can take weeks (depending upon the temperature).

 

While the filter is trying to generate the bacteria to convert the ammonia to nitrite, it is also trying to generate the bacteria to convert nitrite to nitrate, this takes even longer.

The next part to follow >>