Nitrate Removal

in Aquariums
by Biological Denitrification
KME 495 Bacteria,Biofilm and Biological Denitrification

0506 8044 - Merve Ayvaz

NITRATE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY
There are a number of treatment technologies available for
the reduction of nitrates in water. These include the
following:

1. Ion Exchange using strong base anion resins

regenerated with NaCl
2. Biological Denitrification
3. Electrodialysis or Electrodialysis Reversal
4. Reverse Osmosis
USING AREAS OF
BIOLOGICAL DENITRIFICATION

 Ground water treatment

 City service water treatment

 Industrial water treatment

 Seawater, aquarium, pond water treatment

BIOLOGICAL DENITRIFICATION
 Biological denitrification is reduction of nitrate
ions by facultative anaerobe bacteria in suboxic
conditions.
BIOLOGICAL DENITRIFICATION

 Heterotrophic bacteria needs organic carbon source.

Autotrophic bacteria needs inorganic carbon source.

 Autotrophic bacteria can live with higher water flow

rates rather than heterotrophic bacteria.

 Performance of a denitrification column depends on

the kind of the bacteria. Heterotrophic or autotrophic.
Denitrification in Aquaria
Main part of the biological
denitrification system is
biofilters.

Hearth of the biofilter is

packing material
BIOFILTER
 Biological filters serves the same purpose as mechnical
filters in that they are designed to remove unwanted
material from the water.

 Biological filters, however, use bacteria and

micro-organisms to achieve this goal.
 Bacteria
naturally live
in the aquarium water.
EcoBio-Stone
 Quickly establishes
denitrification bacteria
in new aquariums

 Takes approximately 2 - 6 weeks for results

under normal conditions.
BIOFILTER
 Live rocks are excellent bio-filters because they have
thousands of holes scattered throughout the entire
structure which are perfect for the bacteria to live.

 These give a huge area for micro-organisms to live and a

living conditions suitable for anaerobic bacteria needed in
the denitrification process.
BIOFILTER
Biofilters are used as
fluidized bed
fixed bed
and some other methods
FLUIDIZED BED BIOFILTER
 The water is pumped up from the
bottom of the filter, through the
media, and then flows back into the
tank from the top of the filter.
Because of the speed at which water
is passed through the filter media, it
becomes 'fluidized' - the sand is
constantly being pushed up by the
current and then falling back through
the water in response to gravity.
FLUIDIZED BED BIOFILTER
 Bacteria attach themselves to
the sand media in the filter
chamber.
 As water is pumped through
the filter, the sand grains and
their bacteria are constantly
bathed in a fresh supply of
organic carbon and nitrate,
creating extremely efficient
biological filtration.
FLUIDIZED BED BIOFILTER
FIXED BED BIOFILTERS
 Sulphur NO3 Filter

1.Nitrate concentration in the tank

should be more than 25 mg/L.

2. At high nitrate concentrations flow

rate of water can be up to 15 L/h.

- -  2-
11S  10 NO3  4.1HCO 3  0.5CO 2  1.71NH 4  2.5H 2 O  11SO 4
 0.92C5 H 7 NO 2 (biomass)  5.4N 2  9.62H 
SULPHUR NITRATE NO3 FILTER
 The water leaving the NO3 filter has a very low pH,
approximately 6 to 6.5 or lower in fresh water. 
This water can be dripped over coral sand to raise the pH
before entering the aquarium.
 Coral sand is sand of particles originating in tropical and
subtropical marine environments from bioerosion of
limestone skeletal material of marine organisms.
MEDIA FOR FIXED BEDS

 Ceramic Ball  Quartz Glass

 Volcanic Rock
Kaldnes Moving Bed™ Process
 Kaldnes Moving Bed™ process, As the Kaldnes media
chaotically circulates within the bio tank, it causes old dead
bacteria/bio film on the outside, to be removed making
space for new younger heavier feeding bacteria/bio films to
colonize.
Kaldnes Moving Bed™ process
 The biofilm carrier elements made from polyethylene with
a density slightly below that of water
Kaldnes Moving Bed™ process
 Allowing a small amount of water flow

 Provides maximum surface area for the bacteria to colonize

and produce bio film

 Within the wheel, is a protected surface, which enables

colonies of bacteria to naturally follow their life cycle,
maturing and dying, in turn fuelling the latter stages of the
denitrification conversion process.
JBL Bio Nitratex
 JBL BioNitratEX consists of small beads containing
nutrients for bacteria and so encourages the
settlement of denitrifying bacteria which are
present in large numbers in any aquarium.
 The net bag around the material restricts the water
flow and so ensures the correct flow velocity inside
the bag. This produces an environment low in
oxygen which allows the colonisation of nitrate
removing bacteria.
 Bag should be placed as the last stage in the
aquarium filter. Active for 12 months, 200 L.
DENITRYFYING BACTERIA
 Contains 2.5 X 106 ColonyFormingUnit/mLgel
 Immediately establishes biological activity.
 Quickly attach to and populate all kinds of
media.
 This helps rapidly establish the necessary
biological activity in your filter to stabilize your
aquarium's environment quickly.
 It helps to restore the activity to your filter
when you clean or change the media and
when you replace your filter cartridge.
Melbourne Aquarium Victoria,
Australia
Denitrification Unit in Melbourne
Thank you for your attention

Merve Ayvaz