The carbon cycle is one of the true basics of life. After all, we are carbon based organisms and carbon is the basic element of life on our planet (although it is theorised that silicon could also be used to base lifeforms). Without getting into too much science (do a web search for deeper infos), the carbon cycle is the reason why we dose carbon to probiotic systems.
In the breakdown and reassimilation of waste products via bacteria, carbon leads the chain of events. In an aquarium our main waste products are ammonias and phosphates. Both of these products are nutrients, which is to say they are food for various organisms and plants. Unfortunately, in large concentrations, they are deadly poisons. One can remove them in various ways, such as regular large water changes with purified water, adsorbtion media, plants, such as alga, bacteria, amongst a few methods. In a pro-biotic system we are using bacteria as our main assimilators.
An oceanographer by the name of Alfred C. Redfield noted that marine plankton world wide had a particular ratio of the three main elements of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Named in his honour, the Redfield Ratio states that C : N : P is very consistant at 106:16:1. This is to say, for every atom of phoshporus, you will need/find 16 atoms of nitrogen and 106 atoms of carbon. Although he was sampling complex plankton, which contains plants, animals and bacteria, the ratio remained the same. This ratio sets the tone for carbon dosing as a waste neutralisation method.
to be continued......
In the breakdown and reassimilation of waste products via bacteria, carbon leads the chain of events. In an aquarium our main waste products are ammonias and phosphates. Both of these products are nutrients, which is to say they are food for various organisms and plants. Unfortunately, in large concentrations, they are deadly poisons. One can remove them in various ways, such as regular large water changes with purified water, adsorbtion media, plants, such as alga, bacteria, amongst a few methods. In a pro-biotic system we are using bacteria as our main assimilators.
An oceanographer by the name of Alfred C. Redfield noted that marine plankton world wide had a particular ratio of the three main elements of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Named in his honour, the Redfield Ratio states that C : N : P is very consistant at 106:16:1. This is to say, for every atom of phoshporus, you will need/find 16 atoms of nitrogen and 106 atoms of carbon. Although he was sampling complex plankton, which contains plants, animals and bacteria, the ratio remained the same. This ratio sets the tone for carbon dosing as a waste neutralisation method.
to be continued......
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