Nitrogen Cycle Acceleration Using Aquatic Bacteria
The purpose of our experiment was to determine if the addition of a store-bought aquatic bacterial agent and different temperatures would decrease the time that it took for the nitrogen cycle to complete. The product used in the experiment was StartZyme. Six tanks were set with two tanks at each temperature of 20.0, 22.8, and 25.6 degrees Celsius. Each tank consisted of five fish and one Elodea Densa. During the experiment, tanks were tested for ammonia concentration and pH ever Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The experiment was monitored until the ammonia levels reached a constant, safe level, which took a period of approximately two weeks, which was the recorded and compared to the respective temperatures of tanks with and without added bacteria (i.e. the 20°C tank without the addition of StartZyme was compared to the 20°C tank that had the addition of StartZyme). A descriptive statistical analysis was used to compare the results in respect to temperature, and we found that temperature did not have much, if any, effect on the time it took for the tanks to reach safe ammonia levels. We did find that in each comparison that the tanks that had the store-bought bacterial agent product reached a safe level one or more days before the other tanks.
Research Done By:
Bridget Howard
Warren Mott High School
Luke Kelley
Fitzgerald High School
Warren Consolidated Schools