HELP! cycle an aquarium
The substrate is the gravel (or sand, or eco-complete, etc.), its that medium which we put in the bottom of the aquarium in which to root our aquatic plants. The surface of anything is that portion of a substance that is exposed to another substance, i.e., the surface of water (as in a lake) is the portion which is exposed to air. The surface of a submerged rock is that part which is exposed to water. The surface of the ground (as in a lawn or garden, etc.) is also that portion that meets the air. Most often, the surface of anything (especially a solid) enables us to see it as it reflects light, however the surface of a buried gemstone, such as a diamond, cannot be seen even though its still this substance’s most outer portion. Any other portion of a substance constitutes its mass; that is, the portion of a substance that is beneath its surface represents all the molecules that exist beneath its surface — its what the substance is made of — its 3rd dimension. Anything tangible in this world has three dimensions; Two dimensions of an object only represent a virtual copy of the real thing. The substrate surface then is that portion that is readily seen where it is exposed to the water; at the very top of it, as this material is heavier than water and will be found underneath the stratum of water that is found lying over it. As this surface is rough, in varying degrees depending on the coarseness of the gravel particals, this surface extends to the sides of the individual gravel particals that are observed at its surface. Nitrifying bacteria will extend down into this rough uppermost layer of the surface, only as far as there is sufficient oxygen for it to survive. Even though there will still be spaces between the particles beneath this, there is no water circulation to replenish the oxygen at lower levels, rendering the remainder of the substrate uninhabitable to these aerobic bacteria. Ray
Category: Philippines Internet Koi Society
