BioNitrat Ex JBL

JBL BioNitrat Ex

Nitrates and phosphates are the main nutrients for algae. By removing them from the water, algae growth is prevented!
However, bacteria only degrade nitrates under certain conditions: when there's no more oxygen and at the same time, they have a carbon source (bacteria food), the bacteria extract oxygen from the nitrates and in this way, eliminate them.

How JBL BioNitratEx Works
With JBL BioNitratEx, bacteria colonize the surface of the balls within 4 weeks and form a thick biofilm. Under this film, a low-oxygen zone forms where the bacteria switch to the "nitrate respiration" phase and destroy the nitrate (NO3) that promotes algae. The bio-balls serve as food and the nitrates as an oxygen source for the bacteria. The bio-balls will therefore shrink over time (visually controllable) and eventually disappear completely. This takes 6 to 12 months, depending on the nitrate load. You then need to recharge with bio-balls.

Snails: when snails reach the JBL BioNitratEx balls, they devour the biofilms on their surfaces. Oxygen again reaches the lower bacteria layers, which then no longer need to extract it from nitrates and thus do not destroy them. In case of a large number of snails, wrap the JBL BioNitratEx balls in a fine bag to block access to the snails.

Difference with JBL NitratEx
JBL BioNitratEx works in a purely biological way, through bacterial degradation. JBL NitratEx, on the other hand, is a synthetic resin that binds nitrates from the water (only fresh water!) and exchanges them for harmless chloride (ion exchange function). The advantage of this system is that you can also use it in emergencies, e.g., to remove nitrates from tap or well water.