VitaStim Nitrifiers–Wastewater Ammonia Removal (3.8L)

VitaStim Nitrifiers contains high concentrations of autotrophic ammonia- and nitrite-oxidising bacteria (such as nitrospora, nitrosomonas, nitrospira, and nitrobacter) as well as a micronutrient helpful to the growth and reproduction of nitrifying bacteria. The treatment helps reduce ammonia levels in water.

How nitrifying bacteria reduce ammonia 

Nitrifying bacteria are any kind of aerobic bacteria that use inorganic nitrogen compounds as an energy source. An essential part of the nitrogen cycle, nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrate compounds through a two-step process called nitrification. 

This nitrification process involves:

Step 1: Nitrifying bacteria carry out aerobic oxidation of ammonium (NH4+) or ammonia (NH3), converting these to nitrite (NO2−).  

Step 2: Nitrite-oxidising bacteria then oxidise nitrites to nitrates (NO3−). Nitrates are non-toxic to plants; in fact, plants can break these compounds down further. 

The reason nitrifying bacteria can perform nitrification is because they carry several special enzymes, including ammonia monooxygenase (which oxidises ammonia to hydroxylamine), hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (which oxidises hydroxylamine to nitric oxide), and nitrite oxidoreductase (which oxidises nitrite to nitrate).