| Enzymes: A class of proteins that are produced by living cells and which speed up specific biochemical reactions. |
| Naturally occurring bacteria: All bacteria present in CrystalClear are found in nature. Through decades of selecting the most active strains, CrystalClear bacteria produce many times the level of enzymes produced by wild strains of microorganisms. |
| Nitrite: An intermediate product in the nitrogen cycle which is highly toxic to fish. Even low levels, should be taken seriously by the fishkeeper. Decreasing the amount of organic wastes by using CrystalClear will decrease the amount of nitrite formed. |
| Nitrate: A relatively safe end product of organic waste degradation. It may be toxic to goldfish at very high levels such as 500 mg/L. Nitrate is a nutrient source for algae and other plant life. |
| Ammonia: An intermediate product of the nitrogen cycle which converts to the more toxic nitrite. The toxicity of ammonia depends on the temperature and pH of the water; the higher the pH and/or temperature, the more toxic the ammonia. Ammonia burns the gills and fins of fish and lowers their resistance to disease. Controlling organic waste through the use of CrystalClear decreases ammonia levels. |
| Nitrification Process: The circulation of nitrogen in the natural world in which organic wastes (uneaten food, wastes, decaying plants, etc.) decompose to form ammonia and similar compounds. Nitrifying bacteria oxidize ammonia to form nitrites and then nitrates. Both ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish, but plant growth is enhanced by the nitrates which act as fertilizer. The plants are eaten by fish and the cycle is complete. |
| Ionized Ammonia: The nontoxic form of ammonia which is harmless except at very high levels. |
| pH: A measurement of acidity or basicity of water, with 7.0 being neutral. The pH tolerance of fish varies from species to species. Fish such as goldfish and koi generally adapt to the pH of local waters but it is important to not make rapid changes in pH. The shock of rapidly fluctuating pH can stress or even kill fish. Pond pH generally follows a daily cycle of being lowest just before dawn and highest in the afternoon due to photosynthesis and aquatic life respiration. pH increases with plant population and decreases with excessive organic matter and animal population. Low pH water can harm fish gills. High pH water can harm fins and gills and contribute to unwanted algae growth. |
| Unionized Ammonia: The toxic form of ammonia. The percentage of ammonia in its unionized state increase as the pH and/or temperature increases. |