Review on 🥤 Matrix, 2 Liters / 67.6 Fluid Ounces by Traci Loge

Seachem Matrix is an excellent habitat for the colonization of both nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria that are so important to good water chemistry and the health of the aquarium inhabitants. I've found many users complaining about receiving a fake product and to be honest I thought I had one too. I called Seachem and got the news. Here's what I found out: Matrix is a natural product derived from minerals. The mineral exhibits natural variations in size and color. When mining, black obsidian is sometimes included in the loot. The obsidian is removed by hand before packaging, but every once in a while some of it slips into the tin. The packaging does not have a protective seal under the lid. When you open a can, you see the product immediately. Matrix is sold by volume, not weight. While the literature does state a minimum weight (example: 1 liter of matrix = 400 grams net weight), this is required by law and has nothing to do with the actual weight of the product, which can vary widely due to matrix absorption and moisture. for example from the air. The 1 liter matrix I received weighed 967 grams out of the can. When you receive a matrix, expect it to vary in color and size, and that there may be a few dark or black stones in the glass. Now for the actual usage. The Matrix offers a huge surface area. The outer surfaces and crevices provide a very favorable environment for the aerobic (oxygen consuming) nitrifying bacteria that make up the "biofilter" so important in breaking down ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. This benefit is not limited to this. At the end of the aerobic part of the nitrogen cycle, nitrates accumulate in the water column and are one of the main pollutants that determine the frequency and number of water changes. Nitrate can be reduced to nitrogen gas, but this is an anaerobic (without oxygen) process that requires a different type of bacteria. Water saturated with nitrates seeps into the core of the matrix after depriving aerobic bacteria on the surface of the medium of oxygen. This low-oxygen environment is ideal for colonization by anaerobic bacteria that consume nitrate and release inert nitrogen gas. This final step in the nitrogen cycle helps control the buildup of nitrates in the aquarium, making a significant contribution to the long-term health of its residents.