Table 1. Details of all studied aquaria with associated water quality data.
| Type | Aquarium code | Sampling days | Sampling codes | Aquarium water volume (L) | Water change regimen | pH | Dissolved O2 (mg O2 L−1) | Temperature (°C) | TAN (mg N L−1) | PO4 3- (mg P L−1) | SO4 2- (mg L−1) | Fish type | Live plants |
| Freshwater (no N budget) | F1 | 1, 35, 55, 76, 104 | F1_1, F1_2, F1_3, F1_4, F1_5 | 450 | 10% biweekly | 6.0±0.3 | 6.7±0.5 | 24.7±0.5 | 0.45±0.40 | 1.1±1.0 | 106±27 | 27 mixed tropical fish | Yes |
| F2 | 1, 40, 61, 89 | F2_1, F2_2, F2_3, F2_4 | 1050 | Unspecified | 7.3±0.5 | 6.8±0.3 | 24.7±0.5 | 0.20±0.11 | 1.9±0.7 | 221±25 | 22 African cichlids | Yes | |
| F3 | 1, 28, 57, 85, 113 | F3_1, F3_2t, F3_2b, F3_3, F3_4t, F3_4b, F3_5t, F3_5b | 175 | 15% weekly | 8.0±0.2 | 9.1±0.1 | 18.5±1.0 | 0.26±0.39 | 0.2±0.1 | 80±20 | Asellus aquaticus (crustacean) | No | |
| Freshwater (N budget) | F4 | 1, 22, 50, 79 | F4_1t, F4_1b, F4_2t, F4_2b, F4_3, F4_4 | 200 | 25% weekly | 7.6±0.1 | 6.5±0.3 | 24.2±1.3 | 0.18±0.20 | 1.9±1.0 | 83±18 | 10 African cichlids, 1 Hypostomus plecostomus | No |
| F5 (temporal test) | 1, 22, 50, 79 | F5_1t, F5_1b, F5_2, F5_3t, F5_3b, F5_4 | 80 | 25% weekly | 8.0±0.2 | 7.6±0.2 | 23.2±1.5 | 0.16±0.10 | 0.9±0.8 | 83±20 | 4 Carassius auratus (goldfish) | No | |
| *F5 (spatial test) | 1', 20', 40' | F5s_1t, F5s_1m, F5s_1b, F5s_2t, F5s_2m, F5s_2b, F5s_3t, F5s_3m, F5s_3b | 80 | 25% weekly | 7.7±0.1 | 7.6±0.2 | 23.0±0.3 | <0.1 | N.A. | N.A. | 4 Carassius auratus (goldfish) | No | |
| F6 (temporal test) | 1, 29, 57, 86 | F6_1, F6_2, F6_3, F6_4 | 40 | 25% weekly | 7.9±0.5 | 6.5±0.5 | 28.1±0.5 | 0.17±0.12 | 1.3±0.6 | 113±77 | 4 Xiphophorus helleri, 2 Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, 1 Hypostomus plecostomus | No | |
| *F6 (spatial test) | 1', 20', 40' | F6s_1t, F6s_1m, F6s_1b, F6s_2t, F6s_2m, F6s_2b, F6s_3t, F6s_3m, F6s_3b | 40 | 25% weekly | 8.0±0.1 | 6.7±0.1 | 26.5±0.3 | <0.1 | N.A. | N.A. | 4 Xiphophorus helleri, 2 Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, 1 Hypostomus plecostomus | No | |
| Marine | M | 1, 14, 63, 77, 105 | M_1, M_2, M_3, M_4, M_5 | 550 | 10% weekly | 7.8±0.2 | 7.4±0.3 | 24.3±1.4 | 0.30±0.04 | 0.2±0.0 | 209±96 | 17 mixed marine fish and reefs | No |
b, m, t: biofilter bottom, middle and top compartment, respectively. N.A.: not available
* spatial test was conducted 6 months after temporal study.