Microbial communities and their kinetic performance in a single-stage autotrophic nitrogen-removal filter at an optimal oxygen supply were examined to determine the presence and activity of denitrifiers, anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox), ammonia-oxidizing, and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. To this end, different molecular biology techniques such as real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and biomarkers such as 16S rRNA revealed a diverse microbial community along the filter. It was important to survey the specific species of anammox bacteria using a newly designed Candidatus Brocadiafulgida (BF) specific primer, as well as Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans (BA) and Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis (KS) specific primers. An unexpected finding was that the predominant anammox species switched from KS in concentrated wastewater to BA in dilute wastewaters. The Eckenfelder model of the NH3-N transformation along the filter was S-e = S-0 exp(-0.192D/L-2.3217). These results provide a foundational understanding of the microbial structure and reaction kinetics in such systems. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.