The effect of the COD/N ratio on denitrification characteristics was evaluated for the development of a denitrification process. Activated sludge, acclimated to an anoxic condition, was used as the denitrifier consortium (mixture of denitrifying organisms) for enhanced nitrogen removal in a recirculating aquarium system. Synthetic wastewater containing nitrate was used as the influent solution and glucose was used as the carbon source for denitrification. The COD/N ratio varied within a range of 1.5-7.2. The denitrification efficiency was higher than 97% even at a COD/N ratio of 1.5. Under a theoretical COD/N ratio of 3.0, nitrite was detected, however, the amount was less than 1% of the total influent nitrogen. The number of both nitrate-reducing bacteria and denitrifying bacteria reached $3.5{ imes}10^5/ml$ with a COD/N ratio of 1.5 after 45 days of operation.