Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) rely on ‘electrogenic’ bacteria to produce electricity, offering an innovative form of sustainable energy with further investigation. With potentially dozens of electrogenic bacterial species inhabiting wastewater, growth conditions satisfying the metabolic needs of these organisms, thus enhancing electricity production, are still being determined. The objective of this study was to enhance the metabolic activity of electrogenic bacteria in MFC reactors to encourage extracellular electron release, resulting in the production of current and voltage to produce power. MFC designs tested included a ‘box’ reactor design with different anodes (titanium and iron oxide) and different chemical compositions of growth medium. Among the MFC designs tested, an iron oxide anode in conjunction with a vitamin and mineral-enriched medium was found to increase power production. Within 30 days of incubation under 1000 Ω resistance, this MFC design produced an average of 334 mV, a 7-fold increase over a design consisting of a titanium anode and a less enriched medium under the same timeframe and resistance. With the former design, analysis of the iron oxide anode fibers under fluorescent light microscopy showed evidence of a diverse anode biofilm. Bacterial 16S rDNA sequencing of the electrogenic community in free solutions and in anode biofilms collected at different time points during MFC maturation showed diverse bacterial communities. Continuing studies will further optimize MFC conditions to meet the metabolic needs of the mixed electrogenic bacterial communities.