Aquarium what is cycling

Much of the cycling process is automated. Cycling only requires patience and consistent testing of the aquarium water. This guide breaks down aquarium cycling into a few key steps. Before cycling you will need to ensure you have a proper freshwater test kit. The Freshwater Master Test Kit is a reputable and reliable brand that most beginners and experts use in their aquariums.

A test kit is required to monitor ammonia levels and test for nitrate spikes. Follow our general cleaning guide to make sure you don't accidentally kill your biofilter hint: never let any component of your aquarium touch un-treated tap water.

May 30, 1 min read. May 29, 1 min read. May 25, 1 min read. What is cycling? How long does cycling an aquarium take? What does the biofilter do? How does a biofilter get established? When is the aquarium safe for fish? Bottled Bacteria Bottled bacteria and other inoculated products such as live sand can be used to accelerate the cycling process to as little as a matter of days by introducing all types of essential bacteria at the same time.

Adding Fish, Invertebrates, or Coral Newly cycled aquariums are vulnerable to ammonia spikes and should be stocked slowly and incrementally. The Nitrogen Cycle The nitrogen cycle is often cited as a prerequisite to understanding aquarium cycling. Keep the biofilter alive Maintaining the biofilter is essential throughout the life of the aquarium. Also in Aquarium Basics Guides. Subscribe Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more ….

You can begin to add fishes slowly once that happens. Many seasoned fish experts have looked for ways to speed up the entire cycling process and here are 3 of the most effective hacks to have a faster cycle. In terms of which method is better, both are equal in result and time, so it really depends on your personal preference. One last tip we have is we recommend against using any chemicals or artificial bacteria boosters in an attempt to speed up the procedure.

You now know as much about how to cycle a fish tank as the next fish expert would. Cycling with fishes. Cycling without fishes How To Cycle Your Fish Tank Method 1: With Fish Cycling We will begin with everything you would want in your fish tank to be already set up, minus the fishes filters, heaters, air pumps, decorations, substrate.

Next, Feed The Fishes Thriftily. You cannot overfeed and have excess food leftover as: The fishes will produce more waste that increases toxin levels faster than the beneficial bacteria can grow.

The food will decay and produce more toxins. Introduced into your aquarium via fish waste or uneaten food, depending on the pH levels in your aquarium. Below 7, and it will produce ionized ammonium NH4.

Ammonia will continue to build up until the bacteria that eats it start to form. Your tank may become cloudy when this bacteria starts to form. The levels will rise as you see the ammonia declines. Nitrate is a byproduct of a bacteria called Nitrosomonas , this organism will oxidize the ammonia — turning it into nitrite.

Essentially, this bacteria eats ammonia and produces nitrite, which is also highly toxic to your fish. You should see the nitrite levels start to rise at the end of the first week or during the second week. The final product of the Nitrogen Cycle.

Once your nitrite levels have reached a certain point a bacteria called Nitrobacter will develop. When the levels of nitrite and ammonia reach 0ppm parts per million , your tank has been cycled. There are two methods you can use to maintain acceptable levels.

This will also benefit your tank by removing substances such as DOCs dissolved organic compounds , solid fish waste and replenish dissolved materials that your plants and animals may need.

If you own a freshwater fish tank, you can add aquarium plants can help use up some of the nitrates. Own a saltwater tank? Let me start by saying, this is not the preferred method. However, some species can handle it better than others. Your aim is to populate the tank with fish that produce waste. But can also survive the high levels of ammonia and nitrite long enough to allow for the beneficial bacteria to grow.

You should add approximatley fish per 10 gallons of water. Adding too many fish will lead to excess waste. This can cause an ammonia spike and kill off your fish. Here are a few good choice for cycling fish :. Feed your fish sparingly, be careful not to overfeed them. As a general rule of thumb feed your fish once every 2 days.

And only provide them with moderate-sized meals. This increases the level of toxins in your tank before the good bacteria is able to colonize your aquarium. And you feed them smaller meals because leftover food will rot and produce even more toxins!

Your fish are being exposed to potentially lethal amounts of ammonia and nitrate, so regular water changes are a must. Make sure you add de-chlorinator to the water.

So keeping track of the amount in your tank will help you manage your fish throughout the process. Testing for nitrate is a must have. After each addition, wait for about a week and test the water again. If the ammonia and nitrite levels are still low, add some more.

Adding too many fish will cause the ammonia and nitrite levels to rise. This will stress your fish and can lead to disease. This is the method I would recommend you use. I would like to add, there are other methods to doing a fishless cycle.

You have no fish in the tank, so what do you do? A nice simple way to do this, is to begin by dropping a few flakes of fish food into your tank. Add the same amount you would if you were feeding fish. You can do this every 12 hours. Now, all you have to do is wait. The flakes will begin to decay — releasing ammonia into your tank. Test every other day, and try and maintain the ammonia levels at 3ppm.

Nitrosomonas will begin to grow and start consuming the ammonia. You can use a commercial test kit for this. Once the ammonia and nitrite levels have returned to zero, the cycle is complete.

Again, don;t just go adding a load of fish. You need to do this gradually. And wait at least a week or two before introducing more. Consider cleaning any substrate with a siphon or hose before adding fish. Yes, the nitrogen cycle can be sped up. Filter media from an established tank will have nitrifying bacteria attached. If you have access to an established tank which uses an undergravel filter, bacteria will be attached to the gravel.

This will have the same effect as using media filter.