Aquarium Cycling
Fish produce waste not only in the form fecal matter but also as a respiration byproduct. Those substances are toxic in certain levels and need to be removed. Biological part of the filtration process takes care of breaking down the toxins into simpler and harmless chemicals but before the aquarium environment reaches it’s full capacity the nitrifying bacteria must exist in proper quantities.
To reach that safe level of beneficial bacteria every tropical aquarium with fresh water has to be cycled and go through certain phases. Whole cycling process takes 31 days and is directed by the time it takes bacteria to replicate. They reproduce every 8 hours.
Cycling Aquarium
Before you begin it is recommended to get a reliable testing kit as frequent checks are necessary to monitor the progress, liquid tests are generally more accurate.
In first phase of cycling Nitrosomonas bacteria populate the aquarium, their role is to convert ammonia to nitrite. Without adding cycling supplements this process would take 10 days. In this phase high levels of ammonia make the water inhabitable so it’s best to not introduce tropical fish at this stage. There are certain species hardy enough to live in those conditions but there’s always the risk they would die.
It is important to monitor the pH levels for any increase as this would increase the toxicity of the ammonia. If this occurs then partial water exchange should be carried out until the pH settles.
It is best to introduce he good bacteria in form of aquarium cycling liquid that can be acquired at any aquatic shop. This fluid contains the best strains of nitrifying bacteria and will speed up the whole process.
The second phase of is the time when Nitrobacter populate the fish tank, these bacteria turn nitrite into nitrate. Nitrite is very toxic and will affect the blood cells of the fish which in turn affects oxygen transport in fish. This phase normally takes 21 days and also can be supplemented by adding bacteria in form of cycling liquid.
The end of second phase occurs when nitrite is gone. If after 21 days of the second phase nitrite still exist partial water exchange should clear it.
Phase three is the time when fish get introduced and bacteria gradually adapt to the amount of waste produced by fish. It takes some time to reach stability and with every new fish introduced t the tank the toxin levels will change until they settle.
Introducing Fish and Plants
Presence of fish helps the cycling process but still chemically unstable habitat can be dangerous for fish. Only hardy fish should be placed in the fish tank during cycling phase and should be closely watched. High levels of toxins promote diseases and when fish get visibly ill it’s often to late to help them.
Plants also get affected by the changes in water chemistry. As natural filters they help to clean aquarium from toxins and use them as fertilizers.
Understanding Aquarium Water Chemistry
The performance of biological filtration in form of bacteria depends on certain factors like: pH, temperature, levels of waste products, water quality, plants, etc. It is important to realize that in a small closed environment everything affects everything else and the main goal is to reach stability so there is no sudden changes in levels of harmful substances.
Additional Steps To Help Cycling
- Use liquids eliminating toxins from tap water and protecting fish from stress,
- Remove any dead matter like fish and plants from aquarium,
- Introduce fish slowly so the bacteria have the time to build up,
- Don’t feed the fish extensively after introducing and never overfeed them,
- Change water on regular basis to restore the water buffers and remove nitrate,
- Test frequently to monitor the spikes and levels of toxins,
- Supplement the water with bacteria after every water change and filter cleaning.
