How To Cycle An Aquarium

Cycling is the single most important phase for any aquarium. Cycling is the name given to the biological maturation of a new aquarium, and every fish tank must be cycled before fish are added, as without it, pollutants will build up to toxic levels and your fish will die.

If you’ve invested in an aquarium, and want to make the best of your living art, then it is important to know how to care for your aquarium and know how to clean it properly. But to ensure that your fish get off to a good start in your aquarium, cycling is essential. Let’s have a closer look.

To cycle an aquarium, it must first have water and a filter. Howard, as good as any filter is, when new, it will be sterile and not contain any beneficial bacteria that converts fish waste from toxic ammonia to less toxic nitrate.

This nitrification is a naturally occurring process where nutrients are continually cycled by bacteria, fish, and plants, keeping the water pollution-free. This means we need to add bacteria.

Fishless cycling

Some bacteria cultures need to be added on the same day as fish, while others should be added beforehand. Fishes cycling is where the aquarium is cycled and matured before any fish are added.

Cycling can take up to six weeks, during which time, ammonia and nitrate can climb to highly toxic levels.

Fishless cycling matures the biological filter by using bother ammonia. This can be done with o9r without live bacteria, but adding bacteria will help speed up the process. An ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kit are necessary to monitor maturation, both with fish-in and fishless cycling methods.

How cycling works

Ammonia is added to the water daily by the owner, who uses a test kit to check for consistent levels of ammonia in the water, followed by nitrate. The presence of nitrate will indicate that the first phase of nitrification is underway.

Ammonia is converted by Nitrosomonas bacteria into nitrite. The Ammonia level will start to come down as it does so, followed by a recordable rise in nitrite.

As nitrate levels fall, it indicates that the second type of bacteria, Nitrospira is now present in the water. When both ammonia and nitrite are testing at zero, and nitrate is starting to climb slowly, the tank is cycled, mature, and ready for fish.

New Tank Syndrome

New Tank Syndrome occurs when there are insufficient nitrifying bacteria in the system to convert the ammonia and nitrite. If fish are added too soon, too many fish, or not enough bacteria, ammonia or nitrite levels rise and fish become sick and die.

Any aquarium under six weeks of age should be considered immature and liable to New tank syndrome. Even if bacteria have been added. That’s why new aquariums should only be stocked slowly, and with a few, small, hardy fish. Too many fish too soon and there will be problems.

Every aquarium owner should also own test kits, to enable them to know the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels of their aquarium.

If you’re looking for an aquarium test kit, visit our online store today.