I get the impression that many people do not understand what the term “cycling” an aquarium means.
Cycling is “not” setting up tank, putting water in, and turning on the filter for a couple days, or a month, then adding a bunch of fish.
It is also “not” just letting the chlorine from the tap dissipate for a day or two.
Cycling is…., the process of growing a large population of bacteria, that consume ammonia, and nitrite. And this population of beneficial bacteria needs to be large enough to detoxify all the ammonia and nitrite produced by fish urine and waste. Fresh water are constantly urinating ammonia out of their gills.
Growing a large population of bacteria does not happen over night, or even over a week.
Under normal circumstances, it can take up to 8 weeks to complete a cycle. It can take longer if the new aquaria gets short circuited by changing, or deep cleaning media, or other tank meddling.
The two most popular ways to cycle a tank, are a fishes cycle, where bottle household ammonia is added over a course of time, water is tested, and when ammonia tests first read zero, and then after more a couple weeks, nitrite reads zero, and the main reading is nitrate, the tank is cycled.
The other way is using sacrificial fish.
A fish or two is added to a new tank, and it (they) produce ammonia, creating conditions for aa population of bacteria to grow.
This ammonia and nitrite, often kills the sacrificial fish.
Some fish can handle a slow buildup, some can’t.
Fish that come from stagnant swamps, often do OK, an example might be an anabantid, or fish that can make use of atmospheric oxygen.
Those fish from moving oxygen rich streams or pristine water don’t usually survive.
Danios, tetras, and many cichlids are examples of fish that succumb easily.
There are a few things that can speed a cycle.
A commercial product containing a population of dormant bacteria can be used, but those bacteria still need time to “wake up” and reproduce.
Substrate (gravel, sand, rocks, ornaments), or filter media from an “established tank” can be used, that already holds a thriving population of live bacteria.
(by established, I mean a tank that has been set up more than 6 months)
But this does not mean a dozen fish can be added to the new tank, and not be expected to overwhelm those in the filter. Adding 2 or 3 fish to start, and 2 or 3 more every few months would be the route to take.
And if that media, or substrate is dried out, it may be useless.
Cycling is “not” setting up tank, putting water in, and turning on the filter for a couple days, or a month, then adding a bunch of fish.
It is also “not” just letting the chlorine from the tap dissipate for a day or two.
Cycling is…., the process of growing a large population of bacteria, that consume ammonia, and nitrite. And this population of beneficial bacteria needs to be large enough to detoxify all the ammonia and nitrite produced by fish urine and waste. Fresh water are constantly urinating ammonia out of their gills.
Growing a large population of bacteria does not happen over night, or even over a week.
Under normal circumstances, it can take up to 8 weeks to complete a cycle. It can take longer if the new aquaria gets short circuited by changing, or deep cleaning media, or other tank meddling.
The two most popular ways to cycle a tank, are a fishes cycle, where bottle household ammonia is added over a course of time, water is tested, and when ammonia tests first read zero, and then after more a couple weeks, nitrite reads zero, and the main reading is nitrate, the tank is cycled.
The other way is using sacrificial fish.
A fish or two is added to a new tank, and it (they) produce ammonia, creating conditions for aa population of bacteria to grow.
This ammonia and nitrite, often kills the sacrificial fish.
Some fish can handle a slow buildup, some can’t.
Fish that come from stagnant swamps, often do OK, an example might be an anabantid, or fish that can make use of atmospheric oxygen.
Those fish from moving oxygen rich streams or pristine water don’t usually survive.
Danios, tetras, and many cichlids are examples of fish that succumb easily.
There are a few things that can speed a cycle.
A commercial product containing a population of dormant bacteria can be used, but those bacteria still need time to “wake up” and reproduce.
Substrate (gravel, sand, rocks, ornaments), or filter media from an “established tank” can be used, that already holds a thriving population of live bacteria.
(by established, I mean a tank that has been set up more than 6 months)
But this does not mean a dozen fish can be added to the new tank, and not be expected to overwhelm those in the filter. Adding 2 or 3 fish to start, and 2 or 3 more every few months would be the route to take.
And if that media, or substrate is dried out, it may be useless.
