Cycling an Aquarium - The Nitrogen Cycle

New to the hobby? You may have heard the terms New Tank Syndrome, Biological Cycle, or Nitrification Process being thrown around. Don't stress, they all refer to the same cycle, The Nitrogen Cycle. Cycling refers to the process of establishing a population of living bacteria within an aquarium, know as beneficial bacteria.

What is the Nitrogen Cycle?

When we discuss the nitrogen cycle, we refer to the specific part of the cycle where the fish waste or excess food turns into toxic nitrogen compounds like ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. These nitrogen compounds can potentially kill livestock unless we make sure we have plenty of microorganisms, also known as beneficial bacteria and plants to consume the waste products.

 

Simplifying the image above, when either fish/shrimp excrete waste or even uneaten food, that is ammonia source. The first lot of beneficial bacteria will then eat the ammonia and produces nitrites, which are still harmful to fish and shrimp. Then the next lot of beneficial bacteria will eats the nitrites and produces nitrates, the least toxic nitrogen compound.  Eventually, the amount of nitrates will build up and can become harmful to the fish and shrimp in high amounts. You must remove the nitrates either by doing a water change or by using aquarium plants, as they consume the nitrates. When testing water you should measure 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrites, and usually some number of nitrates in your tank water. If the nitrates reach 40 ppm or more, then a water change is needed.

 

How Long Does It Take for an Aquarium to Cycle?

It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a months. You can speed up the process by using filter media from other established tanks or by using live plants as they have some form of beneficial bacteria on them. Like all things is best to be patient and wait for the ideal conditions before adding your friends to their new home.