Tag Archives: nitrogen cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle: Starting Fishless

The safest way to cycle your tank is without any fish in the water! It can be hard to wait several weeks without fish in your aquarium, but if your fish die in the process, you’re wasting your money. So how do you start the nitrogen cycle in your tank without fish? Here are some options: Use fish food. As uneaten fish food decomposes, it releases ammonia and/or ammonium into the water. If you’re using fish food, you’ll need to keep “feeding” flakes into the tank to keep the decomposition process going. Use your water test kit to monitor your … Continue reading →

The Nitrogen Cycle: Stages

There are three stages in the nitrogen cycle. The process takes time — anywhere from two weeks to two months or more — so you have to be patient. Stage one of the nitrogen cycle is the introduction of ammonia. Ammonia can come from uneaten fish food, tropical fish waste, and other sources. Waste and food can break down into ionized ammonium (NH4) or un-ionized ammonia (NH3). Ammonia is what can be harmful or deadly to your fish. The water’s pH level will determine what the food and waste break down into — ammonium or ammonia. If your pH is … Continue reading →

The Nitrogen Cycle: Basics

There are many names for the nitrogen cycle: the biological cycle, the nitrification process, the start up cycle, or new tank syndrome. In essence, the nitrogen cycle is the process of converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrates and the establishment of good bacteria in the aquarium and filter. Both of these processes are essential to a healthy tank environment. It can take two months or more to complete the nitrogen cycle! The process doesn’t always take that long, and there are some tricks you can use to speed things up, but it can be a very long and … Continue reading →