snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Snake's Guide to Cycling your saltwater aquarium.
Cycling a saltwater aquarium is perhaps one of the most looked over subjects to new saltwater aquarists. Many people think that they can start their aquarium and put fish in it the same day. This is definitely not the case. Once the new hobbyist kills a few fish per the live fish stores recommendations, they get wise and start to research threads like this.
So, congraduations! You have just made the first step towards a stable and successfull saltwater aquarium! By the end of this article you will be able to cycle your aquarium fully and successfully without any loss of fish.
If you are coming to this thread because you have already killed a few fish, which is not unlikely, and you still have fish in your tank, please remove them from your aquarium for the time being so that you don't unnecessarily kill your fish. Generally, live fish stores should take back the fish that they have sold you for store credit.
Cycling starts in stages. Lets first talk about the chemical side of cycling. When you start your aquarium with your live rock and live sand and new saltwater, you should add a small piece of raw shrimp to your aquarium to let it decompose. The decomposition process will leach ammonia into your tank. Ammonia is what is produced by all decaying organic matter in an aquarium. Ammonia is very toxic to fish at levels of 1ppm or higher. Why ammonia is so harmful to fish is because it eats up their gills. Ammonia is broken down into nitrite by a type of bacteria. Nitrite is not as toxic to fish as ammonia. Nitrite is then broken down into Nitrate by another type of bacteria. This is an aerobic process. So, to recap - Decaying matter breaks down into ammonia, then into nitrite, then into nitrate.
New tanks can look really prestine! New live rock, new saltwater and new sand will all look really clean. There will be no algae, no diatoms, no red algaes. But, as time progresses your tank will go through several stages. When nitrite begins to show, you will see some diatoms start to grow. Diatoms will appear to be short brown algae that will grow all over your rocks, sand and sometimes glass. Diatoms are caused by silicates. When the silicates are all completely used up the diatoms will disappear. And then you think you are in the clear - but you aren't just yet. There will be a progression of green algaes. The first is usually green slime algae, which will appear all over your rocks and glass. This is usually when your nitrates appear. As your tank progresses and your tank builds up nitrate and phosphates from feedings you will see a progression of green hair algae and then when your tank becomes more stable and even more clean through the use of filtration devices, water changes and husbandry your tank will start to develop coralline algae under adequate lighting. So, to recap, Diatoms to green slime algae to hair algae to coralline algae.
The process of cycling takes around 30 days to complete. After the day you add a small piece of raw shrimp, your cycling process starts. After one week, test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Write down your results. Keep testing every five to seven days thereafter. your tank has not completely cycled until there is no ammonia and no nitrites.
The raw shrimp method is not the only method, but it is the cheapest and the safest. For the purposes of the article, I will include both the fish cycling method and the plain raw ammonia method - and if you are interested in these two ways to cycle a tank, please research them before you use them.
In Summation, Ammonia breaks down into nitrite and nitrite breaks down into nitrate. When in the nitrite stage, you will see diatoms. In the nitrate stage, you will see green slime algae and other various algaes. When there is no more ammonia and nitrite then your tank is cycled. This process takes anywhere from one week to thirty days. Once your tank is cycled, add one or two small peaceful fish such as chromis, damsels or clownfish. Add one fish every week or two until your fully stocked. While your tank is being stocked, it will undergo various stages of algaes until your tank balances out, establishes a bacteria and microfauna population.
Cycling a saltwater aquarium is perhaps one of the most looked over subjects to new saltwater aquarists. Many people think that they can start their aquarium and put fish in it the same day. This is definitely not the case. Once the new hobbyist kills a few fish per the live fish stores recommendations, they get wise and start to research threads like this.
So, congraduations! You have just made the first step towards a stable and successfull saltwater aquarium! By the end of this article you will be able to cycle your aquarium fully and successfully without any loss of fish.
If you are coming to this thread because you have already killed a few fish, which is not unlikely, and you still have fish in your tank, please remove them from your aquarium for the time being so that you don't unnecessarily kill your fish. Generally, live fish stores should take back the fish that they have sold you for store credit.
Cycling starts in stages. Lets first talk about the chemical side of cycling. When you start your aquarium with your live rock and live sand and new saltwater, you should add a small piece of raw shrimp to your aquarium to let it decompose. The decomposition process will leach ammonia into your tank. Ammonia is what is produced by all decaying organic matter in an aquarium. Ammonia is very toxic to fish at levels of 1ppm or higher. Why ammonia is so harmful to fish is because it eats up their gills. Ammonia is broken down into nitrite by a type of bacteria. Nitrite is not as toxic to fish as ammonia. Nitrite is then broken down into Nitrate by another type of bacteria. This is an aerobic process. So, to recap - Decaying matter breaks down into ammonia, then into nitrite, then into nitrate.
New tanks can look really prestine! New live rock, new saltwater and new sand will all look really clean. There will be no algae, no diatoms, no red algaes. But, as time progresses your tank will go through several stages. When nitrite begins to show, you will see some diatoms start to grow. Diatoms will appear to be short brown algae that will grow all over your rocks, sand and sometimes glass. Diatoms are caused by silicates. When the silicates are all completely used up the diatoms will disappear. And then you think you are in the clear - but you aren't just yet. There will be a progression of green algaes. The first is usually green slime algae, which will appear all over your rocks and glass. This is usually when your nitrates appear. As your tank progresses and your tank builds up nitrate and phosphates from feedings you will see a progression of green hair algae and then when your tank becomes more stable and even more clean through the use of filtration devices, water changes and husbandry your tank will start to develop coralline algae under adequate lighting. So, to recap, Diatoms to green slime algae to hair algae to coralline algae.
The process of cycling takes around 30 days to complete. After the day you add a small piece of raw shrimp, your cycling process starts. After one week, test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Write down your results. Keep testing every five to seven days thereafter. your tank has not completely cycled until there is no ammonia and no nitrites.
The raw shrimp method is not the only method, but it is the cheapest and the safest. For the purposes of the article, I will include both the fish cycling method and the plain raw ammonia method - and if you are interested in these two ways to cycle a tank, please research them before you use them.
In Summation, Ammonia breaks down into nitrite and nitrite breaks down into nitrate. When in the nitrite stage, you will see diatoms. In the nitrate stage, you will see green slime algae and other various algaes. When there is no more ammonia and nitrite then your tank is cycled. This process takes anywhere from one week to thirty days. Once your tank is cycled, add one or two small peaceful fish such as chromis, damsels or clownfish. Add one fish every week or two until your fully stocked. While your tank is being stocked, it will undergo various stages of algaes until your tank balances out, establishes a bacteria and microfauna population.
Poor guy. My question is should I leave him in there to ensure a proper cycle has occured? Is he so much different than the raw shrimp you suggested? I have small amount of green slime algae and had a small spike of ammonia of .25 and did a water change and we are back at zero. Is it safe to say my tank has cycled?