After setting up your fish tank and filling it with water the next step is to cycle it.
But the question is, how to cycle a fish tank?
You cannot add the fish straight away. If you do then they will die because the water is too sterile and the good bacteria has not yet been established.
Fish in the wild live in an ecosystem containing plants, microorganisms, and contaminants.
A fish tank is an enclosed ecosystem so when you set up a new fish tank then you need to cycle the tank to create a healthy and thriving environment for your fish to live in.
When you are first starting then the nitrogen cycle can seem confusing but it does not need to be this way.
I will be showing you, using the fishless cycle, how to do it the right way. It is easier than you think.
Please do not use fish to start the nitrogen cycle.
You can start the cycle by adding a pinch of fish food to the tank daily.
This is a lot less cruel than subjecting a poor fish to the toxins in your tank.
What is the Nitrogen Cycle and Why is it So Important?
The nitrogen cycle is also called the break-in cycle, biological cycle or the nitrification process.
They all refer to the same thing – the nitrogen cycle.
Why is this process so important?
Fish pee and poop in the same water that they swim around in.
Uneaten food starts to decay and rotten plants add to the waste.
These waste products break down and release ammonia into the water.
Ammonia is deadly to fish so good bacteria are needed to eat ammonia and keep it under control.
The nitrogen cycle is a three-stage process that in the end produces two beneficial bacteria that consume toxic ammonia and nitrites.
Stage 1 – The Ammonia Stage of How to Cycle a Fish Tank
Everything starts with the waste in the fish tank.
Uneaten fish food, rotting plants, pee, and poop break down and release ammonia into the water.
This ammonia can reach deadly levels unless beneficial bacteria start to form to eat the ammonia.
Beneficial bacteria appear naturally on their own and once they have multiplied enough, they will eat ammonia as soon as it appears.
Stage one is complete when the ammonia levels begin to decline.
Your tank will then enter into the second stage of the nitrogen cycle.
Stage 2 – Nitrites During the Cycling Phase
The bacteria that eat the ammonia give off a new chemical – nitrite.
Nitrite is also harmful to fish and is highly toxic to them.
But as the nitrite levels rise then a second bacteria appears in the fish tank.
This second bacteria eats nitrites and as before it grows in number and eats the nitrites as quickly as they are produced.
When the nitrite levels begin to fall then the fish tank enters the final stage of the nitrogen cycle.
Stage 3 – Nitrates Signalling the End of the Cycling Process
The second bacteria that eat the nitrites release a new chemical called nitrate.
Nitrates, in small amounts, are harmless to your fish.
This chemical is the final stage of the nitrogen cycle and is an indication that the initial cycle has been completed.
You will need to purchase a test kit to measure the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates in the water.
Once the ammonia and nitrites reach 0ppm then the cycle is complete.
Too many nitrates can be harmful but this is easily kept under control by performing regular water changes.
Conclusion on How to Cycle a Fish Tank
That is how simple the whole process is.
The purpose of cycling your fish tank is so that the two beneficial bacteria multiply enough to consume the ammonia and nitrites that are so harmful to your fish.
Once the tank is fully cycled then you can start adding a few fish.
Only add a few fish then wait two weeks before adding more.
This is so that you do not overwhelm the established bacteria by adding too many fish in one go.
The nitrogen cycle is never-ending. It is constantly happening so that your fish stay safe.
Hopefully, you agree that you do need to cycle a fish tank before adding fish.
