Member

Posts: 14
From:Lynwood, CA USA
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 10-16-2003 12:16 AM         

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What is it? And what is the purpose of it? I'm about to be receiving snails, clams, supposedbly 3 dwarf frogs and a lot more plants and want to know if this may be some kind of a problem and how should I divide them? They're not going into the aquarium with my goldfish, not for a month at least, but was worried about cycling? Can someone explain this to me?

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Moderator

Posts: 806
From:
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 10-16-2003 01:15 AM         

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I'll try to make this as simple as I can. When you first set up your tank and put water in it, it is basically pure (no bacteria, ammonia, nitrites or nitrates). When you introduce fish into the tank they give off waste which is ammonia in content. The waste drops down to the gravel where bacteria builds up on the waste and converts the ammonia into nitrites. As the nitrites begin to increase a secondary bacteria builds up and converts the nitrites into nitrates. This process takes about 6 weeks to complete and is what is called a tank cycle. During that process you will get ammonia and nitrite spikes. Times that can be hard enough to kill more delicate fish. Even though this process is called the tank cycle, the process continues on after the 6 weeks but is stabalized (with regular tank maintenance) so that you don't get the ammonia and nitrite spikes. After the 6 weeks you have the bacteria developed so that AS the ammonia enters the tank it is broken down into nitrites and the nitrites are broken down into nitrates AS they develop without the spikeing. This is why regular tank maintenance is so important. If you don't do the maintenance you develop too much bacteria in the tank to break down the waste. The overabundance of bacteria is what causes fungus to develop in the tank. Hope this helps.

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Member

Posts: 266
From:Canada
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 10-16-2003 06:59 AM         

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You can accelerate the process by using some of the gravel, rocks etc. from your old tank (30 gallon?) in the new one. The gravel, filter, etc. from your original tank has likely already built up a healthy population of ammonia and nitrite reducing bacteria.

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