The Nitrogen Cycle & New Tank Syndrome
This scenario is very common and it has been given a name. It is called New Tank Syndrome and the cause of this is something called the nitrogen cycle or biological cycle. It is something that every aquarium fish keeper must learn about to be able to set up an aquarium.
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Great Videos on Cycling a New Aquarium
How to Set Up Saltwater & Freshwater Aquariums : Good Starter Fish for Freshwater Aquariums
How to Set Up Saltwater & Freshwater Aquariums : Water Chemistry in Saltwater & Freshwater Aquariums
New Tank Syndrome
New Tank Syndrome refers to what happens to a newly established fish tank for the first 6 to 8 weeks while it is establish a biological filter or bio-cycle. When a tank is first set up and some fish a placed in the tank they are living in fresh water and a tank with new decorations filter and aquarium substrate. The fish will produce waste which adds toxins to the water. These toxins are very poisonous to fish. As the level of toxins increase in the water it become armful to the fish and even fatal. This is why many fish will die in the first few day after being placed in a new aquarium.New Tank Syndrome happens to all new aquariums. It is something that every aquarium fish keeper will experience. So anyone keeping an aquarium must learn about it and know how to find a solution. There are two possible solutions.
One solution is to buy a couple hardy fish to start in order to establish the biological cycle in the new aquarium. Hardy fish are certain types of fish that can tolerate the higher amounts of toxins that are present in the aquarium while it is cycling. Some hardy fish are zebra danios, female guppies, blue, opaline and yellow gouramis.
The other solution is to cycle the tank doing what is called a fishless cycle. Instead of getting hardy fish for the new tank the aquarium owner can buy special kits at local pet stores. these kits contain chemicals that get added to the water to cycle the tank. The chemicals are similar to the ones that are produced by the fish that would be living in the aquarium. The kits will come with instructions on how to use them to establish the biological filter in the aquarium.
Cycling a New Tank Can Take 6-8 Weeks
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The Nitrogen Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle also called the Biological Cycle is a cycle that all new aquariums must establish to be able to provide a healthy living environment for the fish that will live in the tank. When a brand new tank is set up it lacks the bacteria needed to break down the toxin produced by the waste products from the fish. These bacteria need time to grow. The time that it takes for the bacteria to grow is what is called cycling the tank.The cycle starts with wasted products entering the water from the fish. These products produce ammonia. Ammonia is very toxic to fish. As more ammonia enters the water some bacteria will begin to grow in the tank. This bacteria will eat the ammonia and the ammonia level will then drop.
The ammonia eating bacteria produce another waste product that puts nitrite into the water. Nitrites are also very toxic to fish. As the nitrites in water start to increase another bacteria will then start to grow. This new bacteria will eat the nitrites causing the nitrites to drop.
The nitrite eating bacteria produce their own waste products which give of nitrates. Nitrates are not as toxic to aquarium fish. Even though nitrates are not as toxic they should not be allowed to build up in the tank. Regular partial water changes are needed to keep the nitrates low. Once there are nitrates in the water and the other 2 toxins have pretty much vanished the Nitrogen Cycle is completed and the tank has establish a biological filter.
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Speed Up Cycling with Cycle 8 oz
Good Hardy Fish for Cycling an Aquarium
- Zebra Danio - The most hardy of all the freshwater fish. 2 or 3 of them are perfect for cycling a new tank.
- Scissor-Tail Rasbora - Very hardy freshwater fish. 2 of them are good for getting a tank cycled.
- Female Guppy - A couple female guppies are great for cycling a tank. Do not get a male guppy as the high toxins could damage the tail fin of the male guppy.
- Silver Molly - No hybrid mollies because they are more susceptible to disease. A couple silver mollies are good for cycling a tank.
- Blue or Opaline Gourami - The most hardy of all gouramis and just 1 of them will be good for getting the tank cycled.
- Gold Gourami - Another very hardy gourami. 1 of them will be great for getting the tank cycled.
- Tiger Barb - Tiger Barbs are very hardy and are another good choice for cycling a new aquarium.
Misleading Info
I was recently at a pet store and I read on a label for Juli Cory Catfish that they are hardy. It is true that they like other cory catfish are tough and can tolerate a range of water conditions. However they are not hardy enough for a new tank and should only be placed in a cycled tank.
What Way is Best for Cycling at Fish Tank?
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The Nitrogen Cycle at a Glance
The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen in all its forms cycles through the earth, much in the same way the water cycle occurs. The majority of Earth's atmosphere (approximately 78-80%) is nitrogen, making it the largest pool of nitrogen.
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Share Your Thoughts
Take a minute to share your thoughts about this lens or about keeping freshwater aquarium fish.
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Reply
- plecasso plecasso Feb 5, 2009 @ 2:55 am
- I like your lens. I figure if you update you can include Bio-Spira as your bacterial supplement.
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Reply
- CoolFoto CoolFoto Dec 11, 2008 @ 4:04 pm
- Welcome to the Tropical Fish group www.squidoo.com/groups/tropicalfish.
All your fish loving friends will be welcome, too. :)
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Reply
- Jimmie Jimmie Oct 30, 2008 @ 2:48 am
- Well done lens! Blessed!
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Reply
- lisadh lisadh Sep 28, 2008 @ 11:44 am
- Great information for fish owners. I think many people aren't successful with their aquariums because they don't understand the nitrogen cycle.
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Reply
- WhippetTalk WhippetTalk Jul 30, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
- Well I couldn't stand to look at an empty tank for weeks so I did go out and I added 5 zebra danios. I am in week two of my cycling. I've been testing and so far there is no trace of ammonia, nitrates or nitrites.
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Reply
- WhippetTalk WhippetTalk Jun 30, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
- This is invaluable information. People try to get their instant tank and think you can just throw fish in immediately. In reality, patience is key. I am learning about the fishless cycle right now. *smiles*
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