Fish Aquariums 101 - Nitrogen Cycle

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I'm so tired of seeing people make the same mistakes simply because they don't know any better I try to teach people the things I know (not to mention always learning more from people who share things I don't know!!) One of the biggest mistakes I see is from not understanding the Nitrogen Cycle. The nitrogen cycle, very simply put, takes toxic substances that naturally occur in your aquarium and change them into progressively less toxic substances. It is very basic but it is vital to understand in order to keep your fish happy and healthy not to mention in order to keep you from pulling your hair out in frustration, giving up the hobby altogether, or flushing money (literally!) down the toilet! I'm compelled by my finned babies to point out right here that there are BETTER ways to cycle a tank than with a live fish although using a fish is the method you'll hear about the most often. It can be done but is not kind to the fish in the least. My recommendation is to use a peeled shrimp from the supermarket (yep, the kind you usually eat!) and chunk it in the tank. What happens is the shrimp will slowly rot causing the ammonia level in the tank to rise. Ammonia is very toxic to fish! Too much of it can kill even the toughest fish and some fish (especially invertebrates) are so sensitive to it that even a little bit can kill. You're saying "Great! Now I have a tankful of toxic ammonia and a stinky dead shrimp decomposing in there! What's next, genius??" On to the next step of the cycle!! As the ammonia level rises naturally occuring bacteria will multiply in the tank that will take the ammonia and convert it to the less toxic nitrite. If you test your water regularly you can see it go through this process (any kiddos out there looking for a neat science experiment???) First the ammonia will rise then it will begin to go down as you see the nitrite rise. The water is still not safe for fish at this point because nitrite is still toxic! And now I hear "When will this end so I can have some fish already?????" Be patient! LOL As the nitrites rise another naturally occuring bacteria will multiply in your tank that will take the nitrite and convert it to nitrate. Nitrate is the least toxic of the three. Many fish, especially the hardier ones, can adjust to a tank high in nitrate but it is still not healthy for fish. It can lead to or contribute to quite a few problems including but not limited to increased algae growth and an increased chance of fish illness. So what now, you ask. Another bacteria? NOPE!! At this point you can net out the remaining nasty shrimp. Change out approximately 30% of the water (yes, take it out and replace it with fresh, dechlorinated water or fresh saltwater that's been dechlorinated in the case of salt tanks). Test the water to make sure there is zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and preferrably 20 or less nitrate. You're ready to add a fish, congrats!!