how to cycle a planted fish tank

Want to make sure your planted aquarium is a success? The first stages of tank setup are critical. It’s helpful to know the science behind what keeps your aquatic plants and their animal friends thriving.

Cycling your tank is by far one of the most important parts of tank setup. In order to keep a balanced and healthy aquarium for fish, shrimp, and plants, then you must know a little about the nitrogen cycle.

Patience, patience, and patience

Three things are required when cycling plants in an aquarium:

What is the nitrogen cycle?

To ensure you fully comprehend the role nitrogen plays in your aquarium, let’s take a closer look at the nitrogen cycle. Many of you may recall studying nitrogen in school when you were younger. Nitrogen is a chemical element that comprises approximately 278 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere. Nitrogen is used by most living things for numerous physiological functions. Nitrogen is released during these processes as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, which are all harmful at high concentrations (ammonia being the most toxic, followed by nitrite, and nitrate being the least toxic). ).

Nitrogen is a byproduct of protein breakdown. This refers to the decomposition of fish waste, leftover food, rotting vegetation, and any other decomposing material that accumulates in your tank. This breakdown results in ammonia, which transforms into nitrite and finally nitrate.

If this nitrification process in your tank is out of balance, it could eventually endanger your livestock. A level of ammonia over 0. 0 ppm can be dangerous to your tank’s inhabitants.

nitrogen cycle for fish tank The Nitrogen Cycle

What’s the best way to cycle my tank?

Now that you know the full significance of the nitrogen cycle, let’s discuss how to establish a balanced cycle in your aquarium, also known as “cycling your tank.” ’).

Remember: a level of ammonia over 0. 0 ppm can be dangerous to your tank’s inhabitants. Use a freshwater test kit to ensure that your tank has been fully cycled. A cycled tank should have these parameters: .

You can initiate a nitrogen cycle in your new tank in a few different ways. The methods that we recommend are “fishless cycles. This is the process of introducing beneficial bacteria into the filter of your tank before adding fish or other animals. These techniques spare your fishy friends from needless suffering, making them more humane than fish-in-cycles.

Below, we’ve enumerated the top three methods for cycling your aquarium:

1. After adding substrate and hardscape, leave your tank empty of any living things (plants, fish, shrimp, etc.). ) until it is established.

You will periodically “ghost feed” the tank in order to allow the uneaten food to produce ammonia and encourage the colonization of beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria will be naturally occurring in your tank’s surroundings, such as the air, your hardscape, the substrate, etc. ) .
This approach can take up to 1-2 months and is the slowest way to cycle a tank.

Adding bacteria directly to a tank is the most effective way to cycle it. Here are two ways to add bacteria into your tank:

2. Add liquid nitrifying bacteria.

Up until the nitrogen cycle is established, the tank will receive regular additions of liquid nitrifying bacteria. For accurate dosing, be sure to follow the directions on the product.

3.Add filter media from an established tank.

It is common practice to place pre-established filter media from another tank into the filter of your new tank in order to promote the colonization of beneficial bacteria and proper tank cycling. That being said, be sure to only use media from reputable sources to keep pathogens and unwanted pests out of your new tank!
To hasten the colonization of the new filter, you can also run it alongside an established tank to accelerate the process.
Advice: During the transfer procedure, DO NOT allow the filter to dry out. Move the filter media from the old tank to the new one as soon as possible to prevent the good bacteria from drying out.

Techniques 2

FAQ

How long does it take a planted aquarium to cycle?

Nitrite and ammonia levels should begin to fall. By the end of the fourth week or into the fifth week, ammonia and nitrite levels should reach zero, indicating that your tank is fully cycled.

How do you tell if a planted tank is cycled?

I would define a planted aquarium as “cycled” when the ammonia is less than 0.25 ppm first thing in the morning when 1 to 2 ppm ammonia was added the day before when the lights were turned off.

Do you need to cycle a heavily planted tank?

Hi. Yes, the nitrogen cycle must be completed to ensure any waste products from fish or shrimp are converted into less harmful products by your filter. Plants can remove a little ammonia but nowhere near enough to keep water safe for your livestock.