New system cycling
- Thread starter ih8needles
- Start date
I always want to learn more which is one reason I love this hobby. Just trying to understand the logic... Robert has been doing this for a while so... its just the way he's explaining isn't helping me as I've always understood that the end product (Nitrate) is the result of measurable amounts of Ammonia, then Nitrite being processed and consumed by bacteria.
Now I didn't say add a ton of fish all at once and you wouldn't have any problems... bio load changing and the current bacteria not being able to keep up are two different things imo and I think that is what Robert is getting at...
Same as if you were to add a bunch of new dry rock, or dead rock with a bunch of organics that the current tank's bacteria can't process fast enough.
Now I didn't say add a ton of fish all at once and you wouldn't have any problems... bio load changing and the current bacteria not being able to keep up are two different things imo and I think that is what Robert is getting at...
Same as if you were to add a bunch of new dry rock, or dead rock with a bunch of organics that the current tank's bacteria can't process fast enough.
Test your aquarium water every other day and write down your readings. You will first see ammonia levels rising. A few weeks or so later you should see the nitrite levels rising and the ammonia levels dropping. Finally, after a few more weeks you should see the nitrate levels rising and the nitrite levels dropping. When you no longer detect ammonia or nitrites !!!!!!but you can detect nitrates you can assume that it is safe to add your tropical fish. !!!!!
notice the but here that is what im talking about
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
please read if you are unsure thank you
notice the but here that is what im talking about
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
please read if you are unsure thank you
no bean you can get 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite and your tank is not cycled even though they have been there before nitrate will tell you if you have bacteria doing work with water movement and ph playing a factor sometime ammonia and nitrite can diffuse this way through gas exchange and give you a false sense that you have cycled so telling some one if they had ammonia or nitrite and they are reading 0 that your tank has cycled is not correct no tomato no tomaaaahhto. letting a person know after they have had ammonia then test see the ammonia go down then a day or more later test again see the ammonia has gone down and they are now getting a reading nitrite wait a few more days see that now the ammonia and nitrite are gone BUT now you are showing NITRATE then the tank has cycled if you get all of that and have no nitrate which I have advised customers who have had this problem seen it first hand then the tank is not cycled that is what im explaining here so ammonia and nitrite are not good example to instruct some one that there tank has cycled
He said he had ammonia and nitrites in his opening post, so that to me indicates he is testing. So if Ammonia goes to zero from there, wouldn't that indicate a drop like your saying? And nitrite, up then down to Zero... so whether or not I went into to detail isn't my point. You keep saying Nitrate nitrate nitrate but not explaining that at all.
I guess you are skipping a few key points but ammonia and nitrite can defuse through gas exchange if the condition are right which means you are not cycling the bacteria isn't growing and eating it that's why there is a but in the copy and paste I posted from the website because you got all of that and no nitrate you didn't cycle its not that hard bean
Ok so let me see if I understand.
You want to see ammonia go up and back to zero at which time nitrite should go up and back to zero and then nitrate should go up. Once you see all three things happen the tank has cycled.
Of course the ammonia and nitrite should remain undectable while nitrate will show some.
Am I understanding this correctly?
You want to see ammonia go up and back to zero at which time nitrite should go up and back to zero and then nitrate should go up. Once you see all three things happen the tank has cycled.
Of course the ammonia and nitrite should remain undectable while nitrate will show some.
Am I understanding this correctly?
