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Aquarium Cycling
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Sunday, September 21, 2008 |
The process known as the bicycle is a necessary way to cultivate bacteria in a new aquarium. Bacteria are needed to break down waste from fish and other inhabitants in the aquarium. An aquarium will always need a combination of cultures of bacteria adapted and frequent changes of water to stay clean and provide fish with a good environment. If you add the fish in an aquarium cycling badly, they can quickly get sick or even die, since their waste products pollute water. Some fish are more tolerant to moderate levels of soluble than other waste, but not appreciate an aquarium fish with high levels of these toxic compounds.
Cycling basic method is based on progressively adding fish in the aquarium during a period of several weeks. There are several ways to jump from this method. If you already have an aquarium, or know someone who has, you can use this maturity colony of bacteria in a new Jumpstart your new aquarium. Gravel and biological filter media is a rich source for bacteria. Keep in mind that even the harmful bacteria can be included when you use the filter media and gravel from another aquarium. It is therefore imperative to choose water from an aquarium healthy. Another way of jumpstarting the new colony of bacteria is to buy water with additives small populations of bacteria adapted from a fish shop.
A new bicycle method known as the "cycle of fishless' has become very popular in recent years. During a fishless cycle, you do not relay on the fish to produce sufficient quantities of waste products startup culture bacteria. Instead, you add small amounts of ammonia in water during the cycle. This simulates the process of normal cycle as the bacteria feed on ammonia. Since you do not fish in the aquarium to act as guinea pigs, it will be even more important to test the levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.
Another way cycling is the "cycle of silence", where you fill the aquarium densely planted with aquatic plants. Choose plants that are hardy and grow quickly. During a cycle of silence, the levels of bacteria is generally very low and nitrogen is consumed by plants. This is still a relatively unusual method bike. Some aquarium plants not only effectively cycle the aquarium, but also lower spikes of nitrates and ammonia levels that are often seen during the most common methods cycling.
The reason for the need bike is good that the balance found in a natural ecosystem need help from the aquarium in an enclosed area as an aquarium. It is almost impossible to make a perfect balance in the aquarium, and frequent water changes will be required. The aquarium will also ensure that the processes that occur on their own in the wild takes place in the aquarium as well. One such process is cycling.
Many aquarists beginners start with a small aquarium, but a large aquarium is actually much easier to take when it comes to water chemistry. A small piece of food that is left to rot in a small aquarium can pollute the entire environment, while a small piece of rotting food can cause a slight change in the levels of soluble waste really in a large aquarium where there is a lot more water than can absorb the shock systemic.
The cycle of the aquarium is closely linked to the so-called nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle is a process where waste products produced by the creatures living in the aquarium are transformed into nitrate. In your aquarium, animals, fungi, and certain types of bacteria produce waste products. These wastes contain ammonia. Ammonia is also produced when matter is decomposed dead, as dead aquatic plants, left on food and shredded fish scales.
These products can be converted by a type of bacteria of the genus Nitrosomonas. Nitrosomonas were nitrifying consume and excrete ammonia and nitrites. Like ammonia, nitrites are highly toxic and high levels of nitrites will seriously harm or even kill your fish. Fortunately, a good balance eco-system will contain another type of bacteria - the kind Nitrospira. Nitrospira bacteria convert nitrate to nitrite. Nitrates are not as toxic as nitrite and the inhabitants of the aquarium will not tolerate better than nitrate and nitrite to ammonia. This does not mean you can allow nitrate levels sky-rocket. You should always strive to maintain levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates low.
If you keep live plants in your aquarium, they will also help remove waste products because they can metabolize ammonia and nitrate. They remove ammonia and nitrate in water and include it in their biomass. This means that the removal will be temporary; plants release nitrogen compounds in water as a new old leaves die and decomposes.
In an enclosed space like an aquarium, only a portion of the nitrogen cycle will take place. Nitrogen should always be added outside the aquarium (which is essentially what you do when you feed your fish). On the other end of the cycle, nitrates accumulate and must be removed by water changes. If the aquarium are not enough bacteria to convert all waste products into less harmful compounds, you will need a certain type of filter or make frequent water changes. A biological filter is a way designed to nitrifying bacteria to colonize and thrive in. active carbon filters may also help maintain levels of soluble waste to the extent of activated charcoal absorbs nitrogen and other toxic compounds.
As mentioned above, you can buy cultures of bacteria fish stores to jump start the cycle again in your aquarium. When choosing between different products, you should be aware that some of them could contain bacteria Nitrobacter instead of Nitrospira bacteria. Nitrobacter bacteria were earlier seems to be the main converters content of nitrite and nitrate it is true that Nitrobacter bacteria can convert nitrate into nitrite. Attention studies in aquariums with a well-established nitrogen cycle have shown that levels of bacteria Nitrobacter in such aquariums are close to undetectable. Nitrospira bacteria also were found in large quantities |
posted by neptunus @ 8:26 PM
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