Finally, the cycling process of the cichlid aquarium demystified and broken down into plain english for the beginner starting a cichlid aquarium.
Cichlid Aquarium Cycling 101:
1. cichlid goes in tank
2. cichlid eats some food, lets some rot at the bottom
3. cichlid urinates and defecates
4. uneaten food and urine and feces form toxic ammonia
5. toxic ammonia burns cichlids gills, eyes, fins, skin, etc
6. ammonia devouring bacteria that occur naturally all around us colonize in the tank and begin feeding on the ammonia, and multiplying
7. ammonia eating bacteria also has to relieve itself, and its waste is what we call nitrItes. Nitrites are toxic to fish as well, not quite as bad as ammonia burning though.
8. other naturally occuring bacteria arrive and devour the nitrItes and multiply
9. nitrIte eating bacteria also has to relieve itself, and its waste is what we call nitrAtes.
10. nothing in freshwater consumes nitrAtes, with the exception of a LARGE amount of water plants. you do a water change to lower nitrates.
Now, none of this information is scientific, but it’s straight forward and is on the general right track. if the tank already had these bacteria in them, we wouldn’t have to subject the fish to the potentially deadly consequences of going to the bathroom.
Lets pose a few questions now:
Q: What can I do to cycle my cichlid aquarium?
A: You can buy cheap aquarium fish from the store and throw them in your water. this is the most commonly used method (besides those of you who throw your expensive fish in the same water, but of course you’ll have no need to do this anymore when armed with the above knowledge! ) and this method works. you can also add capfuls of regular unscented (make sure there is nothing else in it) household ammonia found at your grocery store, or a wal-mart, for example. The absolute best way to cycle your tank is to use filter media and/ or gravel from an existing cycled aquarium and add it to yours. The bacteria are already present.
Q: How do i know if the cycle is working?
A: you initially need three test kits (besides a ph test kit). These kits are labeled as Ammonia, NitrIte, and NitrAte test kits. after a few days of adding ammonia to your tank daily, check your ammonia. check it every day or every other day. you should notice the level rising for a while, but then one day, it will lower. as it lowers it should keep lowering. Check for NitrItes. follow the same steps with this as you did with the ammonia kit. when it lowers, check for NitrAtes. the presence of nitrAtes means your well on your way! when ammonia and nitrItes are at 0 and you’re detecting nitrAtes, do a water change and add your fish (not too many fish at once, you’ll push the cycle past it’s limit if your ammonia dosing was too low).
Q: My aquarium is already cycled, but i’m detecting ammonia, what happend?
A: overfeeding beyond the tanks current “bio-bacteria” load, or something dying in the tank will cause a surge. do a water change, cut back on feeding, find and remove whatever is decaying in your tank.
Q: but i have tough aquarium fish, i heard they can handle the cycle? is this true?
A: sure some aquarium fish can handle it. it’s like smoking. you poison yourself and you might be okay, or it may cause you to get cancer etc., which is a reduction in your health, well being, and life span. any tough cichlid that is used to cycle the tank, if they live can almost assuredly be found to have damaged gills or eyesight, due to the burning that is caused by concentrations of their own wastes. risk it if you want to, that $400 dollar fish might live a few years longer though, if you excercise patience.