The Best Ways To Cycle Your Marine Aquarium

Cycling a marine aquarium is the process of establishing colonies of beneficial bacteria in the tank’s biological filter to break down ammonia particles produced by the fish. This process helps in breaking down ammonia into nitrite and then converting the resultant nitrates into nitrates. The entire process helps in filtering toxins from the water in an aquarium. The cycling process is vital for keeping a healthy aquarium. It can take anywhere from 1-2 months, but can be hurried along by using bacteria supplements like Stability. It is safest to only add fish to a tank at the end of the cycling process, and you have confirmed that ammonia and nitrite are at safe levels and stable.

To start the cycling process, you need to seed your tank with rocks or filter medium that already contain a mature bacteria population. The best way to do this is with a big ol’ piece of live rock, or a bag of ceramic filter medium that’s been hanging out in a mature tank for at least six months. You can also get live rock from your local fish store or from a friend with an established tank, just keep your eyes out for any pests or excessive algae growing on the rock. Scrubbing a rock with zoanthids or palythoa polyps can be deadly to your health. Once your tank is up and running and you’ve added some mature live rock, the bacteria on this rock will need a source of ammonia so they can start doing their job and colonize your tank. Fish waste and decaying organic matter like fish food are common sources of ammonia, although it is not recommended to start adding fish before your cycle is complete. Fish can quickly produce more ammonia than your new tank can handle, and a sudden ammonia spike can spell disaster for your animals. Instead, let your tank run with live rock for a week or more and then add in a couple of invertebrates like hermit crabs, crabs, and shrimp. This bunch of critters is also called the clean-up crew. Feed your invertebrates a very small pinch of food each day, and the waste they produce will create ammonia.

During the cycle process, you want to start testing your aquarium almost every day for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Regularly testing the water parameters in your aquarium is crucial to maintaining a healthy environment for your fish. You should test for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and salinity.