If you are setting up a fish tank for the first time you need to understand the basics of the nitrogen cycle and how it applies to your new tank. Before you buy any fish you will need to cycle the tank which helps to produce the bacteria that will break down the fish’s toxic waste into less harmful chemicals. We recommend a fishless cycling method.

Fish produce ammonia as a waste product that is toxic and will kill the fish if allowed to build up. Toxic gases are also produced by left over food and decaying plant material. Nitrifying bacteria process the ammonia into nitrites, which are also toxic, but then into nitrates which are much less toxic. When cycling your tank you will need to encourage the growth of these bacteria so that there are enough to deal with waste from any fish that you introduce. To cycle your tank properly you will need a testing kit for both ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.
How do you introduce nitrifying bacteria?
One way is to introduce a few small, hardy fish that will get the cycle going but a better way is to use fishless cycling. if you know someone who already has a fish tank ask them for some of their filter material or gravel from the bottom and place it in your tank. This will start you off with a culture of the correct bacteria.
Cycling the Tank
Now you need to feed them to encourage them to multiply. In the absence of any fish you can introduce some ammonia into the tank every day at the rate of 5 drops of ammonia to 10 gallons of water. Make sure you use ammonia that doesn’t contain any coloring or other chemicals. repeat daily until the test strips show a reading for nitrites then reduce the rate to 2-3 drops. Keep on in the same way until nitrates register on the testing strips and the ammonia level is zero. Now do a 25-30% water change and you are ready to introduce your fish.
Test the water regularly and if you see any ammonia or nitrite do a partial water change. Always try not to overstock your fish tank as the bacteria will have a hard time dealing with all the waste produced by the fish.
Fishless cycling is very easy to do, does not cause any distress to fish and you aren’t left with unhealthy fish at the end of it!

