a cycle question...
- Thread starter dadstank
- Start date
Ok, I've explained this many times, and will try to do so a bit more succinctly here.
Basically, you are culturing bacteria, two species to accomplish the ammonia oxidation 'cycle', or better known as the nitrogen cycle. (That's what is happening, bacteria are oxidizing ammonia.) This means, rather by default, that these 'nitrifiers', or nitrifying bacteria, are aerobic.
Some chemical notations for you to remember:
Ammonia (unionized) - NH3
Ammonia (ionized) - NH4 (less toxic)
Nitrite - NO2-
Nitrate - NO3-
First set of bacteria, once established, will oxidize ammonia into nitrite. You will see ammonia rise, for there are no bacteria to consume it, then a subsequent rise in nitrite that indicates a rise in these bacteria (Nitrosomonas) cultures. This is a good thing.
Subsequently, as nitrite rises, ammonia will drop, but you're not finished yet. The nitrite is still toxic, and fortunately has another step to go through, being oxidized into nitrate. This means that once the colonies of Nitrobacter (the critter that oxidizes nitrite into nitrate) become established, nitrite will then drop with a subsequent rise in nitrate.
Once ammonia and nitrite are zero (usually along with a rise in nitrate) you can consider your tank cycled.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup ... ofiltr.htm
Basically, you are culturing bacteria, two species to accomplish the ammonia oxidation 'cycle', or better known as the nitrogen cycle. (That's what is happening, bacteria are oxidizing ammonia.) This means, rather by default, that these 'nitrifiers', or nitrifying bacteria, are aerobic.
Some chemical notations for you to remember:
Ammonia (unionized) - NH3
Ammonia (ionized) - NH4 (less toxic)
Nitrite - NO2-
Nitrate - NO3-
First set of bacteria, once established, will oxidize ammonia into nitrite. You will see ammonia rise, for there are no bacteria to consume it, then a subsequent rise in nitrite that indicates a rise in these bacteria (Nitrosomonas) cultures. This is a good thing.
Subsequently, as nitrite rises, ammonia will drop, but you're not finished yet. The nitrite is still toxic, and fortunately has another step to go through, being oxidized into nitrate. This means that once the colonies of Nitrobacter (the critter that oxidizes nitrite into nitrate) become established, nitrite will then drop with a subsequent rise in nitrate.
Once ammonia and nitrite are zero (usually along with a rise in nitrate) you can consider your tank cycled.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup ... ofiltr.htm
dadstank":3evvpm4n said:
I look at the tank
Seriously the cycle is always there. Reducing waste from the livestock.
The test kits do help to determine how effective the cycle currently is and if ammonia, nitrItes, or nitrAte is currently not being completely reduced.
The previous cycle is the aerobic cycle based upon air loving bacteria and extremely important for maintaining a system.
The presence of plant life helps that cycle by consuming the end product nitrAtes in established systems. Systems where aerobic bacteria have build up and are reducing wastes to nitrates.
Plant life also helps the cycle by the fact that it prefers to consume ammonia directly. Then as the aerobic bacteria build up the plant life starts consuming the nitrAtes. That action prevents the large ammonia, and nitrIte spikes during initial setups or when something goes wrong on estabished tanks.
so I look t my tank (and of course do tests) and if I have thriving livestock and plant life the cycle is fine. If the plant life has expanded to a certain point then slowed down the growth rate, generally the cycle is nearly complete. If some new plant life like algaes starts spreading, generally the cycle is a little less complete. If red algaes (cyano bacteria) show up and plant growth has slowed, The cycle is almost totally effective but some phosphates remain. If things stay the same and the reds go away the cycle is probably totally effective.
But that's just me.
Like Dan says, "cycling" generally is the term used by hobbyists to refer to the initial period right after setting up a tank where you see a rise in ammonia, nitrite, then nitrate. This is the "break-in" period before. What cycling really means to me is the establishment of the nitrogen cycle. An article I wrote up for it can be found at http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/arti ... cycle.html.
Plant life, as with all living organisms, is part of the nitrogen cycle. But it's really the microbes that are the major players. Technically, it's not about reducing wastes. It's about the cylcing of nitrogen in an environment. A well balanced nitrogen cycle will not have excessive acculumation of any nitrogen product since it's being effectively recycled all the time. Unfortunately, in our captive reefs, acculumation of nitrate occurs because of the limited capacity of our small ecosystems. But the good news is nitrate is relatively beneign (especially compared to ammonia and nitrite), with the worst effect being excessive algae growth.
Plant life, as with all living organisms, is part of the nitrogen cycle. But it's really the microbes that are the major players. Technically, it's not about reducing wastes. It's about the cylcing of nitrogen in an environment. A well balanced nitrogen cycle will not have excessive acculumation of any nitrogen product since it's being effectively recycled all the time. Unfortunately, in our captive reefs, acculumation of nitrate occurs because of the limited capacity of our small ecosystems. But the good news is nitrate is relatively beneign (especially compared to ammonia and nitrite), with the worst effect being excessive algae growth.
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