The nitrite and nitrate cycle ?

Question

can anyone please explain to me the nitrite and nitrate cycle, in a term that i can understand. i am new to fish tanks. thanks

Answer 1

This is all one cycle, and involves different forms of nitrogen as it occurs in your aquarium.

The first step is ammonia, which is produce by the fish as a part of their wastes. Anytime they eat a protein, the nitrogen from their food is excreted as ammonia. Excess food (from overfeeding) can also produce ammonia as it decomposes. This becomes a problem for your fish in relatively low amounts (starting at around 0.5 parts per million). This level causes them stress, and higher amounts may actually kill them.

In a mature tank, the ammonia doesn't stay in your tank for very long - it's converted by bacteria that use the ammonia as a source of energy to nitrite. Nitrite is also toxic to your fish in small amounts, similar to the ammonia. Fortunately, a second group of bacteria use nitrite as their energy source, converting the nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate is something much less toxic to your fish, and this doesn't begin to cause a problem until the amount is 40 ppm or higher (roughly 80 time or more the amount of ammonia or nitrite).

The cycling process is when the bacteria that do these chemical conversions are just building when your tank is new (or after they've been reduced by medications [antibiotics] or have had the gravel [where they mostly live] changed or cleaned too well [as in using chlorine]). Most tanks start with just a few bacteria, carried in by the first fish (in their poop), or if not using fish to cycle, they can be introduced by filter media or gravel from an established tank, use of a bacterial supplement product (these have varying degrees of efficiency) or on the material used to provide the original ammonia source (fish food, shrimp). As the ammonia in the tank increases (through feeding your fish, decomposition of food, or additions of pure ammonia by you), the bacteria reproduce rapidly to take advantage of the "energy" source. As long as there is more ammonia or nitrite than the bacteria can convert, they will keep reproducing, and this "bloom" often appears cloudy, giving it the name "New Tank Syndrome". New tank owners who aren't aware of cycling think something's wrong with their tank and tear it down for a thorough cleaning, not realizing this is part of the natural "breaking-in" process, and only make the cycling time longer by removing the bacteria that are needed. Once the bacterial population is at a level where all the ammonia and nitrite are being converted, the reproduction slows down (any "excess" bacteria at this point are "starved") and the cloudiness in the tank will go away on it's own.

The time for cycling will vary between 3-6 weeks in most cases, but you can help shorten the time by increasing the temperature in the tank so the reproduction of the bacteria is faster, and by using a larger source of bacteria (filter media or gravel from an already established tank) so you have more bacteria to begin with.

See these links for more info on cycling;
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

Answer 2

sure, those tiers are what you're able to assume for a fish in cycle. purely shop on. If the ammonia or nitrite flow greater do a factor water substitute to administration them, and keeo on waiting. while the ammonia and nitrite drop lower back to 0 then you definitely've some cycle working and that is risk-free to characteristic some greater fish. you will possibly not see the nitrate upward push plenty in a planted tank by using fact the flora soak up ammonia, perhaps maximum of what some small fish like that produce. Ian

Answer 3

Fish & decomposing matter produce ammonia, which is very toxic to fish and other living things.

After a while, bacteria called NitrITE builds up, which kicks ammonia's @$$. However, nitrITE is also extremely toxic - it makes them unable to absorb oxygen.

Along comes yet another bacteria, which consumes nitrITE and turns into nitrATEs. In high doses, nitrATEs are bad, but if they are kept at a low they will be fine.

The purpose of doing regular water changes is to a) clean up all the muck & b) remove nitrATEs so they don't get out of control.

This is why it's important not to add too many fish to your tank too quickly. Your tank will not have enough nitrATEs to handle all the ammonia & nitrITEs being produced, and thus the death of your fishes.

Read this, it explains it all!
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598

Answer 4

#1 Any organic material that gets into the water rots. In rotting it becomes Ammonia. That's toxic to fish.
#2There are bacteria ,here, there, everywhere,(in the air even),that under certain conditions will eat your Ammonia.These conditions are only two:the bacteria must be attached to solid surfaces(the gravel in the tank,the sponge in your filter,just about any where),and they need to be in well oxygenated water. These bacteria eat ammonia and give off Nitrite,also quite toxic to fish. These bacteria are called Nitrosomonas.
#3 There are these other bacteria that eat Nitrites,they're called Nitrobacter. Their requirements are about the same as the Nitrosomonas,solid surfaces,colonies,well oxygenated water. The small problem is that they don't start to grow until the Nitrosomonas are up and running and making Nitrite.(Well they've got to have something to eat,don't they?) These guys give off Nitrates.( Not so toxic,but you still don't want a lot of it in with your fish) Hence the weekly water changes and gravel cleaning.
The above three items are the simplest description I can come up with of the Nitrogen cycle. Learning to take care of fish actually starts with learning how to care for and grow bacteria. Strange world,huh?
There are a few other things to consider in caring for the little guys,(temperature,water conditions,avoiding chlorine and chloramine)etc. But that's for another day, Good luck.

Answer 5

Very simply:
1) Fishes produce ammonia (nh3) which is dangerous to them.
2) Bacteria in the air in the right condition will go into your water and "eat" the ammonia.
3) They too produce waste, called nitrite (no2), which is also dangerous to fishes. (the bacteria is called nitrosommas.
4) The nitrite is used by another bacteria called nitrobacter. These guys produce waste too, and it's called nitrate (n03)
Basically, all of these little guys produce and eat each other's "poo poo" and keeps your tank clean.
Nitrate is not dangerous in low amounts, but you still need to do partial water change to keep it in the safe amount.