Is an aquarium right for me?
Well is it?
Bottom line is aquariums are for everyone. Beautiful, unique and highly customizable easily fit into your lifestyle and enriches your life with beautiful aesthetics. However, like choosing anything that best suits your lifestyle, choosing the perfect aquarium requires some thought!
Things to think about before buying
Space: you'll want to figure out how much space you have available for the tank you want.
Time: you'll spend roughly a couple hours a week maintaining so make sure you don't choose something that is going to become a burden in the long run.
Budget: This is a hobby that feels like it can be a bottomless pit sometimes so plan accordingly sometimes that $10 sponge filter will do just fine in your tank rather than a $200 canister.
The Nitrogen Cycle
Someone asked me whether I know what is produced when Nitrogen oxidizes.
I said NO. Hopefully, by the end of this, you'll understand that joke (if you paid attention in high school biology disregard it) Anyways back to what we are here for. As nitrogen travels from the air to plants, animals, and bacteria, and then back into the air, it is referred to as the nitrogen cycle. Human intervention is not required for the system to work flawlessly. A closed aquarium, however, operates differently. Various nitrogen-containing compounds are constantly broken down in fish tanks, from ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Eventually, nitrates are absorbed by live plants and used as nutrients. Typically they are removed from the water through partial water changes. In an aquarium setting, you can effectively manage the nitrogen cycle using a biological filtration system. Bio-filtration systems contain media that serve as a growth platform for beneficial bacteria. The first stage of the nitrogen cycle is the breakdown of organic matter such as food scraps, dead plant leaves, dead organisms, and waste. As bacteria break down these substances, ammonia is produced during protein metabolism. Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless gas that is highly toxic to fish. Even small concentrations can cause a lack of oxygen in the water and even burn the fish's gills. High ammonia levels in aquarium water are usually caused by overstocking and overfeeding. In a balanced aquarium, nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Nitrosomonas consume ammonia and oxidize it to nitrite. Nitrite is also toxic and interferes with the blood's ability to carry oxygen, but fish can usually handle twice as much nitrite in water compared to ammonia. During the final stage of the nitrogen cycle, a bacteria called Nitrobacter disposes of nitrite, releasing nitrate, which is less toxic. While nitrates are not harmful to fish at low concentrations, they can be dangerous to fish at high concentrations. In nature, nitrates are converted into harmless nitrogen gas upon the need for oxygen. This doesn't happen in most closed-environment aquariums, meaning a partial water change is required to dilute the nitrates. Live plants help remove nitrates from water in freshwater tanks. In saltwater aquariums, live rock and deep sand beds can create anaerobic zones in which denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates to nitrogen, which then evaporate harmlessly as nitrogen oxide (NO).
Nitrogen Cycle Diagram
Cycling
The process
I use Dr. Tim's products for fishless cycling so the instructions will be from their website.
- Day 1 – dose ammonia to 2 ppm ammonia-nitrogen [NH3-N] using ammonium chloride (1 drop per gallon [NOTE: do not expect your test kit to exactly read 2 ppm and it is not critical to get exactly 2 ppm. The key is to not add too much ammonia]. If using DrTim’s Aquatics One & Only Live Nitrifying bacteria add it now (turn skimmer, UV, and ozone off and remove filter socks for 48 hours).
- Day 2 – Measure ammonia and nitrite.
- Day 3 – If ammonia and nitrite are below 1 ppm add more ammonia: four drops of our ammonium chloride per gallon (check the label).
- Days 4 & 5 – Measure ammonia and nitrite.
- Day 6 – If ammonia and nitrite are below 1 ppm add 2 ppm ammonia. Four drops of our ammonium chloride per gallon. [NOTE: since you have added the One & Only your ammonia kit will not read 2 ppm and DO NOT continue adding ammonia trying to get to 2 ppm – just add 2 ppm ammonia (4 drops per gallon of our ammonium chloride) and carry-on.
- Days 7 & 8 – Measure ammonia and nitrite. On the first measurement day (Day 2, 4, 5, 7, or 8) that BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.5 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N) your tank is close to being cycled.
- Now start to measure ammonia and nitrite every day.
- When BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.2 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N), add another 2 ppm ammonia.
- Continue to measure every day. When you can add 2 ppm ammonia and BOTH ammonia and nitrite are below 0.2 ppm (NH3-N or NO2-N) the next day your tank is cycled – congrats! You’re done!
- Do a partial water change and add some fish.
Tips and Troubleshooting:
- IMPORTANT – Do not let the ammonia OR nitrite concentration get above 5 ppm.
- NOTE – As of November 2016 DrTim’s changed their ammonium chloride solution and you use 4 drops per gallon instead of 1 drop per gallon. Read the label on the bottle you have and follow the directions on the bottle.
- If either ammonia or nitrite concentration gets above 5 ppm, do water changes to lower the concentration.
- Do not let the pH drop below 7. If it does, do a partial water change to bring the pH back up.
- Do not add ammonia removers to bind the ammonia – overdosing with these products will just increase the cycling time.
- You do not have to add ammonia every day – the bacteria do not have to be fed every day. Adding ammonia every day will results in a sky-high nitrite reading and slow the cycling process.
- Is your tank bare-bottom? – if your tank does not have a substrate (gravel or crushed coral) on the bottom this is called a bare-bottom tank and they take longer to cycle because there is not very much substrate for the bacteria to adhere to. If you are setting up a quarantine tank and do not want to use a traditional substrate consider adding some inert glass rock or marbles or some other non-calcium-based media to the tank bottom. This will help cycle the tank faster.
Congratulations!!
You understand the joke! Now that you've crammed your brain with all this new information now we can move on to what it takes to maintain one of these little slices of nature in our homes
Maintenance
Unplug heater and filter
Unplug heater and filter
Unplug heater and filter
You'll want to unplug your heater and filter prior to removing water to prevent them from getting damaged.
Clean glass
Unplug heater and filter
Unplug heater and filter
Using a glass scraper or algae pad run it along the sides of the tank to remove build up algae on the glass.
Vacuum substrate
Unplug heater and filter
Remove 20% of total water volume
Depending on your substrate you'll want to either hover over (sand) or press up against (rock substrate) to remove detritus that has fallen in between the cracks.
Remove 20% of total water volume
Remove 20% of total water volume
Remove 20% of total water volume
Remove 20% of the total water volume remember to account for displacement from your hardscape.
Condition and add new water
Remove 20% of total water volume
Condition and add new water
I use Brightwell Erase CL another popular brand is Seachem Prime. Dose accordingly to your conditioner's instructions.
Plug everything back in
Remove 20% of total water volume
Condition and add new water
Remember to plug everything back in and check for leaks on your filter if they were disassembled for cleaning ( at least once per month)