<span style="color: black;">Hey, I hope you find this a simple, easy to understand explanation of what happens to the waste in our aquarium and why we wait for 4+/- weeks for our tanks to "cycle."</span>
<span style="color: black;">Fish Poop</span>
<span style="color: black;">When you feed your fish, they process it and when their bodies are done with it, they release it into the water column. In addition to this waste, Fish (and the other critters in your tank) don't always eat every piece of food you feed and what is missed by larger life is happily devoured by microscopic organisms. I have seen people credit hetertropic bacteria</em> for breaking down this waste as well as un-named microscopic critters. Regardless of who does it, the result of this process is the production of Ammonia in our aquariums.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Ammonia Breakdown</span>
<span style="color: black;">At this point in the cycle, nitrifying bacteria</em> take over processing the waste in our aquariums. I have seen many different species of bacteria given credit for oxygenating ammonia but the actual answer may vary even from tank to tank, so I have no intention of naming a particular species. What is important to know is that in this stage of the cycle, ammonia in the aquarium is oxygenated resulting in the production of NitrIte</em>. This is why the first thing we look for when cycling our tanks is a "spike" in ammonia.</span>
<span style="color: black;">NitrIte to NitrAte</span>
<span style="color: black;">Once nitrifying bacteria have established a large enough population to handle turning ammonia into nitrIte, we see at spike in nitrItes in our aquarium. At this stage, a different type(s) of nitrifying bacteria begins to oxygenate the nitrIte and converts it into nitrAte</em>. NitrAte, at low levels, (relatively) is fairly tolerable for fish and even hardier coral species.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Anaerobic Workout</span>
<span style="color: black;">Anaerobic bacteria cannot survive in the presence of oxygen and exist deep within the Live Rock and/or Sand Beds we put in our aquariums. Theoretically, nitrAte is processed slowly through our sand or into our live rock and anaerobic bacteria process the nitrAtes into nitrogen gas. Ideally the nitrogen gas is removed from the aquarium via gas exchange, but I would also advise aquarists to perform a large or several small water changes after the cycle to reduce their nitrAtes.</span>
<span style="color: black;">------------------------------------------</span>
<span style="color: black;">And there you have it. A fairly simple explanation of what exactly happens to the waste in our tanks. I have intentionally avoided naming particular species of bacteria because I have found many different authors giving credit to many different nitrifiers. What is important to know is that for the breakdown of waste there are different stages that take place and the organisms responsible for each stage take time to establish themselves. That is why patience is key in all things reef related.</span>
Anyway, if anybody has anything to add or changes to recommend, please do so!
thanks for looking,
Matt
<span style="color: black;">Fish Poop</span>
<span style="color: black;">When you feed your fish, they process it and when their bodies are done with it, they release it into the water column. In addition to this waste, Fish (and the other critters in your tank) don't always eat every piece of food you feed and what is missed by larger life is happily devoured by microscopic organisms. I have seen people credit hetertropic bacteria</em> for breaking down this waste as well as un-named microscopic critters. Regardless of who does it, the result of this process is the production of Ammonia in our aquariums.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Ammonia Breakdown</span>
<span style="color: black;">At this point in the cycle, nitrifying bacteria</em> take over processing the waste in our aquariums. I have seen many different species of bacteria given credit for oxygenating ammonia but the actual answer may vary even from tank to tank, so I have no intention of naming a particular species. What is important to know is that in this stage of the cycle, ammonia in the aquarium is oxygenated resulting in the production of NitrIte</em>. This is why the first thing we look for when cycling our tanks is a "spike" in ammonia.</span>
<span style="color: black;">NitrIte to NitrAte</span>
<span style="color: black;">Once nitrifying bacteria have established a large enough population to handle turning ammonia into nitrIte, we see at spike in nitrItes in our aquarium. At this stage, a different type(s) of nitrifying bacteria begins to oxygenate the nitrIte and converts it into nitrAte</em>. NitrAte, at low levels, (relatively) is fairly tolerable for fish and even hardier coral species.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Anaerobic Workout</span>
<span style="color: black;">Anaerobic bacteria cannot survive in the presence of oxygen and exist deep within the Live Rock and/or Sand Beds we put in our aquariums. Theoretically, nitrAte is processed slowly through our sand or into our live rock and anaerobic bacteria process the nitrAtes into nitrogen gas. Ideally the nitrogen gas is removed from the aquarium via gas exchange, but I would also advise aquarists to perform a large or several small water changes after the cycle to reduce their nitrAtes.</span>
<span style="color: black;">------------------------------------------</span>
<span style="color: black;">And there you have it. A fairly simple explanation of what exactly happens to the waste in our tanks. I have intentionally avoided naming particular species of bacteria because I have found many different authors giving credit to many different nitrifiers. What is important to know is that for the breakdown of waste there are different stages that take place and the organisms responsible for each stage take time to establish themselves. That is why patience is key in all things reef related.</span>
Anyway, if anybody has anything to add or changes to recommend, please do so!
thanks for looking,
Matt
