what the h**l is cycling?????

i think the title says it all and everyone talks about it and i am completley lost id love some one to explain

 

cycling is when first starting up a tank . getting beneficial bacteria to start growing. getting all the dead stuff to i guess fully die off the live rock. which will release ammonia , nitrites and eventually nitrates. the cycle wil lbe done when those 3 are reduced to zero. fish , inverts and corals wouldnt have that much of a chance to live if this wasnt done at first. im sure i havent covered it all, but thats what i know.

 

No browsing expertise? I did it for you; The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

 

Ammonia is oxidised to nitrite by nitrosomonas bacteria then the nitrite is oxidised to nitrate by nitrobacter bacteria (this is called the nitrogen cycle). This part of the cycle is done in aerobic conditions. Denitrifying bacteria then reduce nitrate in anaerobic conditions into nitrous oxides or nitrogen gas which through gaseous exchange leaves the aquarium.

The aerobic side of the conversion takes place on the outer part of the live rock, or the surface of a sand bed or on the sides of the tank walls and the anaerobic conversion occurs inside the live rock or at the bottom of your sand bed.

 

ok thanks everyone

 

wait if your tank is more then a year old and you are having a cicling now you need to run test to see what is going on or you mite have a tank crash