I first got into aquarium keeping by watching a ton of youtube videos, specifically Aquapros. His videos on patio ponds inspired me to make one of my own in my garden but I decided that was a bit more advanced for a beginner so I settled with my first 20 gallon aquarium. I was so obsessed with learning the science behind balancing a healthy ecosystem so I went out and bought a ton of supplies to test the nitrogen cycle.

What is the nitrogen cycle?
The Nitorgen cycle is all about balancing beneficial bacteria in your aquarium by adding waste which undergoes a process that makes the water healthy for fish to live in by converting ammonia into nitrites which then convert into nitrates which then can be removed by doing regular water changes. However, if you have a heavily planted aquarium (live plants) they can actually soak up the unhealthy nitrates and other food waste that may sink to the bottom and under the gravel or sand. This produces oxygen in the tank which is healthy for the fish and thus you have an established contained ecosystem. Here is a diagraph to better understand the process and there are several youtube videos on the subject as well.




Now before you dive on in and get your fish the same day you fill up your aquarium, you're going to result in a lot of deaths. This is because the cycle has yet to establish as it usually takes about 2-3 weeks for beneficial bacteria to grow in the media of your filter whether it be a HOB (hang on back) or sponge. Some people do this anyway to speed up the process because the fish directly emit ammonia, however, I condone this option because it can be harmful to the fish and they are at rish of dying or getting red gills (burns from ammonia). So how do you establish a colony of bacteria with nothing but water? Feed the empty aquarium after you have set it up (I'll get into detritus and soil layers later) with cheap fish flakes every day. After about one week, with the filter running, you can start testing for ammonia with special test kits. Eventually when the test tubes read the correct colors, it is safe to add fish. If you already have an aquarium with an established colony, there is another method you can use to set up multiple tanks. All you have to do is "seed" the tank by taking dirty water from the sponge or media from the filter and put directly into the new aquarium and it will instantly be ready for fish because you already have that healthy bacteria built up and hey it will save you on a water change if you're using sponges!