page_title: Fishless cycling
section_title: Process
hierarchical_section_title: Fishless cycling / Process
caption_attribution_description: English: Diagram of the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium. Drawn in Sodipodi by Ilmari Karonen, SVG original available at [1].
context_page_description: Fishless cycling is a form of "maturing" an aquarium. In this process, ammonia is provided to allow beneficial bacteria to colonize. Fishless cycling can reduce the chance of fish loss resulting from insufficient populations of these bacteria.
context_section_description: Fishless cycling takes place over a period of several weeks, during which the aquarist provides an ammonia source for the development of the nitrifying bacterial colony. Nitrifying bacteria in the aquarium grow on all surfaces, but particularly in areas of high water flow and high surface area such as the filter. Allowing ammonia to be converted to nitrite, and on to the less harmful nitrate, minimizes stress and injury to aquarium fish. The "nitrogen cycle" may take several weeks to complete, but may be quicker under certain conditions. Higher water temperatures, greater dissolved oxygen and bacterial seeding from an established tank may cut down the time required to less than a week.
caption: The nitrogen cycle in an aquarium
exif: {}