Just give the tank time. The cycling process usually takes six to eight weeks. After about eight weeks, your ammonia and Nitrite levels should be acceptable (about trace levels), and you can add more fish.

After you’ve been testing for ammonia and nitrite for a few weeks, you’ll see the nitrite levels start to drop – now it’s time to start testing for nitrates. When this happens, it’s a sing the cycle is nearly completed. Once the ammonia and nitrite levels have returned to zero, the cycle is complete.

Once the nitrate-forming bacteria take hold, nitrite levels fall, nitrate levels rise, and the tank is fully cycled. Your tank is fully cycled once nitrates are being produced (and ammonia and nitrite levels are zero).

1. Step 1: Whenever your fish goes to the bathroom, some ammonia is produced.
2. Step 2: Beneficial bacteria #1 eats the ammonia and produces nitrites.
3. Step 3: Beneficial bacteria #2 then eats the nitrites and produces nitrates (the least toxic nitrogen compound).

1. Focus on the basics

1. Keep the pH above 7. This one often catches beginners.
2. Don’t turn off your filters. Most nitrifying bacteria lives inside your filter.
3. Don’t forget the dechlorinator.
4. Watch the heating.
5. Use a cycled filter.
6. Season your filter.
7. Add gravel.
8. Buy some plants.

Adding filter media, rocks, or substrate from an existing tank is the single most effective thing you can do to speed up the nitrogen cycle in your aquarium. The reason that adding filter media from an established tank into a new one is so effective is because it jumpstarts the population of these beneficial bacteria.

So what happens if you don’t cycle a fish tank? If you don’t cycle your fish tank then over time ammonia will build up in your tank. As ammonia is toxic to fish, your fish will suffer from diseases and eventually will die.

Add a few select fish In the first few weeks of having your aquarium, you should add plants into the environment and ‘good cycling fish’ such as most types of minnows, guppies, barbs and danios. They will be able to survive the high toxins for long enough to allow the beneficial waste-processing bacteria to grow.

There are different philosophies on how much and how often to change water, but 10% to 25% every 1 to 2 weeks is a good rule of thumb. Small frequent water changes are best. Don’t vacuum the gravel yet, as you may disrupt the good bacteria that are just starting to colonize your aquarium.

It is possible for a cycle to complete in seven days with seeding; otherwise this method takes two to three weeks. The bacteria colonies produced using this method are large enough to handle a well-stocked aquarium.

Live plants absorb ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate And it helps them to grow faster and better. So when you put live aquarium plants in your fish tank while cycling the tank, the live plants will absorb ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate which will speed up the nitrogen cycle process.

Yes, live sand will start a cycle. LFS live rock can still have pests and rock from another system is even more likely to have pests.

Keep in mind you’ll want to allow for at least six weeks for your tank to cycle before purchasing all the fish you will want. You must add the fish only a few at a time into the aquarium during the cycling process to not overwhelm the growing nitrifying bacteria.

Crushed coral was a popular substrate choice for many aquarists but newer sand-based products help reduce trapped detritus, balance Ph better, and a wide selection of grain sizes to suit every aquarium have made sand become the preferred choice for saltwater aquariums.

Since most tropical fish do not require a pH buffer, crushed coral is not needed for regular tropical aquariums. However, they are ideal for use in brackish, marine, and reef aquariums and are perfect for African Cichlids in freshwater.

• Best Overall: Nature’s Ocean No.
• Best Pink: Carib Sea Arag-Alive 20-Pound Fiji Pink Sand.
• Best White: Pure Water Pebbles African Cichlid Bio-Activ Natural White Aquarium Live Sand for African Cichlids 20 LB.
• Best Black: Carib Sea Arag-Alive Substrate.
• Best Fine: Carib Sea Arag-Alive 20-Pound Special Grade Reef Sand.

No, not at all. It is not a good idea to mix the two. CC is lighter than the sand and will rise to the top which leaves a lot of surface area for detritus to become trapped. Sand sifters have a hard time getting to the sand to clean and aerate it with the CC in the way.

The choice between crushed coral and aragonite boils down to your tank setup. While crushed soral is coarser, which makes it easier to trap biowaste, Aragonite tends to be finer and easier to clean. However, both have buffering capabilities and can help increase your pH.

Soooo crushed coral is actually calcium carbonate, which is NOT the same as adding calcium. They are separate things. Adding crushed coral to your tank will increase your pH.

Cichlids love to dig, cave and filter through the substrate. Using aragonite sands or finely crushed corals is highly recommended for cichlids.

Tank Size: Cichlids grow to a large size, so the bigger the tank the better. Substrate: The bottom of the environment should be sand. Larger Cichlids like Oscars are fine with gravel.

15 African

Rubbing on the substrate/sand: Another interested behaviour observed in African Cichlids is when they rub themselves on the substrate/sand. Haps and Peacocks often disturb the sand by bouncing off it in order to release any food particles that may be trapped there.

Aquarium fish do this by rubbing their bodies against objects in the aquarium. These objects can include decoration pieces, plants, rocks, and other equipment like the filter. Your fish may be doing this because they’re stressed or uncomfortable. This can be due to an illness or poor water conditions.

Sand is the preferred substrate for African cichlid tanks. Since cichlids tend to live in sandy lakes, sand substrate tends to make them more comfortable. In addition, cichlids do the majority of their feeding by scavenging in the sand, and small grains they ingest during the process serve as a dietary aid.

Rubbing against rocks is a natural behaviour for most fish. It’s often done to curb an itch which can be caused by a parasite. Illness and stress are other possibilities, often resulting from high ammonia levels in the water. Boredom or lack of mental stimulation could also be a factor.