Like all living creatures,
fish give off waste products (pee and poo). These nitrogenous
waste products break down into ammonia (NH3), which is
highly toxic to most fishes. In nature, the volume of water per
fish is extremely high, and waste products become diluted to low
concentrations. In aquariums, however, it can take as little as a
few hours for ammonia concentrations to reach toxic levels.
In aquaria-speak, the
"nitrogen cycle'' (more precisely, the nitrification
cycle) is the biological process that converts ammonia into other,
relatively harmless nitrogen compounds. Fortunately, several
species of bacteria do this conversion for us. Some species
convert ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (N02-), while others
convert nitrite to nitrate (NO3-). Thus, cycling the tank refers
to the process of establishing bacterial colonies in the filter
bed that convert ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate.
The desired species of
nitrifying bacteria are present everywhere (e.g., in the air).
Therefore, once you have an ammonia source in your tank, it's only
a matter of time before the desired bacteria establish a colony in
your filter bed. The most common way to do this is to place one or
two (emphasis on one or two) hardy and
inexpensive fish in your aquarium. The fish waste contains the
ammonia on which the bacteria live. Don't overfeed them! More food
means more ammonia! Some suggested species include: common
goldfish (for cold water tanks), zebra danios and barbs for warmer
tanks, and damselfishes in marine systems. Note: Do not use
"toughies'' or other feeder fishes. Although cheap, they are
extremely unhealthy and using them may introduce unwanted diseases
to your tank.