Phase 1 - Ammonia (NH³ or NH³+4) The first component in the nitrogen cycle is ammonia, and it is only during the cycling process that ammonia readings should be present in an aquarium. Once ammonia begins to accumulate in the aquarium, the process begins.
Ammonia is produced by such things as livestock waste, decaying food and organic matter from both animals and plants.However, without ammonia the cycle cannot begin, and if ammonia is removed, or the supply is disrupted during cycling, the process stops.
As you see the ammonia levels rise during the cycling period, if you think by adding an ammonia remover, Prime or doing a water changes to bring it down is helping, it isn't! You are only delaying the cycling process and preventing it from completing its mission. Now in order to begin this cycle we have to add something to the Aquarium to create ammonia. This is where the debate begins and ends for after this step the cycle is going to proceed near to exact as all scientific records have shown.
Three methods I have seen and used are fish, fishless and live rock.
1)If you use fish to cycle an aquarium, it's a catch 22! You are putting them in harms way and possibly killing them by exposing them to toxic elements, but you need their waste as the ammonia source to get the job done. General recommendation is damsels of some sort, I am sure there is a reefer close by that would gladly give you or loan you a pre-cycled damsel for your system.
2)The fishless method is where many debates occur. I have heard of many ideas and some that would make you sick. My preferred idea here is to use Bio-Spira bacteria, this is refrigerated bacteria cultures, but there is a catch here you have to have livestock ready or the bacteria will just die off and waist your money and time. This method is better used as a supplement to all other methods as a booster, or it can also be used in older tanks or filters as a biological booster (especially if you are adding livestock).
3)The live rock method is more widely used in the reef aquarium, most all live rock especially un-cured (unless transported in a bucket of SW) will have some die-off and will cause ammonia in your system this is not a bad thing there for most all recommendations when setting up your new aquarium is to place live rock in your system right after water is stable (IE temperature, salinity, ph).
Regardless of what method you use to cycle a new aquarium, the process is the same.
Ammonia occurs in two states depending on the water pH. NH³, the unionized state, is more toxic than NH³+4, the ionized state, because it can invade the body tissue of marine animals much easier. Almost all free ammonia in sea water with a normal pH is in the ionized state, thus less toxic.
As pH rises, the less toxic ionized state decreases and the more toxic unionized state increases. For example, a toxic level of ammonia as NH³ may be present with a pH of 8.4 being lethal, but the same level of ammonia as NH³+4 with a pH of 7.8 may be tolerated. Higher tank temperatures can also affect the toxicity of ammonia.
Phase 2 - Nitrite (NO²) At approximately day 10 into the cycle (give or take depending on tank size), the nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia into nitrite (nitrosomonas), should begin to appear and colonize the aquarium.
Just like ammonia, nitrite can be toxic and harmful to marine animals and even at lower levels. Just like ammonia the nitrogen cycle can not and will not be completed without this element. Nitrite will continue to rise to a high level of about 15 ppm, the most critical stage, and at Approx. day 25 (depending on tank size) the level should begin to fall off, although it's quite possible to run on for another 10 days.
Most likely the nitrite reading will peak and fall off to less than 2 or 3 ppm by about day 30 and shortly thereafter to zero. If it does not, don't worry, it should drop sometime within the next 10 days or so.
Just keep a close eye on your fish at this point its been my experience that my losses occurred around this time.
Phase 3 - Nitrate (NO³) Now that the ammonia has been converted to nitrite, the nitrite in turn has fed and given rise to yet another andfinal nitrifying bacteria, (nitrobacters).
These bacteria are living entities that require oxygen (which makes them aerobic) and food (an ammonia source) to survive, grow on the surfaces of everything in the tank, and the waste from nitrobacter are shown in the form of nitrate.
When nitrate readings begin to increase, you can tell that these beneficial nitrifying bacteria are starting to establish themselves, which is what you have painstakingly been going through the cycling process to achieve.
Nitrates are not as harmful as ammonia and nitrite, but are none the less safe for your fish and aquarium, especially in large amounts. The quickest way to rid your aquarium of nitrates is with consistent partial water changes.
There are other methods of nitrate removal besides water changes.
In freshwater systems the addition of live plants can effectively remove some nitrates, and just as in those systems if the system you operate will allow you can add certain types of marine algaes and plants to help remove nitrates. Yet another way to help eliminate nitrates in marine aquariums is from within deep sand beds and live rock where anaerobic denitrifying bacteria have set up shop. These bacteria do not need an oxygen supply to live therefore the live deep within the live rock and sand beds; they break nitrates down into harmless nitrogen gas that escapes through the gas exchange on the surface.
Note there are many, many ways to deal with nitrates some good some bad, too many to list here for basic ideas. I suggest for more advanced methods of removal doing a little research on the web you will find a plethora of examples to help you remove these elements but the safest and simplest way is WATER CHANGES.
Sources: Google, Andy Hipkiss, ask.com, and many other references on the web and authors. Pick up a book youll be surprised.
