Keeping Up with Nitrate Featured Article Issue: February 2011Keeping Up with Nitrate Author: Sara Jackson Photographer: Tony Terceira Though invisible and odorless, nitrate can have a deadly effect on a tank’s inhabitants, but there are simple and effective methods for keeping it at a tolerable level. Whether you are a seasoned fish hobbyist or just a beginner, you ought to know what a problem nitrate can be—not only to get rid of, but the harm it can cause your fish. What Is Nitrate? Ammonia is the most significant dissolved waste in an aquarium. It is produced by fish wastes, rotting leftover food, and decomposing plant matter. The bacteria in your biofilter convert ammonia first into nitrite and then into nitrate. While ammonia and nitrite are highly toxic to fish, nitrate is much less so. However, as nitrate accumulates, fish will eventually be affected. The level of nitrate cannot be detected directly, as it is invisible and odorless. An algae bloom usually indicates high nitrate levels, though algae is able to grow in newly set-up tanks with nitrate levels as low as 10 ppm. Measuring Nitrate You will first need to determine what the nitrate level is in your aquarium by testing the tank water with a test kit. Follow the directions in the kit, and by matching the color of the test with the included color chart, you will know how much nitrate is in the water. Although many aquarists run their tanks with extreme nitrate levels, the ideal is a maximum of 5 to 10 ppm. Levels of 20 to 50 ppm are too high. Freshwater tanks can be at the higher end, with marine fish-only setups at the lower end and reef tanks as near zero as possible. Many fish will not show any symptoms of nitrate poisoning until the level reaches 100 ppm or even higher, but studies have shown that long-term exposure to sub-critical concentrations of nitrate stresses fish, making them more susceptible to disease, interfering with the growth of young, and decreasing the likelihood of reproduction. When nitrate levels rise to completely intolerable levels, fish will become lethargic and may have open sores or red blotches on their skin. It is common for fish kept at high levels to die suddenly, and often when a new fish is added to an aquarium in which the fish have gradually become accustomed to high nitrate concentrations, the new fish quickly dies from the shock. Contributing Factors An aquarium with a high nitrate level typically suffers from one or more of four principal factors. Overfeeding Overfeeding is the number-one cause of high nitrate levels in aquariums. Overfed fish produce much more waste than normal, and when more food is given than they can take in, the uneaten food rots and produces even more wastes. Overstocking Keeping too many fish in a tank also leads to problems with accumulated wastes. More fish means more waste. Most aquariums contain way too many fish, and high nitrate levels are a very common problem in them. Did You Know? A useful rule of thumb promoted by many aquarists is to figure how many fish you think you can put into your aquarium, and then put only half that number in. It is always better to understock your tank, but if you find yourself in the situation of having too many fish, you must either get rid of some or buy a larger aquarium. Dirty Filters Laxness in cleaning filters often underlies high nitrate levels. Remember that the media in the filter merely trap wastes, food particles, and detritus. Until you clean or replace the media, the dirt is simply out of sight, but it’s still adding to the nitrate load of the water. Decaying Plant Material Even though plants are natural filters and can help keep nitrate levels down, their dead leaves, if not removed, will decay and produce additional wastes. Even healthy growing plants can lose stems or leaves, and these dead pieces can accumulate on the bottom. The Solution There are various devices and procedures that can lower the nitrate level. Nitrate-adsorbing filter media and anaerobic denitrifying biofilters will remove dissolved nitrate, but they will do nothing to eliminate the cause of the problem. The simplest solution is a water change. When you remove a volume of water from your aquarium, you remove all the nitrate in that volume. So, change half the water and you’ve removed 50 percent of the nitrate. Now, before you roll up your sleeves and dive right into a thorough cleaning of your aquarium, remember that going from polluted water to fresh, clean water can be just as harmful to your fish as the nitrates themselves. The change in the water chemistry can be a physical shock to your fish. So, if you have a very high nitrate level, start slowly. Lightly vacuum the substrate until no more than 15 percent of the water has been removed. Continue vacuuming the substrate once a day, getting a little deeper into the gravel each time and removing about 10 to 20 percent of the water. Keep testing, and once the nitrate level reaches 5 to 10 ppm, establish a maintenance routine that will keep it there. Prevention To prevent high nitrate levels, the underlying cause of “Old Tank Syndrome,” you will need to perform regular maintenance and water changes. If you ignore this care, your nitrate will rise, and your fish will suffer. Daily Maintenance Feed your fish sparingly. Make sure they finish their food in two minutes or less. Instead of feeding your fish one large amount of food once a day, try feeding them smaller amounts two or three times a day. Don’t overcrowd your aquarium. If careful feeding still leaves you with high nitrate, you probably have too many fish for your setup. Do a quick inspection every day. Remove any sources of decomposition: neglected food items, dead fish or invertebrates, and dead or dying plant leaves and stems. Weekly Maintenance You will need to perform regular water changes. The minimum schedule should be weekly, but more is often better! Large changes of 50 percent or more are much more effective at keeping wastes sufficiently diluted. Sometimes tap water contains levels of nitrate that are unacceptable for the aquarium. If that is the case, you either need to use a water purifier such as a reverse-osmosis unit, or you’ll have to buy suitable water for your aquarium. Of course, such large changes are not generally possible with a marine tank, though they work very well. This is why saltwater hobbyists often rely on nitrate-reducing systems like live rock and deep sand beds, and it is why reef aquarists usually keep only a few small fish that are lightly fed to minimize waste production. Check your filters regularly. If you do not have a dedicated biofilter and rely on the bacterial colonies in your mechanical filter medium, replace only part of the medium at each cleaning. However, if the medium is seriously matted and plugged, a gentle cleaning in a bucket of tank water will remove most of the decomposing gunk without damaging the biofilter. In fact, it will increase biofiltration capacity because of the increased flow of oxygen-rich water through the medium. Plant Filtration A heavily planted tank is the most natural way to have low nitrate levels, since plants will utilize much of the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate produced in the aquarium. This is the principle behind growing and harvesting macroalgae in a saltwater sump system. The rapidly growing algae remove wastes from the water, and the regular removal of some of the algae permanently removes those substances from the system. Mangrove plants are especially popular with marine aquarists, but they are equally effective at removing wastes from fresh water. These plants are rooted under the water, but they must grow out of the water. Remember, though, that plants can only utilize a certain amount of wastes, which is why planted tanks, like reef setups, are typically lightly stocked with fish. Although it takes effort to maintain low levels of nitrate in your aquarium, the reward of watching healthy, beautiful fish swimming tranquilly in a tank in your living room far outweighs the work that goes into assuring the health and longevity of your fish. See the full article on TFH Digital http://www.tfhdigital.com/tfh/201102#pg87 
Common Mistakes When Starting a New Aquarium Freshwater Aquarium Basics Common Mistakes When Starting a New Aquarium By Shirlie Sharpe Updated 01/24/18Share Pin Emailimagenavi / Getty Images Beginning hobbyist fish keepers can make some common mistakes when starting a new aquarium. Here are some pitfalls to avoid. Starting Too Small With the availability of mini-aquarium packages, it's become appealing to go small. However, for beginners, choosing a small aquarium is courting failure. Why? Because when the water volume is small, key water parameters change very quickly, leaving no room for error. Even experienced aquarists are challenged by a small aquarium. Newcomers to the hobby should stay away from tanks under 20 gallons until they've gotten some experience under their belt. Remember, the bigger the tank, the less impact a mistake will have on the fish. Adding Fish Too Soon New aquarium owners are eager to add fish, often the same day they set up the tank. Some are lucky but many will quickly lose some, or all, of their fish. What went wrong? The water in a new tank hasn't stabilized yet. Gases are dissolved in the water as well as minerals, heavy metals, and chemicals added to local water treatment facilities. Without going into lengthy detail about water chemistry, suffice it to say that dissolved constituents in the water can harm the fish. Aquarium water should be treated to neutralize harmful materials and allowed to stand for a day or so to allow dissolved gases to escape and the p H to stabilize. It is then safe to introduce fish to the aquarium. Adding Too Many Fish at Once What fish owner isn't eager to fill the tank with fish? Unfortunately adding too many fish all at once is another common mistake of new owners. Until the bacterial colonies have fully established, the aquarium cannot safely support a full load of fish. Only add a couple of small hardy fish initially. Wait until both the ammonia and nitrite levels have risen and then fallen to zero, before adding more fish. Overstocking Even getting through the initial startup, it's very common for new owners to overstock the aquarium. Although an experienced person may successfully keep a school of 20 small fish in a ten-gallon aquarium, it would be disastrous for a beginner to attempt it. Debate exists over the inch per gallon rule, but it provides a good basic yardstick from which to start. We recommend taking 80 percent of the net gallons of water in the tank as the maximum number of inches of fish to keep in the tank. The net gallons of water is the amount of water actually placed in the aquarium after the gravel and decorations are in it. For example, let's say an aquarium holds 16 gallons of water after the decorations and gravel have been added. Multiplying 16 by 80 percent yields a result of 12.8 or about 13 inches of fish as a maximum number. It is always wise to go under the maximum to rather than all over. Keeping Incompatible Fish New aquarium owners often choose fish that look appealing to them without knowing the environmental needs of the fish. Some fish may fight with one another or require widely different water conditions. Either way, they should not be kept together. Always research each species before choosing tank mates. Select peaceful fish that thrive in similar water conditions. Overfeeding The number one mistake made by fish owners is overfeeding their fish. Fish are opportunistic and will seek food at all times. Just because they appear hungry doesn't mean they need to be fed all the time. Feed them no more than they completely consume in five minutes. During startup, feed fish no more than once per day; during critical times when ammonia or nitrite levels are high, withhold feeding for a day or two to reduce the wastes being produced. Fish can easily go several days without food and not suffer ill effects. Insufficient Filtration An aquarium filter should filter all the water in the tank through it at least three times per hour. If it doesn't, it is too small. If in doubt about filter size, move to the next size up. You can't over-filter, but you can definitely under-filter, and the results can be harmful to your fish. Not Testing the Water New owners don't magically have full knowledge of the nitrogen cycle and the need to monitor the water chemistry in their aquarium. As a result, they often are unaware of the need to test their water and fail to take steps to deal with harmful toxins. When the tank is first set up, allow it to run for a day or two. Before adding the fish, test the p H, hardness, ammonia and nitrite levels for a baseline record. During the startup cycle, it is important to test the ammonia and nitrites often (see Nitrogen Cycle for details). Once the tank is well established, test the water monthly to be aware of unseen problems that may be brewing. If fish suddenly die, test the water to see if anything has changed. Not Changing the Water New owners aren't always educated about aquarium maintenance which includes changing part of the water on a regular basis. Wastes build up in the tank that can only be removed by vacuuming the gravel and removing some water and replacing it with fresh water. Although your fish may not die if you fail at maintenance and regular water changes, they will be stressed by substandard water conditions. As a result, they will be more susceptible to disease and often will have a shorter lifespan than they should have.  How to Cycle a Fish Tank Community Tested How to Cycle a Fish Tank Four Parts: Cycling with Fish Performing a "Fishless" Cycling Speeding Up the Cycling Process Solving Common Problems Community Q&AThe nitrogen cycle (also known as the nitration cycle) is the process that breaks toxic nitrogen waste products in an aquarium into less harmful components. For this cycle to develop, beneficial bacteria that feed on these waste products need to grow in the aquarium's filter system. Introducing fish to an aquarium without a healthy nitrogen cycle in place is a bad idea — buildup of waste chemicals can put major stress on the fish, even potentially killing them. Thus, cycling is something that every new aquarium owner needs to do to ensure the health and safety of his/her fish. [1]  . Ammonium Nitrogen Nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 -N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 -N) are primary indicators of water quality. Ammonia: comes from sewage and landfill leachate. It is very toxic to aquatic life. High concentrations of these nutrients may indicate a well construction problem or an environmental impact in the vicinity of the water supply. Nitrate and ammonium nitrogen are measured for all surface and ground water samples. High concentrations of these nutrients may require follow-up sampling to confirm the status of the water supply. Most plants have a high tolerance for nitrate and ammonium nitrogen and utilize these forms efficiently. The recommended upper limit of nitrate nitrogen for human consumption is 10 ppm. Most surface and ground water ideally contains under 3 ppm nitrate nitrogen. Ammonium Ions do not move far in the soil with water because they soon become attached to clay or humus and then resist leaching. Ammonium ions can be taken into the plant roots only if in the soil solution. If they are attached to the soil particles, they are converted to nitrate ions in 2 to 3 weeks, depending upon:number of bacteria,soil moistureand temperature An important step in the soil nitrogen cycle is the conversion of ammonium (NH 4+) to nitrate (NO 3-). This process results in nitrogen in the form most used by plants--nitrate. Ammonium has a positive charge. Clay particles in soil have a negative charge. Since opposite charges attract, ammonium ions stick to clay. Therefore, compared to nitrate, they are not as available to most plants, nor do they leach away with heavy rains or irrigation. Nitrate has a negative charge and is repelled by clay, remaining in the soil water solution. Thus, nitrate is readily available to plants and is leached very easily. Very specialized bacteria convert ammonium to nitrate. These bacteria require oxygen, so they do not function well in saturated soil or at great depths. Like all living things, they require water to live, so the soil must be moist. These bacteria are not active at temperatures at or below freezing. Activity increases as the soil warms, with a maximum conversion rate at soil temperatures around 80-90°F. If excessive amounts of ammonium are converted to nitrate, plants cannot use it all right away. If there is adequate water to carry the nitrate below the rooting zone, the nitrogen will be lost from your garden forever. The wasted nitrate may end up in the groundwater that supplies your drinking water. Ammonium1  How to Reduce High Toxic Nitrates Quickly & Efficiently Saltwater Aquarium Filters Pets Fish & Aquariums Saltwater Fish & Aquariums How to Reduce High Toxic Nitrates Quickly & Efficiently By Stan & Debbie Hauter Updated 10/23/17Share Pin Email01of 03How to Lower High Toxic Nitrates Quickly & Efficiently David Kinney/Flickr High nitrate accumulation, sometimes referred to as old tank syndrome, can be a common problem for long time aquaria keepers. It usually occurs when regular maintenance and water change routines are ignored. As an experiment, we allowed our tank nitrates to rise to a dangerously high level, literally off the scale, to observe the transitions the tank would go through. The experiment was successful in that it allowed us to observe the formation of the different algae. When our experiment was over, ... MOREContinue to 2 of 3 below.02of 03Animated Graphic of Rapid Nitrate Reduction Graphics by Stan Hauter Many people try to reduce their nitrate levels by performing a series of partial (20%) water changes. This will reduce your nitrate (or any other chemical substance) levels, but it is rather inefficient if the object is to reduce the levels to near zero in the shortest period of time as possible, with the least amount of water. On the other hand, if you reduce the level of water in the tank to 20% of normal and then refill the tank to a 40% level, you have already reduced your nitrate levels by ... MOREContinue to 3 of 3 below.03of 03Yes, It Really is Safe Moto "Club4AG" Miwa/Flickr/CC By 2.0Some people have expressed concern that the rapid reduction of nitrates would "shock" the tank critters. This is an understandable concern, but under the circumstances wouldn't you think that the rapid reduction of potentially harmful toxins in a tank to be of the utmost importance, and a lot less harmless? It would be like standing in a closed garage with a car engine running, filling the garage with carbon monoxide, and someone telling you not to open the garage door; that the ... MORETo avoid the urgent need to have to reduce high toxic nitrate levels, it is much easier to following regular maintenance and water change routines. If you are in a position where everything you have tried does not seem to work and your nitrates continue to be a problem, you might try this water change method out.  Nitrate in Well Water Well Management Program Nitrate in Well Water Well Management Program On this page: Introduction What is nitrate? How does nitrate get in well water? What are the health risks of nitrate in well water? Why are young infants more susceptible? How much nitrate is too much? How do I know if my well water has nitrate? How often should I have my well tested for nitrate? What if nitrate is found in my water? What about a water treatment unit? Should I test my well water for anything other than nitrate? Introduction Nitrate is a common contaminant found in many wells in Minnesota. Too much nitrate in drinking water can cause serious health problems for young infants. This page provides a basic explanation of nitrate in wells and gives steps that you as a well owner can take to protect your family and visitors from illness. Go to > top. What is nitrate? Nitrate (NO 3) is a naturally occurring chemical made of nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrate is found in air, soil, water, and plants. Much of the nitrate in our environment comes from decomposition of plants and animal wastes. People also add nitrate to the environment in the form of fertilizers. Go to > top. How does nitrate get into well water? Natural levels of nitrate in Minnesota groundwater are usually quite low (less than 1 milligram per liter [mg/L] of nitrate-nitrogen). However, where sources of nitrate such as fertilizers, animal wastes, or human sewage are concentrated near the ground surface, nitrate may seep down and contaminate the groundwater. Elevated nitrate levels in groundwater are often caused by run-off from barnyards or feedlots, excessive use of fertilizers, or septic systems. Wells most vulnerable to nitrate contamination include shallow wells, dug wells with casing which is not watertight, and wells with damaged, leaking casing or fittings. Nitrate contamination of a well is often regarded as a first sign of deteriorating groundwater quality. Go to > top. What are the health risks of nitrate in well water? Too much nitrate in drinking water poses a risk to infants under six months of age. If an infant is fed water or formula made with water that is high in nitrate, a condition called "blue baby syndrome" (or "methemoglobinemia") can develop. Bacteria which are present in an infant's stomach can convert nitrate to nitrite (NO 2 ), a chemical which can interfere with the ability of the infant's blood to carry oxygen. As the condition worsens, the baby's skin turns a bluish color, particularly around the eyes and mouth. If nitrate levels in the water are high enough and prompt medical attention is not received, death can result. See also: Safe Drinking Water For Your Baby. Go to > top. Why are young infants more susceptible? As an infant ages, its stomach acidity increases, reducing the numbers of nitrite-producing bacteria. After six months, the conversion of nitrate to nitrite in the stomach no longer occurs. Most adults can consume large amounts of nitrate with no ill effects. In fact, the average adult in the United States consumes about 20-25 milligrams of nitrate-nitrogen every day in food, largely from vegetables. Pregnant women, people with reduced stomach acidity, and people with certain blood disorders may also be susceptible to nitrate-induced methemoglobinemia. Some research has suggested that nitrate may also play a role in the development of some cancers. However, at this time there is no clear evidence that nitrate ingestion results in an increased cancer risk. Go to > top. How much nitrate is too much? The federal drinking water standard for nitrate is 10 mg/L of nitrate-nitrogen, which provides newborns with reasonable protection against blue baby syndrome. This level is mandatory for all public water systems, and recommended for private wells. Go to > top. How do I know if my well water has nitrate? Nitrate is tasteless, odorless, and colorless. To find out if there is nitrate in your water, have it tested by a laboratory that is certified for nitrate testing by the Minnesota Department of Health. Laboratories will provide sampling bottles and instructions. Visit the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program website for all your water testing needs. Regardless of which tests you want done, always make sure to use a laboratory that has been certified to perform each of those particular tests. Go to > top. How often should I have my well tested for nitrate? It's a good idea to have a routine nitrate test every two or three years, more frequently if nitrate has been detected in previous sampling. State regulations require well contractors to have a water sample tested for bacteria and nitrate when they construct a new well. After that, owners of private wells must arrange for their own water testing. You should also have your water tested for nitrate if you are a woman planning on becoming pregnant or if infants will be using the water. Go to > top. What if nitrate is found in my water? If the nitrate-nitrogen concentration exceeds the health limit of 10 mg/L, do not give the water to any infant under six months of age , either directly or in formula. Infants should be provided with water from a source which has been tested and shown to be low in nitrate and bacterially safe. Commercially bottled water is required to meet the nitrate standard. Do not boil to "treat" high nitrate water. Nitrate is not removed from the water by boiling. Boiling actually concentrates the nitrate, due to evaporation of the water. Have your well inspected. It's a good idea to have your well inspected by a licensed well contractor if the well is old, or you do not know if it is structurally sound. Nitrate and bacteria problems are sometimes caused by structural flaws which allow contaminated surface water to enter the well. Repairing the well or constructing a new, deeper well often results in a results in a significant reduction in the nitrate level. To find licensed well drillers in your area, look in the Yellow Pages under "Well Drilling and Service. "Identify and remove sources of nitrate near the well. Fertilizers, animal wastes, and sewage systems should be located and managed so that they do not contaminate the well. If a nitrate source is too close to the well and cannot be moved, then you may need to consider having the well permanently sealed and replaced by a licensed well contractor. Go to > top. What about a water treatment unit? Home water treatment units are not recommended for treating high nitrate water which will be given to infants. There is no foolproof way of knowing when the treatment system may fail, and blue baby syndrome has been known to occur after just one day of exposure to high nitrate water. Go to > top. Should I test my well for anything other than nitrate? Yes. Private wells should be tested at least once a year for bacterial safety. It is also wise to test well water for bacteria any time the water changes in taste, odor, or appearance. See also: Bacterial Safety of Well Water. In addition, water can absorb lead from old lead pipes, lead-soldered copper pipes, or brass plumbing components, when the water stands idle in the pipes for more than a few hours. It is recommended to either flush standing water until you feel the water get colder (usually 30-60 seconds), or have your water tested for lead after it has been standing in the pipes at least six hours. Also, never use water from hot water faucets for drinking or cooking. See also: Lead in Well Water Systems. Arsenic occurs naturally in about half the wells in Minnesota, and about 10 percent of wells produce water which exceeds 10 micrograms per liter (parts per billion), the federal drinking water standard. Arsenic is more prevalent in western Minnesota, but can occur almost anywhere in the state ( see map on arsenic occurrence ). Long-term consumption of arsenic above the drinking water standard may increase the risk of health problems of the skin, circulatory system, nervous system, lungs, and bladder, including some forms of cancer. Every private well should be tested at least once or twice to determine if arsenic is present in the water. See also: Arsenic in Minnesota's Well Water. Other contaminants sometimes occur in private water systems, but much less frequently than bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, or lead. If the well is located close to fuel tanks or to a commercial or industrial area, a test for " volatile organic chemicals " (VOCs) is a good idea. A brochure, VOCs, is available from the MDH. Agricultural chemicals are sometimes found in wells located near cropped fields or handling areas for agricultural chemicals. Shallow wells are more vulnerable to pesticide contamination than are deep wells. If your well is located in an agricultural area, and especially if it is a shallow well, testing for several of the pesticides most commonly used in the area may be warranted. If children or adolescents are drinking the water, a test for natural levels of fluoride will give your dentist useful information when considering fluoride supplements. A small number of wells in Minnesota (primarily northeastern Minnesota) do have naturally-occurring levels of fluoride that exceed the health standard. Go to > top.  . Use our coupon code "SPRING" and save 10% off your next WEB purchase of any of our Bio Boost products, ABI Dye, Sediment Blocks, Phosphate Cleanser, Clipper, Aquathol Super K, and Blue Lagoon dye. Featured Products Clipper From $260.00Bio Boost - Nitrifier From $175.00Bio Boost - Muck Digester Bacteria Pellets From $55.00Bio Boost Phosphate Cleanser (BBPC)From $65.00ABI Sediment Block From $185.00ABI Blue Dye From $59.00Bio Boost - Enzyme 300From $83.00Bio Boost - Activator From $200.00Subscribe to our newsletter Contact Us N4828 US Hwy 45 S. Fond du Lac, WI 54937800-442-6648Pages Consulting & Design Preventative Lakes & Ponds Fisheries Management Aeration Fountains Algae & Water Weed Guide Pages About Us Sitemap Create an Account Sign In© 2018 Aquatic Biologists, Inc.  . Q. I'm having problems with brown algae in my fish-only marine aquarium. I do regular water changes, but with no results. What else can I do to get rid of the brown algae? A. A number of factors encourage the aggressive growth of brown algae, but the presence of excess nutrients, including silicate, is the number one factor. Excess nutrients most commonly come from overfeeding. Depending on what part of the nation you live in, your source water may contain varying levels of chloramine, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and other algal nutrients. Test your source water to see if these chemical nutrients are present. Test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate using a master test kit. A silicate test kit and a phosphate test kit can be purchased individually. If your source water reads positive for these chemicals there are several steps you can take to remedy the situation: Increase the number of water changes. Protein skimmers: These remove dissolved proteins in your aquarium before they have a chance to break down. Chemical filter media: When placed in your filter, chemical filter media, such as Poly Filter and Phosphate + Silicate Magnet, will remove silicates, phosphate and organic waste materials. Reverse osmosis (RO) units: These water-purifying units will remove chemical nutrients directly from your source water. However, if the introduction of these nutrients stems directly from your source water, the algae will have a constant nutrient source, no matter how many water changes you may perform or how efficient the protein skimmer or the chemical media may be. Thus, an RO unit will be your only permanent solution.  K ENTUCKY D EPARTMENT ofF ISH & W ILDLIFE R ESOURCES The Aquatic Food Chain Water Quality Water Quality Parameters Liming Fertilization Thermocline and Turnover Additional Resources The Aquatic Food Chain Microscopic, free-floating algae called phytoplankton form the base of the food chain in ponds. Phytoplankton are fed upon by microscopic animals (zooplankton), which are in turn are fed upon by insects and small fishes. The small fishes provide food for the larger fishes in the pond. The following sections provide information on maintaining water quality in your pond, which has a direct effect on the aquatic food chain. A balanced food chain is critical to a healthy pond. The farm pond food chain Water Quality Maintaining good water quality in your pond is vital to maintaining healthy fish populations. Water quality incorporates several important parameters, including dissolved oxygen (DO), alkalinity, p H, turbidity (muddiness), and fertility (nutrients). Unsuitable levels of any of these parameters can negatively affect the fish populations in your pond. Water quality kits for home use may be purchased online or at local retailers. Swimming pool supply companies and some department stores carry easy to use kits for measuring certain water quality parameters. Ask your local biologist for help finding a simple water quality kit near you. Water Quality Parameters Dissolved oxygen (DO) - Adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) is essential to fish survival. Fish prefer DO levels > 6 milligrams per liter (mg/l), and become stressed when concentrations fall below 3 mg/l. Oxygen is produced during daylight hours by algae and plants during photosynthesis, and is continuously consumed by algae, plants, bacteria, and aquatic organisms (including fish) during respiration. Therefore, oxygen levels are highest during the day (when more oxygen is being produced than consumed), and lowest at night just prior to sunrise (when oxygen is only being consumed). Most ponds in Kentucky maintain suitable oxygen levels; however, oxygen can occasionally become depleted for a variety of reasons, including excess nutrients, algae or plant die-offs, and pond turnover. When oxygen levels are very low (< 1 mg/l), stressed fish are lethargic and can be found “hanging” at the pond’s surface gulping air. Emergency procedures, such as tilting a boat motor to spray water into the air, or agitating the pond’s surface with paddle wheels, etc. can help aerate the water and improve oxygen levels enough for fish survival. Ponds with chronic, low oxygen problems or a history of fish kills may require aeration devices.p H - indicates whether the water is acidic (p H < 7), basic (p H > 7), or neutral (p H = 7). Pond p H levels vary throughout the day due to photosynthesis and respiration. Nighttime respiration increases CO2 concentrations, forming carbonic acid and causing p H to fall. During the day, phytoplankton and other green plants absorb CO2 for photosynthesis, causing p H to rise. Fish can tolerate a fairly wide range of p H levels, although 6.5 to 9 are considered most desirable for fish. Values less than 4 or greater than 11 are usually lethal to fish. Low p H levels often indicate inflow of acidic waters, most commonly from acid mine drainage from coal mining operations. Conversely, high p H levels often indicate that the water is too fertile (too many nutrients) and /or lacks adequate alkalinity. Liming can improve p H levels and prevent wide swings in p H levels. Alkalinity - is the total concentration (as mg/l of Ca CO3) of bases in the water, primarily bicarbonates, carbonates, and hydroxides. Adequate alkalinity is important for pond productivity and water chemistry. Ponds should have total alkalinities of at least 20 mg/l Ca CO3, and desirable levels range from 75-200 mg/l. If total alkalinity levels are less than 20 mg/l, then liming can be used to raise alkalinity levels. Adequate alkalinity (>20 mg/l) is also important if starting a fertilization program. Alkalinity can be easily determined by using a simple test kit available locally or on-line through major environmental retailers. The required kit should be able to test “Total Alkalinity”. Turbidity - refers to the clarity of the water. Ideally, pond water should not be extremely clear or extremely turbid. Extremely clear waters indicate inadequate nutrient levels in the pond (or nutrients being tied up in excessive submerged aquatic vegetation). High turbidity (muddiness) can be the result of many factors, including chemical, environmental, and biological factors. Fertility/Nutrients - Most ponds naturally have adequate nutrient (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus) levels needed to stimulate a phytoplankton “bloom”, which supports the aquatic food chain. Too few nutrients limit pond productivity, whereas too many nutrients lead to water quality problems (low oxygen, high p H, excessive nuisance vegetation, etc.) that can stress or kill fish. Adequate nutrient levels typically result in water clarity between 1 1/2 and 2 feet. Ponds with clear water can also be low on nutrients and may benefit from a fertilization program. Table 1. Desired range and potential remedies for water quality issues. Parameter Desired Range Remedy/Action of not in desired rangep H 6.5 - 9.0 Add lime if p H < 6.5; limit nutrients if p H > 9.0Total Alkalinity 75 - 200 mg/l Add lime if alkalinity < 20 mg/l Dissolved Oxygen 6.0 - 9.0 mg/l Aerate if D. O. < 4.0 mg/l; extremely high values likely the result of algal bloom or excessive vegetation Water Clarity 1-1/2 - 2 feet Extremely clear water indicates low nutrients or nutrients tied up in plant biomass. Fertilize if clarity increases beyond 2 feet. Low clarity may be the result of suspended solids (muddiness) or too much fertility (plankton bloom). Liming Benefits of Liming - Liming can improve the productivity of your pond, raise p H and alkalinity levels, prevent wide daily p H fluctuations, and enhance the effect of fertilizers. Ponds that are acidic (p H<7) and have low alkalinity (<20 mg/l) in particular will benefit from liming. Liming procedures - To find out how much lime to apply, get a soil test done at a farm supply store or your county extension office. You want the lime application rate that would be used for an alfalfa field. Total alkalinity of a water sample can also be tested at some of the District Fisheries Offices, contact your local office to find out if they can assist. Apply agricultural lime at the prescribed rate during the winter or early spring months. You can have the truck dump the lime in the pond drainage and let rain wash it in or you can apply it to the pond yourself. Applications may not need to be done every year afterward. Test your pond alkalinity annually or every other year and lime as necessary. Check the lime requirements of the soil in a newly constructed pond and make applications on pond bottom before impoundment. See the links in the Additional Resources section for more information on liming. Fertilization Fertilization and the aquatic food web - If your pond has an insufficient drainage and you can see 3 feet deep or more into the water throughout the summer, then you probably should fertilize. Fertilizing can reduce problem aquatic plant growth and improve fish growth by producing more plankton, which are microscopic plants and animals. Plankton actually clouds the water to shade out plants, but it also provides food for young fish. One caveat to fertilizing is that once you initiate a program, you will need to fertilize every year. Fertilization increases the carrying capacity of the pond. Ending a fertilization program will leave a pond with more fish biomass than it can support, resulting in stunted, skinny fish or a fish kill. Fertilizing specifics - Pond fertilization should be done at two-week intervals. Begin when water temperatures reach 60 degrees, usually around the middle of April, and continue until around June 15 (depending on weather and water temperature). The easiest and most efficient fertilization method is with a liquid (9-18-9, 7-14-7, or similar formula) applied at the rate of one gallon per acre. Dilute with pond water during application. Apply one gallon per acre of fertilizer, wait two weeks and follow up with another application. After two additional weeks, follow up with a third application. After the third dose you should regularly monitor water clarity using a secchi disk. If clarity reaches two feet or more, make an additional application. Typically, all fertilization needs to cease around June 15. See the links in the Additional Resources section for more information on fertilization. Do not fertilize if:• The pond is not fished heavily. • The pond water is muddy. • The pond is infested with undesirable fish species, • The pond is infested with aquatic plants. • Pond water continually runs out of the spillway or water control structure. • You are feeding fish commercial feed. • Fish populations are out of balance. Thermocline and Turnover During the summer most ponds have adequate oxygen levels in only the upper 6 to 10 feet of water. The colder, deeper water is essentially devoid of oxygen. The upper, warmer layer of water remains separated from the colder water because of a difference in density between the two. Cold water is heavier than warm water and, therefore, remains associated with the bottom. The thin layer where these two areas meet is called the thermocline. During the summer, your pond or lake will stratify into three layers: the upper layer is warmer and contains adequate oxygen; the bottom layer is colder and has very little oxygen; and the middle layer is the transition zone between the upper and bottom layers. As fall approaches, the upper water layer cools down and the density difference between the upper and lower water layers is reduced. A cold rain or strong wind can result in a sudden mixing (turnover) of the two layers. If the deeper layer is relatively large as compared to the upper layer, then it is possible that a fish kill could result. This problem can be avoided by not building the pond too deep (see pond construction), or by installing an aeration system. Even with precautions, most ponds will eventually experience some type of fish kill or turnover. Additional Resources: Fertilization of Farm Ponds, SRAC Publication No. 471The Use of Agricultural Limestone and Gypsum in Ponds, Forrest Wynne Liming Ponds for Aquaculture, SRAC Publication 4100Causes of “Water Turnover” and Low Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations in Kentucky Ponds, Forrest Wynne Use of Aeration and Water De-stratification Devices in Recreational Ponds Return to main page  IMPROVING COLOR IN AQUARIUM FISH IMPROVING COLOR IN AQUARIUM FISHWritten by Katherine Barrington Updated April 06, 2018The best part of keeping a freshwater aquarium is watching your tank inhabitants thrive and grow. Read more to learn how to enhance and maintain healthy coloration in your fish. One of the most enjoyable parts of owning an aquarium is watching your fish thrive and grow. If you care for your fish properly and maintain a healthy tank environment, you should have relatively few problems. In some cases, however, aquarium hobbyists find that their fish either fade in color over time or simply fail to achieve their maximum potential coloration. If you are experiencing this problem, take the time to learn what causes fish to fade in color and what you can do to prevent or repair it. You may also want to look into certain species of fish that are naturally colorful. What Causes Color to Fade? There are a variety of factors which may contribute to fading color in freshwater aquarium fish. Unfortunately, fading color is often a consequence of multiple factors so it can be tricky not only to identify the problem but to fix it as well. One of the most common causes of fading color in aquarium fish, however, is inadequate diet. Inexperienced aquarium hobbyists often assume that commercial flake foods or pellets will meet all of the nutritional needs of their aquarium fish. While these foods are formulated to provide fish with most of the nutrients they need, aquarium fish are not likely to reach their full potential for health, size and coloration when fed a diet of commercial foods alone. In order to improve fading color in aquarium fish it is important to offer a varied diet of live, frozen and freeze-dried foods that are full of the color-boosting nutrients aquarium fish need. Another possible cause of fading color in aquarium fish is inadequate tank lighting. If you are an experienced aquarium hobbyist you probably understand the connection between tank lighting and the growth of aquarium plants. Live plants are photosynthetic organisms that require light in order to grow and thrive – while this may not be true for aquarium fish, lighting still plays a role in the development of healthy coloration. Certain species like goldfish and koi actually require exposure to natural sunlight in order to develop the pigments in their skin which enables them to show healthy color. Though inadequate aquarium lighting can have the effect of fading the coloration of your fish, lighting that is too intense may also be a problem. This phenomenon is most commonly seen in saltwater environments but it can also be a problem in freshwater tanks where the lighting is too intense. Species of fish that are naturally found in low-light environments may fade when kept in a brilliantly-lit aquarium. To prevent or remedy this problem, try reducing the lighting in your tank or simply provide your fish with places where they can hide from the bright light when they want to. The third possible factor contributing to fading color in aquarium fish is water quality. As you are probably aware, water quality plays an incredibly important role in determining the health of your fish and of your tank environment as a whole. If the water quality declines, your fish are likely to become stressed and may even become more susceptible to disease. Aquarium fish that are stressed or ill are unlikely to display their optimal coloration and they may even fade in color as a result of stress. In order to prevent this from happening in your tank it is important to keep up a regular maintenance routine to ensure high water quality. Perform weekly water tests using an aquarium water test kit to check the p H and chemical levels in your tank and record those results so you get a feel for the “normal” levels in your tank. It is also wise to replace your filter media on a monthly basis and to perform weekly water changes of 10% to 20% of your tank volume. Doing these simple tasks will have a significant effect on the water quality in your tank. Color-Enhancing Foods In order to help your fish achieve their optimal coloration you need to provide them with a healthy diet. Recommended diet will vary according to species because some fish are carnivorous while others are herbivorous – they key is to provide a variety of foods that will meet the nutritional needs of the particular species you have in your tank. Check your local pet store for a color-enhancing commercial fish food formula that will provide basic nutrition for your fish. While commercial foods should not be the sole source of nutrition for your fish, they are a good choice for a staple diet. Once you’ve selected the staple diet for your fish, supplement it with live foods, frozen foods and vegetable matter depending on the preference of the species you have in your tank. When it comes to live and frozen foods, some are better than others for enhancing the coloration of aquarium fish. Crustaceans like brine shrimp are a great way to enhance coloration, as are frozen or freeze-dried foods like Mysis shrimp, krill and other crustaceans. Saltwater organisms like scallops and fish are great options for carnivorous species, especially as part of a prepared frozen food that has been supplemented with pigments and essential vitamins. Fresh vegetables like spinach, broccoli and romaine lettuce are also healthy sources of vitamins and minerals that will help your fish to achieve their natural coloration. Be careful when purchasing color-enhancing commercial foods because some foods will be better for your fish than others. Some fish food manufacturers bulk up their products using filler ingredients that do not provide your fish with much nutritional value. When evaluating commercial fish foods that are formulated to enhance the coloration of your fish, look for things like carotenoids, omega-three fatty acids and vitamin C. Not only are these nutrients essential for maintaining healthy coloration, but they are often missing from the diets of aquarium fish. In addition to purchasing color-enhancing fish food, you may also want to consider soaking your fish food in an additive or supplement that will provide extra nutrition. Other Tips and Tricks In addition to diet, lighting and water quality there are other factors which may contribute to enhancing the coloration of your fish. Certain species of fish are more social than others and may be more likely to thrive in a school than on their own. Some fish will not only fail to behave naturally if not kept in schools, but they may also never develop their full coloration. Some types of fish that should be kept in schools include tetras, angelfish, barbs, danios and guppies. In addition to the schooling factor, the other fish in your tank could also play a role in determining coloration. If one or more of your fish is territorial or aggressive, it could have an effect on the other fish in your tank. Aggressive tank mates can be very stressful for aquarium fish and may actually prevent them from developing their full coloration. Believe it or not, the way you decorate your tank can also have an impact on the coloration of your fish. Decorating your tank to imitate the natural habitat of your fish can have a significant impact on improving their coloration. Some fish prefer dark substrate over light substrate, for example, based on their natural habitat. Providing enough hiding places in the form of rock caves and live plants can also impact the coloration of your fish – if they do not have anywhere to hide when they feel threatened your fish may become stressed and may lose color as a result. You may also be able to decorate your tank in such a way that the decorations provide a contrast for the color of your fish, thus making them appear more colorful. It is also important to keep in mind that the color of your fish may change over time. Juveniles of many species are naturally less colorful than adults and females are often duller in coloration than males. As your fish grow and mature, they may naturally develop more intense coloration depending on the species. Your fish may also change in color during certain periods of time. During mating seasons, for example, male fish may develop more intense coloration to attract a mate and females may become more colorful as they begin to produce eggs. If you plan to breed your fish, feeding them a healthy diet will not only encourage healthy coloration but it will also encourage breeding behavior. Naturally Colorful Species Some aquarium fish are naturally more colorful than others so if you want to stock your tank with brightly-colored fish, try out some of these species. If you are interested in keeping a species tank housing only one type of fish, the betta fish or Siamese fighting fish is a great option. These fish come in a variety of vibrant colors and they also exhibit many different tail types. In terms of community fish, guppies are known for their bright colors, as are other livebearers like mollies, platies and swordtails. As for slightly larger species, many gouramis are known for their unique color like the kissing pink gourami and the dwarf gourami. The cichlid family is home to more than 2,000 different species, many of which are some of the most colorful species of freshwater aquarium fish. Discus fish, a type of cichlid, have actually been described as some of the most colorful freshwater fish, exhibiting a variety of colors and patterns including bright blue, yellow, orange, red and even pure white. There are countless species of aquarium fish to choose from and, by doing a little research, you can find many choices that are naturally colorful. Maintaining healthy coloration in your aquarium fish is a multi-stage effort. Not only do you need to maintain a healthy aquarium environment but you also need to provide your fish with a varied, nutritious diet. You should also be aware how the setup in your tank as well as the types of fish you are keeping can have an impact on the health and coloration of your fish. Sorry, the browser you are using is not currently supported. Disqus actively supports the following browsers: Firefox Chrome Internet Explorer 11+Safari PREVIOUS ARTICLEIDENTIFYING AND TREATING THE MOST COMMON CICHLID DISEASESCichlids are one of the largest families of freshwater fishes and they are prone to developing several aquarium fish diseases. NEXT ARTICLEADDRESSING THE SHIMMIES IN LIVE BEARERSDealing with aquarium fish disease is a fact of life in the aquarium hobby. Most Recent Forum Discussions Peppermint shrimp - By saratang, 04/10/18 03:24:38 am (0 replies)Do all peppermint shrimp get rid of Aiptasia? Thinking about investing in some if they do but probably need to find somewhere else to buy ... How can you tell? (under/over stocked) - By billy_corycat, 04/09/18 05:42:00 am (0 replies)It seems like a fine line to me - how can you tell whether you're overstocking or understocking? Space wise, filtration wise... I don't know ... Stocking ideas - would like some creativity - By billy_corycat, 04/09/18 05:38:11 am (0 replies)So I'm awful at coming up with good stocking ideas. I'm not very creative. If anyone has some ideas I'll take anything into consideration! Including ... MOST RECENT ARTICLESAQUASCAPING TIPS TO REDUCE AGGRESSION IN FISHKeeping the peace in a tank full of aggressive fish can be tricky but smart aquascaping can help to diffuse the tension. THE BEST BARBS FOR A LARGE HOME AQUARIUMThere are many different species of barbs but some of them are better than others for the larger home aquarium. SPECIES PROFILE: BLIND CAVE TETRAThe blind cave tetra is unique among freshwater aquarium fish.  The Denitrator The Aquarium and Pond Active Online Publication The Denitrator What is a Denitrator? Why Do I Need One? How Does it Work? By Tony Griffitts A denitrator is a biological filter that removes nitrate (NO 3) from the aquarium. A denitrator filter uses anaerobic bacteria to brake down nitrate into nitrogen gas (N 2 ), which escapes into the atmosphere, the result is nitrate free effluent. Nitrate is toxic to many marine invertebrates even at low levels. The deaths of some of the more delicate marine fishes have also been linked to high nitrate levels in the aquarium. A well designed denitrator can maintain nitrate levels near 0ppm. With low nitrate levels you reduce the frequency and the volume of water you need to change annually. A denitrator drastically reduces the time and money needed to maintain a reef tank. Also, you can stock the aquarium with a lot more fish and invertebrates than you can without a denitrator. The denitrator works by sending water through the filter at a slow flow rate. The bacteria at the first part of the filter are aerobic (breath oxygen). The aerobic bacteria use up all the free oxygen in the first stage of the filter. In the second part of the filter there are anaerobic bacteria, which exist in the oxygen depleted environment by breaking the oxygen atoms of the nitrate in order to respire. At the end of the process all the oxygen has been remove from the nitrate molecule and the end byproduct is nitrogen gas. The denitrator takes about 4 to 6 weeks for the bacteria to colonize the filter in sufficient quantities for the filter to start reducing the nitrate in the aquarium. The filter will not be fully mature until it is 3 to 6 months old. When you first set up the filter run the aquarium water through it at a swift rate for about 2 week. This will give bacteria time to colonize the filter. After 2 weeks cut down the filter flow rate to about a drop or two a second. At this time, start to add about 5ml of bacteria food a day to the filter. Using a dosing pump plugged into a timer that comes on 4 times a day is highly recommend for adding the food on a regular bases. Once each day check the effluent water coming out of the denitrator for nitrate and nitrite (NO 2 ). If your tests indicate any traceable amounts of nitrate and a noticeable amount of nitrite you will need to slow the flow rate down. What is happening here, is the anaerobic bacteria is not receiving enough exposure to the nitrate to brake off all the oxygen atoms from the nitrate. Thus with only one oxygen atom broken off the nitrate you now have nitrite. If reducing the flow rate does not seem to help, increase the amount of food added to the filter. The increase in food may increase the bacterial activity and nitrate reduction. If your flow rate is to slow and/or you are feeding the bacteria too much, your filter will start producing hydrogen sulfide. You can easily detect hydrogen sulfide by the rotten egg smell. Increase your flow rate and test the effluent the next day for nitrate and nitrite. Over time you will have to increase the flow rate as the filter matures and becomes more efficient. When your filter is fully mature your flow rate should be a steady stream. With experience you will be able to dial in the filter and know exactly how much food to feed, and how fast the water should flow through the denitrator. A properly sized denitrator will be able to handle all your nitrate problems, even in the most heavily stock reef tanks. Published - 2000Related Links Marine Fish Head and Lateral Line Erosion  Nitrogen Cycle and Cloudy Aquarium Water Explained. What To Expect In A New Tank. Nitrogen Cycle and Cloudy Aquarium Water Explained. What To Expect In A New Tank. Speakmans Aquariums Subscribe 958Add to Share More90,012 views34530Published on Mar 10, 2012This video is addressing some of the questions I have been getting online regarding new tanks, the nitrogen cycle, cloudy water, and what to expect when a tank is first set up. In the video I give a shout out to a guy I have been talking with online. He set up his first tank and has had some questions so please check out his tank as well and show him some support. I tried to make this video as informative as possible but I am sick right now and my head isnt working the greatest so I jump around a little. I hope this helps some of you and please feel free to ask questions and comment. Thanks for watching. Show more Loading...  Top 30 Doctor insights on: Causes Of Elevated Ammonia Levels Top 30 Doctor insights on: Causes Of Elevated Ammonia Levels Share Follow @Health Tap </> Embed Dr. Andrew Seibert1 Alcohol caused husbands liver fibrosis. Ammonia levels are slightly elevated and he takes lactulose. Does fibrosis cause this when it's not cirrhosis? Increased ammonia: By the time someone with alcoholic liver disease develops hepatic encephalopathy, cirrhosis of the liver is usually present. If the elevation is only slight and he is asymptomatic, it is possible to have fibrosis without cirrhosis, but he is certainly on his way to it. It is very ... Read more Dr. David Rosenfeld2 Do slightly elevated ammonia levels always indicate a problem in the body? Yes, maybe: An ammonia test measures the amount of ammonia in the blood. Most ammonia in the body forms when protein is broken down by bacteria in the intestines. The liver normally converts ammonia into urea, which is then eliminated in urine. ... Read more Board Certified,Get help from a real doctor now Continue Dr. Clarence Grim3 Please tell me what can cause ammonia levels in your blood to fluctuate? Ammonia levels: They fluctuate normally depending on what you liver is doing and meds you are taking. Lets do 2nd opinion and find out more. ... Read more Dr. Mark Diamond4 What are the diseases that are associated with elevated ammonia and lactate levels? Many: There is a large list of conditions that result in elevated ammonia and/or lactate. The body chemistry is malfunctioning, often thru a genetic defect. There are many chemical pathways that may go awry in these situations and can be very serious, even life threatening. You must see your doctor, if ... Read more Dr. Marsha Davis5 Can high ammonia levels cause confusion in the elderly? Absolutely: It can Get help from a doctor now ›Dr. Rebecca Gliksman6 Husbands liver ammonia levels elevated even with medication. Normal cut off 38, his 56. he doesn't take all his medicine properly. Warning signs? Elevated ammonia: For elevated ammonia lactolose is used as is rifaximin.. it is important ot take medications. With elevated ammonia you get confused, disoriented, slurrign of speech ultimately lethargic when very high can result in coma. Hydration and low protein diet is important as well ... Read more Board Certified,Get help from a specialist now Continue Dr. Joel Ross1 doctor agreed:7 Can mono cause ammonia levels in your liver to be high? Ammonia levels/mono: In very rare cases, mono can lead to liver failure with elevated ammonia levels. That is why the liver tests are often monitored in the course of mono in selected individuals. ... Read more Dr. A. tarig Ahmed8 Ammonia level was elevated @48 (normal range 3-37) all other labs normal. Previous ultrasounds & cts were normal. Is this something to worry about? Ammonia level: No. Non specific and I would not worry about it. ... Read more Dr. Warren Wolfe9 Ammonia level 41 a little elevated gave me lactulose 15ml twice a day hoe long should it take to lower them since there bout that high? Need more info: It all depends on your body functions. I think it would be a good idea to ask the physician who prescribed the lactulose . ... Read more Dr. Dwain Rickertsen2 doctors agreed:10 What else can cause high ammonia levels besides liver and kidney functions? I need someone to help me. No one can tell me what is going on. Family practice: Elevated ammonia levels is cause by liver and kidney disorders. It can be hereditary or caused by drugs and medication it sometimes is self limiting but it may progress and cause brain damage . ... Read more Dr. Martin Raff11 If a person was taking cipro (ciprofloxacin) for a UTI and had elevated ammonia levels... Could cipro (ciprofloxacin) lower the levels while taking it? No: That does not happen. Get help from a doctor now ›Dr. Luis Villaplana12 What is the exposure level of ammonia to cause lung damage? EVEN ONE: Light whiff can cause acute bronchospasm with wheezing and shortness of breath . ... Read more Dr. David Sneid13 Dad is diabetic and takes metformin. He does really well with it. His blood sugar levels are normal. But what causes the ammonia in the blood? What about it? : Metformin doesn't cause problems with ammonia in the blood. If your dad has severe liver disease and high ammonia levels, he should not be receiving metformin -- and a variety of other drugs that can cause problems in patients with liver disease. Check w/your doctor. ... Read more Dr. Bruce Jacobs1 doctor agreed:14 My blood ammonia level is 97 mcg/d L (lab range 27-102 mcg/d L). My complete metabolic panels are always normal. Is this ammonia level considered high? Is it high enough to cause encephalopathy? No, its in the: Normal range. It is not nearly high enough to cause encephalopathy .. ... Read more Dr. Fred Mc Curdy1 doctor agreed:15 What reason would cause the ammonia level in your body to go up to 120? Is it due to kidney failure this is a question about my 81 year old father Ammonia level: Ammonia level is moat likely due to kidneys not working effectively, but there are other rare causes. Your dad needs to see a doctor very soon. ... Read more Dr. Alvin Stein2 doctors agreed:16 I'm taking, levothyroxine, tramadol, labetalol, seroquel, (quetiapine) and sertraline can any of these meds cause high ammonia levels? Very possible: Why does a 27 year old need all of these medications. They do conflict with one another. ... Read more Dr. Donald Alves1 doctor agreed:17 Can high ammonia blood levels "73" cause muscle burning? I have severe burning in my legs and arms for no reason at all like if I am working out... Usually not...: ... The ammonia itself, but could be a contributing cause or related problem, like lactic acidosis--need to contact your dr. Asap for guidance or go to er for blood tests and to id cause. ... Read more Dr. Milton Alvis, jr18 Can low vitamin d cause muscle burning in my arms and legs? My levels are 26 normal are 30-100. Or high ammonia level 73 normal 11-32. Either of them Cause? Very Unlikely: Symptoms are only clues as to their complex origins & limiting thinking to only one or two molecules/issues, usual body mechanic approach (commonly promoted), is rarely wise or productive. If the ammonia concentration is elevated (by the 2%-98% range of ... Read more Dr. James Gulley3 doctors agreed:19 What test can be made for elevated amonia levels? Several: Elevated ammonia levels are often seen in patients with liver disease. Laboratory tests can identify the level of ammonia in the blood. Physical examination may also reveal asterixis that may occur in the patient when they are holding their arm straight with a wrist bent like a crossing guard ... Read more Dr. Luis Villaplana2 doctors agreed:20 How can you treat high ammonia levels? Lactulose: The most common treatment is a sugary, thick syrup called lactulose. It binds ammonia in the gut and decreases its absorption into the blood stream. ... Read more Dr. Susan Rhoads6 doctors agreed:21 How can I tell if my ammonia levels are high in my body? Blood test. : A blood test can determine the ammonia level in your body. ... Read more Dr. Thomas Wright1 doctor agreed:22 What is the max you can take of lactolose to reduce ammonia levels? Consult your doctor: The maximum recommended dose is 45ml four times a day or 180ml in a day. Hepatic encephalopathy is a serious medical condition and its treatment should be monitored by doctor. So please consult your doctor. ... Read more Dr. Michael De Pietro1 doctor agreed:23 What level of ammonia is fatal? None: There is no set level of ammonia that in itself is fatal, its elevation is more associated with the severity of the liver disease in a rough and inexact sort of way. ... Read more Dr. Kenneth Weston24 What does it mean for your ammonia level is high? Evaluation warranted: Ammonia is a by product of metabolism by the liver. Elevated ammonia levels generally mean there is a problem with liver metabolism. Further evaluation is warranted. ... Read more Dr. Ed Friedlander25 What does low ammonia levels in your blood do to u? Nothing: I take it that your blood ammonia level was measured and your level fell below the "reference range". A high ammonia, especially if very high, tends to mean trouble. However, a low level just means you are even lower than most healthy folks. "treat the patient, not the numbers." best wishes. ... Read more Dr. Robert Kwok2 doctors agreed:26 What could be the cause of urine smelling like ammonia? Urea is related: Urea is related to ammonia. Urea is the byproduct of our protein metabolism, and is disposed of in our urine. If urine is concentrated (due to not drinking enough fluids), it can have an ammonia odor. Other things can affect people's sense of smell, such as nasal changes, hormonal ... Read more Dr. David Rosenfeld27 What is the definition or description of: ammonia level? See below: An ammonia test measures the amount of ammonia in the blood. Most ammonia in the body forms when protein is broken down by bacteria in the intestines. The liver normally converts ammonia into urea, which is then eliminated in urine. ... Read more Dr. Ed Friedlander1 doctor agreed:28 Son has a level of ammonia of <9 is this bad? Vitaem b12 is 1690That's fine: Reference ranges are set so that a few percent of healthies fall outside on either side. ... Read more Dr. Scott Lippe29 Is a blood reading of 41 micromole liter high for ammonia levels? Ammonia: It depends on the lab but around here that is a little bit high low protein diet will help ... Read more Dr. Danny Farahmandian4 doctors agreed:30 Can gilberts syndrome elevate your ammonia levels my level was 72 normal is 11-32? Not typically: But I have found the ammonia levels in most commercial labs to be not that accurate. You may want to just recheck it. ... Read more  Tips for Cycling Your New Aquarium First Tank Guide Home Tips for Cycling Your New Aquarium Getting Your Fish Tank Up and Running with Minimal Headaches (The First Tank Guide)Support and Share the First Tank Guide: Tweet What is Cycling? Cycling your tank is probably something that you have never heard of unless you have been paying attention to the *.aquaria news groups, you have several friends with tanks, or you are working with a fairly good pet shop. The effects of the cycling process are sometimes referred to as " New Tank Syndrome ," which can be deadly. "Cycling the tank" means that you are establishing a bacteria bed in your biological filter to remove the toxins that the fish's metabolism creates. There are right and wrong ways to do this, and several things you can do to slow this process (which you don't want to do). There are two steps to cycling, but you don't have to do anything special for either of them. First, your filter will grow a culture of bacteria that digest ammonia and turn it into Nitrite (which is more toxic than the ammonia in hard water or water with a higher p H ), then your filter produces bacteria that digest Nitrite and turn it into relatively harmless Nitrate. However, Nitrate will contribute to loss of appetite and stress in your fish, as well as contributing to algae growth, so it is important to do regular small water changes to keep your tank in best condition. Read more on water changes while the tank is cycling. How Do I Cycle MY Fish Tank? You should cycle your fish tank with a small number of fish. They should be hearty fish and a variety of fish that you want to have in your fish tank in the long run. Do not cycle your tank with lots of feeder goldfish. Do not cycle your tank with any goldfish unless you intend to keep goldfish. Unfortunately many pet shops still suggest this. If you want to know why, you could review my no goldfish page. What Fish Should I Use to Cycle MY Aquarium? For a tank of small community fish, White Clouds or Zebra Danios are good cycling fish; Cherry Barbs or Tiger Barbs are good for a slightly more aggressive tank; or Pseudotropheus zebra is a good choice for an African Cichlid tank. Your local pet shop should be able to point you toward some hardy fish of the type you are looking to keep. Purchase a small number (the number will depend on the size of your aquarium and type of fish and -to a lesser degree- the type of filter) of these fish and introduce them to your tank. For a ten to twenty gallon tank, two or three small schooling fish or one small cichlid would be more than sufficient. Let the tank sit for a couple of days, feeding your fish carefully to prevent excess food from decaying and fouling the water. There are several reasons that you do not want to cycle your tank with a large number of fish, here are a few: Cycling a tank with many fish will produce a lot more waste, which will be stressful to your fish, resulting in higher die-off and greater susceptibility to disease. Cycling with a large number of fish will increase water problems incurred during the cycling process. Cycling with a lot of fish can contribute to a foul smell coming from the tank. Every couple of days, do a 10%-15% water change, and after about a week, take a sample of your water to a fish store to get it tested. Most pet shops will test fresh water for a minimal fee, or even for free! If the store you got the fish from won't, check to see if there is another local store that will. At this point, your water should test with high ammonia and maybe a trace of nitrite. If it isn't, don't worry. 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. Do not add more fish until the ammonia and Nitrite levels have both dropped. Remember to add new fish a few at a time to prevent over-stressing the filter. If you add too many at once, your tank will have to cycle again, yet if you add a few at a time, your bacteria growth rate will just increase for a short time, with minimal effect on your fish. There are other indicators that your fish tank has finished cycling. What if I am Still Having Problems? If, after six to eight weeks of cycling, your ammonia and nitrite levels aren't satisfactory (well, zero), you need to trouble shoot your situation. Did you treat the water you added to the tank to remove chlorine and chloramine? If you didn't the chlorine you added to the tank may have killed the bacteria who were trying to start the filter. Or the ammonia in the chloramine could be more than your new bacteria colony can handle. Did you do water changes regularly? This will remove excess waste before it kills the fish or the beneficial bacteria you are trying to culture. Did you do extra water changes whenever you saw signs of ammonia stress? Excess ammonia will also slow the growth of the bacteria colony in the biological filter, making the cycling process take longer. Did you use ammonia removers to try to get the ammonia levels down, rather than using water changes? Ammonia removers can starve the biological filter and cause the cycling process to start over. Cycling the tank takes between two and eight weeks depending on several factors including: Concentration of ammonia in the aquarium water for the beneficial bacteria to digest. Availability of beneficial bacteria in the local atmosphere to colonize filter initialy. Frequency and relative amount of water changes while the aquarium is cycling. Reliability of source of waste to feed the developing biological filter (ammonia and nitrite). Amount of excess decaying matter in tank (dead fish, extra food, plant leaves, etc.). Presence of toxins/anti-bacterial agents/sanitation chemicals in the fish tank water. Use of chemicals to remove ammonia from the water. What about Chemicals to Cycle My Aquarium Faster? You should not need to use any chemical to stop unwanted increases in ammonia levels. Your biological filter should take care of that for you. If you have ammonia problems or see signs of ammonia stress after the tank has cycled, then your tank is overpopulated, under- filtered or overfed. Ammonia in the tank is a sign of a problem, not something that is easily treated with a chemical. Use of a chemical to remove ammonia will very often result in starvation of your biological filter leading to more ammonia problems and meaning that you will need to cycle the tank again. Remember, if your ammonia levels are high, you need to treat the problem that is causing the high ammonia levels, not the ammonia itself, which is just a symptom. I recommend against using a bacteria booster or any kind of chemical when cycling your tank. These tend to leave you with a less stable tank in the long run. A tank cycled slowly and carefully with a few fish will usually cycle in six to eight weeks. A tank cycled with a bacteria booster or chemical supplements will take between two days and eight months to cycle, usually completing the cycle at about eight weeks, and these tanks usually do not stabilize for about six months after the last treatment. Do not use these products if you want a stable, easy to care for tank. If you are just thinking about getting your first aquarium, you might want to start with some simple steps to a successful aquarium. Check out these pages to help you get started with your first fish tank: Getting Started Keeping Healthy Fish Selecting a good Pet Store Setting Up Your Tank Cycling Your Aquarium Keith's Site First Tank Guide Getting Started Keeping Healthy Fish Selecting a Good Pet Store Setting Up a Fish Tank Cycling Your Aquarium No Goldfish!Water Changes when Cycling When's the Cycle Done? Bacteria Boosters Ammonia Stress New Tank Syndrome A Fishless Cycle Introducing Fish Aquarium Population Upgrading to a Larger Aquarium Moving with Your Fish Tank Vacationing with Fish Used Aquariums Possible Risks Routine Aquarium Maintenance Equipment and Terms Getting Fish About the First Tank Guide Ask a Question Top of This Page Donate through Pay Pal to help keep the First Tank Guide online Great Quotes Montana Role-Playing Calendar My Discogs Profile My Filmogs Profile My Bibliogs Profile My Facebook Profile My Google Plus Profile My Linked In Profile"Your website is great! I learned a bunch of things and how to take care of my fishy better!! Thanks a bunch! "Kate, America April 21, 2010More Comments"I read your site, it's great! "Rahim, Canada October 12, 2006More Comments Site Map and FAQ Top of This Page Ask a Question My snail mail address is: Keith Seyffarth, 730 West Galena, Butte, MT 59701. Thank you for your support. Page most recently modified: June 18, 2012, 10:31:01. Copyright ©1994-2018, Keith Seyffarth  Effect of Nitrate and Phosphate Levels on the Growth of Algae Effect of Nitrate and Phosphate Levels on the Growth of Algae Nitrate and phosphate are useful as fertilizers in agriculture and gardening. Nitrate and phosphate aid agricultural production by producing more abundant crops. However, since the mass production of ammonia during the 1940's by way of the Haber process, it has been noted that a phenomenon known as “nitrate pollution” may occur. This pollution can be demonstrated by conducting this simple experiment. This experiment demonstrates two main ideas. The first is a test of what levels of nitrate and phosphate allow for optimum algal growth. The second demonstrates at which levels of nitrate and phosphate algal blooms may occur, causing harm to an aquatic ecosystem (Freeman, 2002). Effect of Nitrate and Phosphate Levels on the Growth of Algae (PDF)Intended Audience K-45-8X9-12XLearning Objectives Given three Chlorella cultures with different concentrations of nitrate and phosphate, students will determine the effect of nitrate and phosphate levels on the growth of algae. Given three cultures with different concentrations of nitrate and phosphate, students will evaluate the nitrate and phosphate levels at which an increase in algal growth occurs in a closed system. Student Background It is recommended that students have prior knowledge of algae’s ability to carry out photosynthesis. Also, students should be familiar with laboratory safety. Keywords Nitrate: NO 3 ‾, a compound essential to fertilizing plants. It is, however, a common (dangerous) contaminant of groundwater. For more information, see The Nitrate Story. Phosphate: PO 43-, a compound necessary for the growth of plants. It is one of the main nutrients found in fertilizers. For more information, see Phosphate. Algae: Photosynthetic organisms that live in many habitats, ranging from aquatic environments to the hot desert sands. They are an essential organism for the production of oxygen, as well as an important food source. However, too much algae (known as an algal bloom) can have an adverse effect on an ecosystem, causing many problems. For more information, see Smithsonian Algae Research. Chlorella: a unicellular alga found in soil, water, and tree bark. Botanical names include Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgaris. All K-12 Lesson Plans  . post #1 of 13Old 09-01-2009, 03:02 PM Thread Startersadsack786New Member User Aquariums Rising PH- Whats causing it? Hi we,ve set up a 150 gallon tank about a month back. had a few ammonia issues because of overstoking...thats settled now and we are'nt losing fish but our ph is reading 7.5. our test kit only reads till 7.5, so we not sure if its higher. our source water tests around 7.0, so obviously something in our tank is causing the rising ph. we have coarse gravel and rocks, collected from a dry stream bed, which have passed the vinegar test. we have a bogwood log which we found from an estuary. It is a dense, hard wood which we soaked in freshwater and it was completly saturated before being added to our tank (it does not affect the colour of our water at all). we are using a sump filter which does a 1000 lt/h. our filter media is sponge and bio balls. we do at least a 10% pwc weekly. we've tried salt-2 handfuls; added gradually; and vacuuming the gravel but the ph is still the same.our tank is heavily planted and we have a co2 injector. our plants were doing well, but since the salt and vacuum....but thats an issue for another thread. the current fish seem to have adjusted but we want to lower our ph coz we are looking to keep discus and we dont want them dying....your advice would be most appreciated. Share Share this post on Share on Facebooksadsack786 is offline Quotepost #2 of 13Old 09-01-2009, 03:38 PMByron Member User Aquariums A couple of issues here. First, don't use salt in an aquarium. As you've found out, it affects plants. It also affects fish, some very seriously (characins, corydoras, discus...). Freshwater fish should not have salt added to their water. I'm curious why you thought that would lower the p H... Wood will not raise p H asnd hardness, unless there is something in the wood. I'm not suggesting there is necessarily, but it does point out the risk in using collectibles from nature. Boiling or steaming wood for a lengthy period usually ensures no parasites and pathogens are present, but other substances may be that would not be affected by such measures. Several years ago I lost a number of fish due to toxins in a couple pieces of wood; and the wood came from an aquarium store, not something I collected outside. Which only shows what can occur when we don't know the wood or the source. Adding CO2 normally lowers p H, so whatever is in the tank raising it, it is fairly potent. I would almost guarantee that the high p H is due to the gravel and/or rocks, notwithstanding the vinegar test. Have you tested the hardness, both GH (general hardness) and KH (carbonate hardness)? It would be useful to know where these are, as KH is a buffer on p H and there may be a link. Also, test the tap water for GH and KH. On no account use the p H lowering chemical preparations, especially if there are fish (any fish) in the tank. I'm not implying you would, this is just a comment. These chemicals will lower the p H temporarily until whatever is causing it to rise takes control again; the result is fluctuating p H which is far worse than having a constant if high p H. Some fish succumb quickly to fluctuating p H values and develop internal problems and are more susceptible to disease and parasitic attacks. And if the water has a buffer (the KH will tell us this) it will eventually become maxed out if chemicals are being added, and then the p H will crash. Let us know the GH and KH of the tank water and the tap water; your lfs may do this if you don't have a kit. I don't suppose you have any idea what type of rock and gravel it is (limestone, qwuartz, shale...)? Byron. Share Share this post on Share on Facebook Byron Hosking, BMus, MA Vancouver, BC, Canada The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian. [unknown source]Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]Byron is offline Quotepost #3 of 13Old 09-03-2009, 12:48 PM Thread Startersadsack786New Member User Aquariums Hi, Sorry for taking so long to reply..we were trying to find a good test kit at a fair price but it seems that in our neck of woods (South Africa), test kits are seldom found. If anyone has any suggestions (maybe we are'nt looking in the right places) it would be appreciated. Our LF's don't do tests either, so for the meantime we can't furnish you with the requested results. What I can tell you (had to wait to ask my hubby, since he's the enthusiast and I'm just the little elf) is that our gravel is mainly sandstone, quartz and slate. We doubt thre's any limestone. As for thye salt, we were advised to add it as per info on the previous forumn we were registered with. We were told that salt is a neutrilizer-it will lower high ph and higher low ph...the guy at our LF also said that he treats his tanks with weekly doses of salt to prevcent illness e.t.c. We've now learnt to do a little reserch before accepting well intended advice. Share Share this post on Share on Facebooksadsack786 is offline Quotepost #4 of 13Old 09-03-2009, 01:28 PMByron Member User Aquariums Quote: Originally Posted by sadsack786 View Post Hi, Sorry for taking so long to reply..we were trying to find a good test kit at a fair price but it seems that in our neck of woods (South Africa), test kits are seldom found. If anyone has any suggestions (maybe we are'nt looking in the right places) it would be appreciated. Our LF's don't do tests either, so for the meantime we can't furnish you with the requested results. What I can tell you (had to wait to ask my hubby, since he's the enthusiast and I'm just the little elf) is that our gravel is mainly sandstone, quartz and slate. We doubt thre's any limestone. As for thye salt, we were advised to add it as per info on the previous forumn we were registered with. We were told that salt is a neutrilizer-it will lower high ph and higher low ph...the guy at our LF also said that he treats his tanks with weekly doses of salt to prevcent illness e.t.c. We've now learnt to do a little reserch before accepting well intended advice. Thanks. There's not much I can add at this point on the p H rise. Test kits are normally carried by aquarium stores. You can order them online. Other members have commented that Drs Foster&Smith is a reliable site, and I'm sure there are others. Here's Drs Foster&Smith site: Fish Supplies: Fish Tank & Fish Care | Drs Foster Smith.com On the left menu there, click on "Testing Equipment", then "Freshwater...". Re the salt, how could the same salt lower ph and raise it at the same time? Salt is used in water softeners to change hard water into soft water, but this is a very different thing. And I have never known salt to change p H. Ther are some aquarists who do allege that regularly using aquarium salt in a freshwater tank will prevent this or that. I take this with the proverbial grain of salt; how do they know the "this or that' would have occurred without it? That's like saying if you regularly take Tylenol you won't ever get a headache; probably not, but you may not get one anyway, so why put chemicals in your system that you don't really need, and risk causing other problems or making them have less effect when you really do need them? That is what salt does to some fish, according to my research and information from scientists. Forget the salt. Byron. Share Share this post on Share on Facebook Byron Hosking, BMus, MA Vancouver, BC, Canada The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian. [unknown source]Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]Byron is offline Quotepost #5 of 13Old 09-03-2009, 09:27 PMMoney Mitch Member User Aquariums I also have a high ph issue (tap comes out at 8.0- 8.2) i was trying to figure out how to lower as im going to be keeping discus and angels and they need much lower than that. so i went to my lfs tonight in search of a cure for the problem. i saw all kinds of chemical buffers that you have to keep on to keep the ph where you want it. as i was looking at some of them they say on the back "not for use with live plants" i said to myself that cannont be good lol. so i asked a guy there and he asked why do i want to lower my ph? i told him what i plan on keeping and he laughed and said ph isnt as big of a issue that everyone makes it out to be. he said the trick is in acclimating your fish properly. he showed me the discus display tank that they had and did a ph test right infront of me of the discus display. and guess what? 8.4!!!! for discus, now these wernbt wild caught but still proves a point. Its also much easyier to work with what you have than against it. easyier and cheaper in the long run. Money P. S check walmart.com for a master freshwater test kit. 18$ american when you ship to store. the sites description isnt accurate. it is a API master freshwater test kit with more than everything you will need for freshwater EXCEPT GH/KH testers....... Share Share this post on Share on Facebook My ongoing tank journal My Member showcase - new photos added 4/19/13WTB Wisteria PM MEMoney Mitch is offline Quotepost #6 of 13Old 09-04-2009, 01:50 AM1077Member User Aquariums I have kept tank raised Discus in moderately hard water with a ph of 7.4 with few issues however,,the Discus would not breed for the water was too hard. It passes my understanding how any responsible fish store would attempt to keep these softwater fish in hardwater and hope to keep them healthy enough to make a profit. They are expensive and sensitive fish and most fish stores take great pains to provide for these fish so that they can make a profit. Is true that many fish can adapt to somewhat different p H values and slightly more alkaline waters if acclimated slowly but.. Discus aren't in my view,, one of these fish. If I knew I had hard water with p H values much above neutral 7.0,, or higher,, I would not even consider keeping this species nor do I believe any responsible person seeking to make a profit on them would. It would in my view be a losing proposition. Share Share this post on Share on Facebook The most important medication in your fish medicine cabinet is.. Clean water.1077 is offline Quotepost #7 of 13Old 09-04-2009, 03:59 AM Thread Startersadsack786New Member User Aquariums Thanks for all those answers and info.. Will try the suggested websites and hopefully get back to you all with results...soon Share Share this post on Share on Facebooksadsack786 is offline Quotepost #8 of 13Old 09-04-2009, 10:35 AMByron Member User Aquariums I'm following up on the p H issue raised by Money and responded to by 1077. I am in agreement with 1077 on this, and would like to offer a couple of personal observations. There are varying opinions on several issues we as aquarists face; use of salt in FW tanks often comes up (I commented on this in two different threads only yesterday), and the issue of how much fish can adapt with respect to preferred water parameters is another on which there is quite wide-ranging views. Some say that after fish are raised in tanks for a few generations, they somehow develop different requirements respecting water parameters. I find it difficult to fully accept that captive breeding can significantly change what nature has programmed into them over millions of years. Cardinal tetras occur in very soft, acidic waters, water with a ph of 4 to 5.5 and a KH and GH less than 1 degree. Maintaining them in hard water frequently causes blockage of the kidney tubes by calcium salts. And many aquarists have them live 2 or 3 years max. Given the correct water parameters, cardinals will live for more than 10 years, as the late Dr. Jacques Gery experienced. p H is something that affects the internal workings of a fish. Fish take in water (= "drink" to us) by osmosis through their cells. They must regulate the p H of their blood to equal that of the water, and this takes energy. Which is one reason why p H fluctuations are so critical. All this energy is beng used to regulate their p H, feed their tissues, and maintain their immune system, and it literally wears them out. And it causes stress, and stress leads to other health problems and leaves them more susceptible to disease and parasites. To use an analogy from Laura Muha who wrote on this at length in TFH, its like driving your car up a hill; it takes more gas to maintain the same speed, and the car's engine is working more (and wearing out faster) to do it. The discus in the store, like the cardinals above, may seem to be OK for now. But how do we know what is occurring internally? Will these fish live shorter and more difficult lives because of this? In one of her articles, Ms. Muha mentions discus maintained by Dr. Chris Andrews, director of the Steinhart Aquarium in SF, in water with a p H of 8.0 and while they appeared to be healthy, they certainly did not spawn. And in her summation, Ms. Muha says it is always better to match your fish with your water chemistry rather than the reverse, and given that we don't know much about p H adaptability, we should use the "preferred" range as the starting point. My goal is to maintain the fish in my aquaria as close as I reasonably can to what nature has outfitted them for, in terms of water parameters and their environment. By environment I mean the aquascaping of the aquarium, as I think this is also important to the fish's long-term health. A fish that in nature lives amongst plants, roots and fallen branches should not be placed in a bare aquarium without these items. The fish will be continually under stress from having no where to "hide." It does not know that it faces no danger from predators; its instict tells it that it is extremely vulnerable without those hiding places, and it lives in fear of what this would mean in the wild. This approach is far-reaching; it affects the type of filtration, water currents, plants, wood or rocks, as well as water parameters. From a purely common sense perspective, it seems preferable to provide the fish with relatively similar conditions in all these areas to those it has evolved to live with naturally. Note that I said relatively similar, not exact, as I think in many situations this would be next to impossible; I for one do not want a substrate of dirty mud, not only for aesthetical reasons but water quality in a closed system as well. Byron. Share Share this post on Share on Facebook Byron Hosking, BMus, MA Vancouver, BC, Canada The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian. [unknown source]Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]Byron is offline Quotepost #9 of 13Old 09-04-2009, 11:09 AMMoney Mitch Member User Aquariumsjust to make sure that i took in what you wrote there about fish and ph byron, your saying that the discus at my lfs look healthy now, but them not being in the proper ph that nature intended makes it harder for them to live basicly? and that pretty much the bigger the change no matter how they are adjusted to the water the more energy they have to use to keep their bodies in balance with the ph. which in turn makes them sustiple to more illness and definately not spawning (i dont intend to breed them). You also reccomended to choose fish that are more in that ph range rather than trying to force the fish to adapt, as its better on the fish which in return reduces stress which then reduces illness which means ur fish will live longer. Sorry for putting a diffrent question in someone elses thread, I just went over what you said byron to make sure i got it understood correctly please tell me if this makes any sense. Money Share Share this post on Share on Facebook My ongoing tank journal My Member showcase - new photos added 4/19/13WTB Wisteria PM MEMoney Mitch is offline Quotepost #10 of 13Old 09-05-2009, 11:58 AMByron Member User Aquariums Quote: Originally Posted by Money Mitch View Postjust to make sure that i took in what you wrote there about fish and ph byron, your saying that the discus at my lfs look healthy now, but them not being in the proper ph that nature intended makes it harder for them to live basicly? and that pretty much the bigger the change no matter how they are adjusted to the water the more energy they have to use to keep their bodies in balance with the ph. which in turn makes them sustiple to more illness and definately not spawning (i dont intend to breed them). You also reccomended to choose fish that are more in that ph range rather than trying to force the fish to adapt, as its better on the fish which in return reduces stress which then reduces illness which means ur fish will live longer. Sorry for putting a diffrent question in someone elses thread, I just went over what you said byron to make sure i got it understood correctly please tell me if this makes any sense. Money Basically, yes, but remember I also said there is varying opinion on all this. I am not a trained biologist, so I read what those who are write and when I see concensus I am likely to accept that as fact, generally speaking. If you can track down the articles by Laura Muha in her then-monthly column "The Skeptical Fishkeeper" in TFH [they were in April 2006 on p H, and December 2006 on Fish Growth vs Tank Size (this one got into several areas)] you'd have a better picture. She consulted significant ichthyologists and scientists from major colleges and aquariums in the US and presented their views. One fact is that fish have to work harder when the environment is significantly outside their preferred range. The result of this is not a certainty; this could lessen their lifespan as we know similar things do with other animals and humans, or it may make them more susceptible to other health issues and disease, or perhaps it is of less significance. The failure to spawn is fairly definitely related to unacceptable p H and hardness, with most soft water fish this is true; but this itself is also significant: if a fish cannot even fulfill the most important and basic drive of all animals, to propogate their species, this says to me that clearly these things must have a profound effect on the fish. On the second point, I agree with 1077 that it is wiser to select fish that will be more "at home" in the water you can easily provide, as opposed to selecting fish that basically require you to significantly adjust your water to satisfy their requirements. But I also feel this is possible, if done correctly; RO or peat filtration will work well to soften water and lower the p H. And I hold that some fish, namely recognized sensitive species with extreme water parameters in nature, should not be forced to exist in water that is significantly different. I take this position because the scientific evidence proves at least to me that this does affect the fish's metabolism, and while it is not agreed as to the effect this has on the fish I take the common sense approach that it is probably going to be on the detrimental side rather than the positive. It just makes more sense that any animal will be better off in an environment that is more atune to that for which is has evolved over millions of years. As an example, monkeys used to be kept in cages in zoos; then people said this was detrimental to the wellbeing of the monkeys. They "existed" in these conditions, but most felt they were not "living" healthy lives. I can't prove one way or the other, but it makes sense, so I prefer to lean on that side. From fish, my example of the cardinal tetra is a fact. Most aquarists don't have them live for long in aquaria; but given the correct water parameters, they can live healthy lives for more than 10 years. If someone can prove to me that they will live just as long and be as healthy in hard alkaline water, I would reconsider my opinion. Hope this clarifies better, and thanks Money. Byron. Share Share this post on Share on Facebook Byron Hosking, BMus, MA Vancouver, BC, Canada The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian. [unknown source]Something we all need to remember: The fish you've acquired was quite happy not being owned by you, minding its own business. If you’re going to take it under your wing then you’re responsible for it. Every aspect of its life is under your control, from water quality and temperature to swimming space. [Nathan Hill in PFK]Byron is offline Quote  All You Ever Wanted To Know About CO2 But Were Afraid To Ask All You Ever Wanted To Know About CO2 But Were Afraid To Ask How can I get my plants to really grow well? Isn't CO2 harmful to fish? What's the deal with water hardness and why is my p H so high? Is there a way to reduce p H without resorting to algae inducing phosphate buffers? If fish create CO2, why do I need to add any extra? My aquarium p H is usually between 7 and 7.2. Does that mean I have sufficient CO2? OK, how do I know how much CO2 I have in the water? CO2 Table How accurate is the KH/p H/CO2 table method? How does one control p H with CO2? What is a good KH for a planted aquarium? What equipment is needed for CO2 injection? Gas Bottle Regulator Solenoid Fine Control Valve Bubble Counter How is the final flow adjustment done? How do I control the amount of CO2 injected? Manual Automatic What are "CO2 reactors" and why are they needed? CO2 Reactor Drawing Can CO2 injection be used with under gravel filters? I've been told that I can't use CO2 injection because my trickle filter will strip it from the water. Is there a way to tell if CO2 will help me without going to all the expense of the CO2 bottle and regulator? What precautions should be taken? How can I get my plants to really grow well? Plants, like all living things, need the proper nutrients to thrive. Unlike animals which can hunt for food, plants depend on the environment to supply them with the basic nutrients needed for survival and growth. The mechanism that drives plant growth is photosynthesis and photosynthesis requires light for energy and CO2 to drive the chemical reactions. Various other elements are needed during photosynthesis to create the carbohydrates which are stored and later used for growth. The process of photosynthesis requires a specific light energy threshold. If the light is not bright enough, photosynthesis will not occur. Beyond that threshold and up to some high light level, photosynthesis will run faster and faster. Depending on aquarium depth and the types of plants, 2 to 3 watts per gallon of "full spectrum" fluorescent light is normally recommended. ("Watts per gallon" is not the most accurate way to specify the light levels needed but unfortunately it is about the only reliable measure that is available to aquarists). It is important to note that if any one of the nutrients required for photosynthesis is in short supply, that single shortage will be the limiting factor for the photosynthesis rate. Typical aquariums are deficient in both CO2 and iron (Fe) with respect to optimum levels. Various "trace element" products are available to the hobbyist to meet iron and other trace element requirements. CO2 injection can be used to boost the concentration of CO2 in the aquarium. Isn't CO2 harmful to fish? In high concentrations, CO2 can block the respiration of CO2 from the fishes gills and cause oxygen starvation. Since the gills depend on a concentration differential between CO2 levels in the blood and the water to transfer gases, high CO2 levels in the water will reduce the amount of CO2 that can be transferred from the blood. Also, high levels of CO2 in the blood will cause acidosis (see "Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crichton). Although different references have wildly varying values for toxic levels, a concentration of below 30 milligrams per liter (mg/l) is definitely safe. Based on our experience, plants do best at around 15 mg/l of dissolved CO2. It is a common misconception that water can hold only so much dissolved gas and adding CO2 will displace oxygen. This is not true. As a matter of fact, if enough CO2, light and trace elements are available to enable vigorous photosynthesis in a heavily planted aquarium, oxygen levels can reach 120% of saturation. Even at night, when the plants stop using CO2 and start using oxygen, the oxygen levels will stay about the same as a typical non-planted aquarium. What's the deal with water hardness and why is my p H so high? In some regions of the country, the water supply is in close contact with limestone. These regions have "hard water" which typically has high p H (greater than 7.8). There are two things at work here. Limestone is mostly calcium carbonate (Ca CO3) which slowly dissolves in water and dissociates into Ca++ and CO3-- (calcium and carbonate ions). The calcium ions (Ca++) contribute to general hardness, abbreviated GH. Magnesium ions (Mg++) are the other component of general hardness. GH does not affect p H but is the type of hardness that biologically affects organisms. Calcium is used in the walls of cells and a lack of calcium can cause both plant and animal deformities. If a plant or fish is said to prefer hard or soft water, it is "general hardness" that is being discussed. The carbonate ions (CO3--) are a component of alkalinity, also known as acid buffering or carbonate hardness (KH). KH measures carbonate and bicarbonate ions and is the predominant component of alkalinity. In general, KH is a prime determinant of p H. High KH means high p H. The carbonate buffering system is the "natural" buffer for water. GH and KH can be measured in "degrees", "parts per million (ppm)" or mg/l. None of these are very useful in chemistry work and are not used by professional chemists. However, most test kits use one or the other of these terms so hobbyists generally use them (the "degree" term is more common). One degree KH (d KH) or GH (d GH) is "equivalent" to the hardness generated by 17.8 mg/l of Ca CO3, i.e., even if the hardness didn't come from Ca CO3, it has the same effect as if Ca CO3 was used. Ca CO3 is the most common source of hardness, so it is the standard of measurement. Is there a way to reduce p H without resorting to algae inducing phosphate buffers? I'm glad you asked. You can reduce p H by injecting moderate levels of CO2 into the aquarium water. If fish create CO2, why do I need to add any extra? CO2 has a natural equilibrium in water of about 0.5 mg/l. In an aquarium with a moderate fish load, the fish may raise the concentration to 2 to 3 mg/l. This is far below what plants need to really grow well. You would not get beneficial levels of CO2 for the plants unless you had the fish packed in gill to gill. Likewise, decomposition of waste material in the water by bacteria and other processes releases some CO2, but again the levels are small compared to the needs of rapidly growing plants. My aquarium p H is usually between 7 and 7.2. Does that mean I have sufficient CO2? It depends on the amount of carbonate hardness present. KH, p H and dissolved CO2 levels have a fixed relationship as long as carbonate is the only buffer present. You cannot determine CO2 levels from p H readings alone. Also, the presence of commercial phosphate buffers like "p H-UP", "p H-DOWN" and "Discus Buffer" greatly complicates the relationship. OK, how do I know how much CO2 I have in the water? A dissolved carbon dioxide test kit is handy but optional. The Lamotte CO2 test kit is our favorite. It is easy to use and costs about $25. Note that the accuracy of the test kit can be affected by high levels of mineral acids in the water. You can also determine CO2 levels from accurate measurements of KH and p H and a KH/p H/CO2 chart. Lamotte makes a great narrow range p H test (6.5 to 7.5) that you can interpolate down to 0.05 p H units. The Tetra KH test kit seems about the best for use with the table and is very inexpensive. We also have a Lamotte alkalinity kit (KH) but prefer the Tetra kit. To determine the CO2 level in your water, measure KH and p H and look up CO2 in Table 1. The following table is from a Finnish aquaria magazine (Akvaariomaailma) and was posted by Pauli Hopea on the Internet.----------------------------------------------------------------------- \ p H | 6.0 6.2 6.4 6.6 6.8 7.0 7.2 7.4 8.0 KH\ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.5 | 15 9.3 5.9 3.7 2.4 1.5 0.9 0.6 0.2 1.0 | 30 19 12 7 5 3 1.9 1.2 0.3 1.5 | 44 28 18 11 7 4 2.8 1.8 0.4 2.0 | 59 37 24 15 9 6 4 2.4 0.6 2.5 | 73 46 30 19 12 7 5 3 0.7 3.0 | 87 56 35 22 14 9 6 4 0.9 3.5 | 103 65 41 26 16 10 7 4 1.0 4.0 | 118 75 47 30 19 12 6 5 1.2 5.0 | 147 93 59 37 23 15 9 6 1.5 6.0 | 177 112 71 45 28 18 11 7 1.8 8.0 | 240 149 94 59 37 24 15 9 2.4 10 | 300 186 118 74 47 30 19 12 3 15 | 440 280 176 111 70 44 28 18 4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | CO2 milligrams/liter -----------------------------------------------------------------------An optimum level of CO2 is 15 mg/l; a good range is 10-20 mg/l. Keep in mind that good CO2 levels also require good light levels, proper nutrients and proper trace elements to be effective in growing plants. All things must be in proportion. How accurate is the KH/p H/CO2 table method? The table is very accurate but your measurements may not be! There are two concerns. First, you need to think about the resolution and accuracy of the test kits. If the KH kit is accurate to +/- 0.5 d KH and the p H kit is +/- 0.2 units, the range of CO2 values read from the table can be quite large. Let's say you get a carbonate hardness reading of 3 d KH (+/- 0.5) and get a p H reading of 7.0 (+/- 0.2). This would indicate CO2 ranging from a low value to an optimum value: KH = 2.5, p H = 7.2 >> CO2 = 5 mg/l KH = 3.0 p H = 7.0 >> CO2 = 9 mg/l KH = 3.5 p H = 6.8 >> CO2 = 16 mg/l Also, most KH test kits actually measure total alkalinity. If KH is the predominate component of alkalinity, all is well. However, if other buffers are in the water (phosphate buffering products, for example), you will get a higher "KH" reading and you will think you have more CO2 than you really have. How does one control p H with CO2? In most cases, the aquarist balances KH (which raises p H) with CO2 (which lowers p H). For example, we are blessed with soft tap water, both in terms of KH and GH. We add sodium bicarbonate (Na HCO3, baking soda) to get 4 degrees of carbonate hardness (4 d KH) as measured with a Tetra KH test kit (inexpensive but effective). With a typical equilibrium dissolved CO2 level of 2-3 mg/l, this gives us a "natural" p H of around 7.7. We then inject CO2 to lower the p H to 6.9, giving us a dissolved CO2 level of 15 mg/l, which is just about perfect. What is a good KH for a planted aquarium? That depends on the p H you would like and how much CO2 you want to inject. The p H should be set to suit the species of fish you will keep in the tank. For a community tank, a neutral p H (7.0) is a good target. As mentioned before, a good level of CO2 is 15 mg/l. To figure out the proper KH for this community tank, use Figure 2. Find the 15 mg/l CO2 line and go across the chart until you get to the p H=7.0 line. Go down from there to determine the amount of KH you should have (5 d KH). Adjust your water to have 5 d KH and then inject CO2 until the p H is 7.0. That's all there is to it!If you need to add KH, add small amounts of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda, Na HCO3). One teaspoon of baking soda will increase the hardness of 50 liters (13 gallons) of water by about 4 d KH. If you want to raise both KH and GH, two teaspoons of calcium carbonate (Ca CO3) will raise the hardness of 50 liters of water by 4 d KH and 4 d GH. It is best to adjust the hardness slowly, using a test kit to measure the changes as you go along. If your tap water already has a KH higher than you desire, you have two choices. The first choice is to use more CO2 to achieve the p H you want (but keep CO2 less than 30 mg/l, of course). Another choice is to use reverse osmosis (RO) to lower the KH of your tap water. Pure RO water has no KH so you can mix RO water and tap water to get the KH you desire. One thing to keep in mind: for good fish health, it is better to have a stable p H than a theorectical optimum p H. Most fish books give the desired p H as the p H that is found in the natural environment of the fish but farm raised fish will most likely come from water of neutral p H (7.0). If the KH of your tap water and good levels of injected CO2 produce a p H anywhere in the 6.5 to 7.5 range, it is best to not attempt to alter the KH of your tap water. The fish will adapt just fine to the resultant p H and they will appreciate the stability (and lack of extraneous chemicals!). What equipment is needed for CO2 injection? As far as we are concerned, none of the systems offered by the aquarium industry are cost effective. Various bits and pieces are good, but no one system combines high quality, high capacity and low price. If you have access to the right suppliers, you can assemble a much more capable system for less money. Here is what we recommend: Gas Bottle Get a 5 pound to 20 pound CO2 tank from a welding supply shop. Welders use CO2 to provide an inert atmosphere so they should be easy to find. If not, check for compressed gas dealers. Other sources include fire extinguisher suppliers and beverage dealers. Careful shopping may uncover a used tank that will be more cost effective. We pay $70 for a new 5 pound tank and $120 for a new 20 pound tank. The place where you buy the tank should be able to refill it. Some will refill while you wait, some will trade a full bottle for an empty, some will send it somewhere to get filled. Naturally, you don't want it disconnected from the aquarium for very long or your p H will shoot up. We have an old 2.5 pound bottle we connect up while we take the regular bottle to be filled. In our area, a refill for a tank 20 pounds or smaller is the same price ($10), so the bigger tank saves money in the long run. A 10 pound lasts more than twice as long as a 5 pound, and a 20 pound lasts more than twice as long as a 10 pound (they have trouble getting all the pounds into the tank, so 0.5 pound out of 5 is a higher percentage than out of 10, etc). Regulator The best is a single stage, two-gauge regulator designed for use on welding gas cylinders. This reduces the 950 pounds per square inch (psi) tank pressure to 10-20 psi. You can get a cheap fixed-pressure regulator with no gauges for about $45 from a home brewing store. The lowest cost regulator is a Flow Regulated Orifice Gauge (FROG) which puts out a constant pressure (22 psi or so). These are cheap but there are no gauges so you don't know when the bottle is about empty. Without gauges, you'll just be surprised some day when you check the controller and find your p H is 8.2. We paid $70 for an adjustable regulator with high and low pressure gauges. The high pressure gauge tells you when the bottle is about empty. The bottle pressure will stay at 950 psi as long as there is liquid CO2 in the bottle. Once the liquid is gone, the pressure will begin to drop (2-4 weeks to go from 950 psi to 200 psi). When the pressure is around 200 psi, you should recharge the bottle since the regulator gets a little unstable at that point. Another option is called a Regulated Flow Meter which is essentially a regulator with an integrated needle valve control plus a flow rate gauge. Although the flow rate gauge is not that useful for our purpose, the integrated flow control is very smooth and precise. There is also a dial gauge that gives you the pressure inside the tank. This is by the Victor Equipment Company of Denton Texas, model # HRF1425-580 and costs about $65. Solenoid For an automated setup with a controller, a solenoid is needed to shut of the CO2 flow. We found a commercial unit for about $60. It's definitely over-kill but it has never broken. It's good for 200 psi and it's non-corrosive. If you have a local commercial plumbing supply store, they might have them. Also look up "valves" in the phone book. The solenoid goes after the regulator on a CO2 cylinder, i.e., the low pressure side. Some solenoids use high inlet pressure to help keep them turned off and may not work in this application. The regulator usually has a 3/8" NPT thread and the solenoid may have a 1/4" or 1/8" NPT thread, so you will need to find a place that sells up and down thread adapters. Most good hardware stores and plumbing supply places have these. Fine Control Valve After the regulator, you will need a fine control valve to get the extremely slow flow rate you need (1-3 bubbles per second for a manual setup). Typical aquarium needle valves won't work - you will find they are either all on or all off in this application. A decent valve will run from $10 to $40 depending on what you find. Check the Yellow Pages under "valves". We have used one by Nu Pro (model B-4MG2, $35) that works extremely well. The ARO Corporation, phone (419) 636-4242, makes two models, the F01 and F02, which sell for less than $15. Another valve is the Parker N400B-11AC. One more is by Whitey, Model no. B-ORF2. Bubble Counter To help set the flow you would need a "bubble counter" or some way to see the actual flow. If you inject directly into the tank or you can see how much is going into the reactor, this is optional. We like the Dupla bubble counter (about $40) because it also includes a check valve. You don't want water to get into the regulator (water + CO2 = carbonic acid, which is mildly corrosive)! Aquarium air line check valves may work, but the one I once used had an internal melt down when presented with carbonic acid. How is the final flow adjustment done? The CO2 regulator should be set to about 20 psi on the output. Typical regulators get a little unstable at pressures below that. The fine control valve should be adjusted to give you about one to three 1/8" bubbles per second (the rate that is best for your specific tank will vary depending on all kinds of factors). How do I control the amount of CO2 injected? Most aquarists start with a "manual" system where a small but constant flow of CO2 is used. Advanced aquarists use automatic controllers that measure p H and adjust the CO2 accordingly. Manual A manual setup works fine but takes constant fiddling to balance it. The CO2 bubbles into the water continuously and you have to balance the inflow against plant usage and diffusion into the air. Having a quality fine control valve is very important in a manual setup. Because the plants will use CO2 when the lights are on and produce CO2 when the lights are out, you will get minor p H fluctuations of about 0.3 over the course of 24 hours. Don't shut the CO2 off at night in a manual system. Many people assume you have to turn off the CO2 at night because the plants won't be using any and too much will build up in the aquarium. This is not true. Much more CO2 is lost to atmospheric diffusion than is used by plants. If you turn the CO2 off at night, the water will return to equilibrium levels by morning. This has two consequences: it will take longer to get the CO2 level back to optimum and the p H swings between day and night will be much greater, stressing your fish. In our 85 gallon tank without a controller, we have a constant slow flow of CO2 that just balances the diffusion rate and plant usage and maintains 7.0 +/- 0.2 (higher in the daytime when plants are using CO2, lower at night when plants and fish respire CO2). These p H swings have caused no problems with fish ranging from discus to angels to rainbowfish to small tetras. Automatic An automatic system is great if you can afford it. A controller costs around $250-300 and the solenoid is another $60. Electrodes must be cleaned every few months and replaced every 18 months or so ($40). But a controller will keep the p H very stable. We use electronic controllers to maintain a stable p H on most of our tanks. The controller measures the p H with a special electrode. If the p H is above the desired "set point", the controller turns on the CO2 to lower the p H. When the p H gets below the set point, the CO2 is turned off. Since CO2 will try to equilibrate with the atmosphere, it will slowly diffuse out of the water (and be used by plants), again raising the p H. So the p H will slowly go back and forth from 6.85 to 6.95. In another tank with a cheaper controller, it goes from 6.80 to 7.00. Note that the automatic controllers are not perfect in that the probe can get out of calibration and return incorrect values to the controller. We check p H monthly with a good test kit to check the controller and probe calibration. What are "CO2 reactors" and why are they needed? There are all kinds of ways to get the CO2 into the water. Some are very efficient (and may need a controller to avoid large fluctuations) and some are less efficient, wasting CO2 but providing a margin of safety. The basic idea is to get the CO2 bubbles in the water and keep them in contact with the water as long as possible. The simplest method is to bubble CO2 from an airstone on the bottom of the aquarium and have the CO2 bubbles come up below a powerhead or filter outlet so they get pushed around the aquarium. Get a good airstone so the bubbles are as fine as possible. The CO2 can also be directed into the intake of a canister filter, giving it plenty of time to mix before it comes out the outlet. One of our tanks has the CO2 bubbling into the intake of an Eheim canister filter. This works fine but is not as efficient as a purpose-built CO2 reactor. A CO2 reactor is nothing more than a device to mix CO2 and water. We use Dupla reactors in our trickle filter sumps but almost anything that will allow the CO2 and water to mix will work. The idea is to work out a "counter current" situation where water flows from top to bottom in a large tube and CO2 bubbles up against the water flow. You may be able to adapt a cheap protein skimmer for this purpose. A very nice reactor can be made from a spare powerhead and parts you may have in your junk drawer. This uses the "counter current" principle. The gravel tube from a Python water changer is connected to the outlet of a powerhead with a short piece of 5/8" hose. To keep fish out of the powerhead, a Magnum inlet strainer is used on the powerhead inlet. At the bottom of the gravel tube, an airstone is connected to the CO2 airline. In operation, the powerhead moves water down through the gravel tube. The CO2 bubbles coming from the airstone rise against this current and collect at the top of the tube. When the system is balanced, there is about 1/2" of free CO2 at the top of the tube. Of course, this whole assembly is in the aquarium. The CO2 flow is easy to adjust since you can see the bubbles coming from the airstone. See Figure 1.---------- | small |------------------ |powerhead| = = = = = | <- Magnum strainer | |------------------ --------- | | | | ---- ---- | | <- free CO 2 |............| | o | | o | | o | <- Python gravel tube | o | | o o | | o | | o_ o | | | |o | | | | | CO2 in | | | | I | I | I I I \______________/The injector is relatively efficient. Not much CO2 gets away in the form of free bubbles and a good level of CO2 can be maintained in the aquarium. Can CO2 injection be used with under gravel filters? Certainly! What you don't want to use, however, are airstones to drive the UGF -- powerheads are the preferred method. The turbulence caused by the bubbles on the surface will greatly increase the rate at which CO2 diffuses into the atmosphere. In general, an aquarium with CO2 injection should not have a lot of surface turbulence. Likewise, if your canister filter has a "spray bar", move it under water and point it towards the bottom to avoid a lot of turbulence. The "water fall" return from various power filters will not cause much loss of CO2. I've been told that I can't use CO2 injection because my trickle filter will strip it from the water. Hogwash! Trickle filters work just fine with CO2 injection. The only change you may need to make is to not inject air into the media chamber. The slight pressure caused by an air pump will tend to push CO2 out of the chamber and cause some loss. The bacteria will get plenty of oxygen from the air being pulled down the inlet tube (that's the rushing noise you hear). As a matter of fact, a trickle filter is the perfect place to put your CO2 reactor!Is there a way to tell if CO2 will help me without going to all the expense of the CO2 bottle and regulator? Yes, you can generate CO2 cheaply by using a yeast fermentation method. Thus will give you a relatively constant source of CO2 for a period of about 3-4 weeks that will be sufficient for smaller tanks (less than 50 gallons). If your plants perk up after a few days, you will then know that CO2 was your limiting factor. To make the yeast fermenter, start with a 2 liter plastic soda bottle. Poke a hole in the cap so that a piece of rigid plastic aquarium airline will just fit through. Glue a short length of the airline into the hole using silicon sealer. Cut the end of the airline that goes in the bottle at a 45 degree angle to allow any moisture to drip off. See Figure 2. Add 2 cups of sugar, 1 tsp of bakers yeast and 1 tsp of baking soda to the bottle then fill it to within 3" of the top with luke warm water (80 degrees F). Cap it with a spare cap (without a hole!) and shake it until the sugar dissolves. Put the cap with the airline on the bottle and use flexible airline to connect the fermenter to a reactor as mentioned above. There may not be enough pressure to use an airstone -- if so, just bubble it directly into whatever you're using. However, enough pressure can build up in the bottle to burst it or pop the cap off and spray a sugary mess around your room, so don't block the outlet of the bottle! It is best to place the fermenter above water level so that water will not siphon back into the bottle if the fermentation should stop for some reason. More information about this method is described in Karen Randall's article in the May 1997 Aquarium Fish Magazine. [Thanks to David Webb (dwebb@ti.com) for this information about yeast fermenters]What precautions should be taken? There are two concerns with CO2. One is that high concentrations in the air can cause asphyxiation and can kill you. This could happen if all the CO2 in the bottle suddenly escaped in an enclosed space and you were trapped in there. How could this happen? The CO2 in the bottle is in liquid form because it is under very high pressure (around 1000 pounds per square inch, depending on temperature). The bottle itself has a safety valve that will open if the pressure in the bottle gets too high. This can happen if the bottle gets hot or if it is overfilled. Overfilling is a serious problem. When the CO2 goes into the bottle, it is in a very cold liquid state and makes the bottle very cold. The bottles are designed such that there is space at the top when they are filled to their proper weight. This space will be filled with pressurized gas when the bottle is at room temperature. If too much liquid is put in the bottle, this space will be too small and too much pressure will develop when the bottle warms up, causing the safety valve to release. When the valve opens, all the CO2 will escape very rapidly. This can have two effects. If it happens in your car on the way home, your car will suddenly be filled with a CO2 cloud, your windows will frost up and you will be startled by the loud noise. This is clearly dangerous if the car is moving. You can also be asphyxiated if you don't stop and get out quickly. Because of this, you should always transport the filled CO2 bottle in your trunk or in the back of a pickup truck. The other concern is also related to the sudden release of the high pressure in the bottle. If the bottle is unsecured and the safety valve releases or if the bottle falls over and the valve is broken off, the bottle can become an unguided missile! There have been reports of a broken bottle flying through a house and punching through walls. For this reason, it is a good idea to secure the bottle with straps when it is in use. I use a Velcro strap fixed to the aquarium cabinet. It should be obvious from the above that the CO2 bottle should always be upright when being transported and when in use. The regulator is designed to deal with a gas and will not work if the liquid CO2 gets into it.  . Nitrate Reduction Test Nitrate broth is used to determine the ability of an organism to reduce nitrate (NO3) to nitrite (NO2) using the enzyme nitrate reductase. It also tests the ability of organisms to perform nitrification on nitrate and nitrite to produce molecular nitrogen. Nitrate broth contains nutrients and potassium nitrate as a source of nitrate. After incubating the nitrate broth, add a dropperful of sulfanilic acid and α-naphthylamine. If the organism has reduced nitrate to nitrite, the nitrites in the medium will form nitrous acid. When sulfanilic acid is added, it will react with the nitrous acid to produce diazotized sulfanilic acid. This reacts with the α-naphthylamine to form a red-colored compound. Therefore, if the medium turns red after the addition of the nitrate reagents, it is considered a positive result for nitrate reduction. If the medium does not turn red after the addition of the reagents, it can mean that the organism was unable to reduce the nitrate, or it could mean that the organism was able to denitrify the nitrate or nitrite to produce ammonia or molecular nitrogen. Therefore, another step is needed in the test. If the medium does not turn red after the addition of the nitrate reagents, add a small amount of powdered zinc. Be careful, as powdered zinc is hazardous! If the tube turns red after the addition of the zinc, it means that unreduced nitrate was present. Therefore, a red color on the second step is a negative result. The addition of the zinc reduced the nitrate to nitrite, and the nitrite in the medium formed nitrous acid, which reacted with sulfanilic acid. The diazotized sulfanilic acid that was thereby produced reacted with the α-naphthylamine to create the red complex. If the medium does not turn red after the addition of the zinc powder, then the result is called a positive complete. If no red color forms, there was no nitrate to reduce. Since there was no nitrite present in the medium, either, that means that denitrification took place and ammonia or molecular nitrogen were formed. Important: We do not use Durham tubes in our nitrate broth.  Aquarium nitrogen cycle & cycling a fish tank Articles Setting up an aquarium Water quality Aquarium nitrogen cycle & cycling a fish tank February 16, 2013After setting up your aquarium it can very tempting to immediately head to the pet store and buy a bunch of fish. Unfortunately, if you do this, you’ll often find your new aquarium inhabitants upside down within a week. This is something that happens to many new aquarists. It can be very demotivating to have all your fish die almost instantly, but fortunately these unnecessary fish deaths can easily be prevented by cycling your aquarium. All new aquariums go through a stage where they are a toxic, extremely dangerous environment for any live animal before turning into a healthy system. During the ‘toxic’ stage, beneficial bacteria colonies that can turn wastes into less harmful substances establish in the filter and gravel, but unfortunately, they take a while to do so. This is called the nitrogen cycle. To understand when your aquarium is ready to add fish and what you should do if you’ve already introduced them, it’s important to know what the nitrogen cycle is first. Keep reading for more info on the nitrogen cycle or skip to how to cycle an aquarium. The nitrogen cycle The nitrogen cycle and the growth of beneficial bacteria are triggered by the presence of ammonia (NH3), which is released into the aquarium water as soon as fish feces, uneaten fish foods and rotten plants start breaking down. Ammonia is very toxic to all aquarium inhabitants, and thus, ammonia levels should be kept at 0 ppm (parts per million) at all times if there are fish in the tank. This is where the cycling process comes in. Water test results from a cycling tank after 1,5 weeks. Left-right: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. If you introduce fish in an uncycled aquarium and test the water regularly, you will notice the ammonia levels rising around the third or fourth day. Nitrifying bacteria species, often called ‘beneficial bacteria’ by aquarists, will now start to do their job. As the bacteria settle in the filter and gravel of your tank and start eating the ammonia, you will notice nitrite (NO2) levels rising. Nitrite, which is a by-product of the ammonia-eating bacteria, is also very toxic to fish and can kill/permanently damage them even at very low levels. Luckily, a second colony of bacteria should now start forming. Nitrites will be converted to much less toxic nitrates by this second colony. Nitrates are the final product of the cycle, and will stay present in the aquarium unless a water change is done. Plants also use nitrates as nutrients, but they are no replacement for regular tank maintenance. As soon as nitrates are present in the aquarium and ammonia and nitrite levels have dropped to 0 ppm, the aquarium is ‘cycled’. This means that after a water change is done to reduce the nitrate levels to <30, fish can safely be introduced. You may now run out to the store (just don’t introduce too many fish at once). How to cycle an aquarium There are several ways to cycle an aquarium; most involve introducing ammonia in the tank to trigger the growth of beneficial bacteria colonies. I recommend getting a water testing kit before starting the cycle – this way you can monitor the water values and determine in which stage of the cycle the aquarium is. A liquid tester like the API Freshwater Master Test Kit is much more accurate than test strips and cheaper in the long run as it can last you many years. Cycling with fish: not a good idea The oldest and most common way to cycle an aquarium is cycling with fish. This means some cheap fish are put in the tank so the ammonia they excrete starts the cycle. It is often recommended by pet stores because it means extra profit for them when fish die, but cycling an aquarium this way actually takes a long time, requires a lot of water changes to keep the fish alive and usually permanently damages or kills the fish used. Luckily, there are plenty of cruelty-free and easier ways to cycle an aquarium. Cycling with food As mentioned earlier, uneaten fish food is broken down into ammonia, which is exactly what we want in this case. A large, uncooked prawn or fish food is added to the tank and left there to decay until the tank is cycled, and that’s it. This method is not entirely risk free, because rotting food often attracts unwanted bacteria and turns the tank water very dirty. A big (90-100%) water change should always be done before introducing fish to a tank cycled this way. Cycling with ammonia Pure household ammonia is sold in garden stores and some supermarkets as a cleaning product. Ammonia is also sold in smaller containers specifically for aquarium use by several brands, such as this one. Add about a drop of ammonia per gallon of tank water. After ammonia levels drop to zero, repeat this and wait until ammonia and nitrites are both at zero. Your aquarium is now ready for fish. A large water change should be done to lower the nitrates to <30 ppm before introducing them, and if you’re not ready to introduce them yet, be sure to keep adding ammonia to prevent your beneficial bacteria from starving. Seeding the filter Using cycled filter media that already has the right beneficial bacteria colonies in it can quick-start the cycle in your aquarium. This way you can add fish instantly, but you do run the risk of introducing any diseases or pests from the ‘donor’ tank into the new one. If you don’t own a cycled aquarium, you can ask friends who own an established tank or pet/aquarium stores – they might be able to supply you with some seeding material. Use the media as quickly as possible – it should be transported in some water from the tank it was in and it should never sit for more than ~1 hour before it is put in the new tank’s main filter or a separate one. If you need to let the used media sit for a longer time, put an air stone into the bucket to provide the beneficial bacteria with oxygen and flowing water and prevent them from dying. Bottled bacteria Filter bacteria can be bought from pet-/aquarium stores in a bottle. It is recommended to always check the expiration date on these products as they can usually only be stored for about a year, and to keep them in a cool, dark place like the fridge (not the freezer!). Don’t assume you can add fish right away: these products are best used as a ‘kickstart’ for your cycle so the process doesn’t take as long. They do work, though, especially when combined with a high quality water conditioner like Seachem Prime to remove traces of ammonia and nitrite.first tank setup by fellowapeman Cycling your aquarium before adding any fish is one of the most important steps to achieve a healthy little ecosystem, and it’s one you should never skip. The ammonia and nitrite spikes that result from failing to properly cycle an aquarium cause fish death and weeks/months of trouble, constant water changes, having to buy expensive products, and can completely ruin the hobby for you. If you have any more questions about cyling an aquarium or if you have something to add to this article, be sure to leave a comment below. Happy fishkeeping!Join the mailing list!Email Address First Name Subscribe Share this:aquarium cycling aquarium nitrogen cycle nitrogen cycle aquarium47 Comments Mari Founder & admin of Aquariadise, aquarium enthusiast and writer of many articles. You Might Also Like Caresheet: Bronze Corydoras | Corydoras aeneus November 8, 2015Aquariadise presents: the best beginner fish May 26, 2013Caresheet: Red-chinned Panchax | Epiplatys dageti October 25, 201447 Comments Reply Laurie March 27, 2018 at 2:28 pm Hello. 2 days ago I purchased a 5 gallon tank. 1 betta and 3 guppies. I was told this would work well for this tank. After reading your article which I should have done first…. I realized the tank needed to be cycled first. I was told as long as I used bottle water to fill the tank I wouldn’t need to do anything. Yesterday before work I accidentally dumped too much food in the tank and when I got home it was pretty cloudy. I siphoned out about 1.5 gallons and sucked out the food waste and it does seem better but because it was not cycled I am afraid they will die. They seem healthy but the tank was only set up Sat night and it’s tues morning. What can I do to help the water so they will not die? I’m going to look into a second tank for the guppies since this site states they should not be roomies with the betta but that will take time. They don’t seem stressed. I bought them decorations they can hide in but they don’t use them much. I just don’t want the beauties to die. Reply Mari March 27, 2018 at 9:13 pm Hi!So sorry to hear you were misinformed, that’s terrible. Glas you’re trying to fix things now, though, I hope it’s not too late yet. If they’re all still doing okay you can hopefully get them through the cycling stage. What you’ll need to do is buy a liquid test kit (there’s a link in this article). Yes, I know they’re more expensive than strips, but they’re also way more accurate and you really need one. If you don’t have one yet you also need to get a filter ASAP. Heater too. Lastly, you’re going to need a water conditioned to remove chlorines and heavy metals from your tap water. Then, it’s time for the water changes. I’d say about 25% daily, be sure to match the temperatures. You also check the water daily using the liquid test kit. As soon as you see ammonia or nitrites, do an extra water change. You’ll have to continue doing this until you’re getting nitrate readings but no ammonia or nitrite. Unfortunately due to the water changes this is going to take longer to achieve than it normally would – 6 weeks or more wouldn’t surprise me. Again, good job on doing your research and I hope your fish pull through If you need anuy more help feel free to let me know. Reply Jess February 15, 2018 at 12:31 pm Hello from London,UKWe have inherited 2 ordinary goodies in their titchy 20l tank with plastic plants and garish pink gravel. They are about 10cm long and healthy but the tank is way too small for them. I have bought a new Juwel 120l Lido aquarium with the most impressive folder I have ever seen (has been many year since I kept fish, and back then this sort of tank/filter didn’t even exist). Status: I am cycling the new aquarium. It has been 3 days. In it we have a few living plants, aquarium freshwater sand (very well rinsed – took me a whole day! ), the new filter, and I treated all the new water with Tetra Aquasafe, so there is no chlorine to damage any beneficial bacteria. I have a piece of bogwood and a lovely big root in there too (all fully rinsed in plain water and bought from aquarium shop) in there too. This morning, the water is slightly milky in hue, which I am guessing is the new bacterial bloom starting to emerge. Since turning there aquarium lights on a few hours ago, the milkiness has gone down. The water test I just performed was as follows: p H 7.5-8 Nitrite 0.5 Nitrate 80 Water hardness is high – London tap water is, but I have read that goldies are ok with this (their established tank also has roughly the same). Today I also put a piece of filter substrate from the established goldie tank, as well as a bit of their dirty gravel, and a plastic plant (!) all of which I am assuming have some beneficial bacteria clinging to them, inside a mesh bag, which is hanging under the surface of the water in the new aquarium. I am hoping this will add beneficial bacteria to the environment, which will help the filter along – I am correct? !The new aquarium light has been on for about 10 hrs/day so far and the plants look happy. Question (sorry, I wanted to give the full picture first! ): am I doing everything right? Will adding some of the old tank’s substrate help the cycling process of the new tank? I can see the nitrate is currently high – should it be around 40 or less, before I introduce our 2 goldies to their new home? Does the nitrite have to be at 0 before the aquarium is ready? And lastly (sorry! ), can the beneficial bacteria needed to colonise the filter and cycle the aquarium, be present in the new environment via plants etc, without introducing any bacteria like I have done? One fish shop told me that unless I add bacterial startup (quite expensive, from their shop), I will never get the bacteria I need and the other fish shop told me the exact opposite – that I can cycle the water without any seeding required, in 3 days, just with the use of Aquasafe!I will keep testing and will not transfer the fish until I am 100% certain they’ll be ok. If there is anything else I should be doing, I’d be really grateful for any tips – thank you Reply Mari February 15, 2018 at 3:13 pm Hi!So great to hear you’re really doing your best to give these goldies the best home you can offer! Do keep in mind that they will outgrow this tank pretty soon if they are common goldfish, they are pond fish. You should ideally transfer them to a pond this summer to prevent issues. Now as for your questions: it seems like you’re doing everything right and there must already be some cycling action going on in there if you’re seeing nitrites already. Some old tank substrate can help, but filter material usually works best if you really want to kickstart things. It’s not absolutely necessary to add pre-cycled things to your tank, though – see below. It just speeds things up. Your nitrites (and ammonia) should be at 0 before you introduce any livestock, both are very toxic. The nitrates should ideally be 20 or less, so you should do a very large water change before you introduce the fish. As for your last question, both fish shops were wrong. The beneficial bacteria you need don’t have to be added manually – even if you cycle with no plants or any other added stuff they’ll still multiply and colonize your filter. You just need the ammonia to kickstart the cycle. Some products like Aquasafe help your cycling process but they really won’t get your cycle ready to go in just three days unfortunately. All in all, you seem to be doing very well and things should go smoothly if everything continues like this. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!Reply Jess February 15, 2018 at 4:05 pm Many thanks for replying so fast, Mari. It (nearly!) all makes sense except for the large water change bit (before I introduce the goldies)…why do I need a large water change, when at the point of introducing them, the water won’t have had any fish/waste in it yet? Sorry, I don’t understand!I did add some filter material, but in my mesh bag, not inside the new filter itself (The Juwel ones are very compact and organised in such a way that I wouldn’t be able to add extra stuff easily). Is that still ok? Nitrates at less than 20?! My goodness, that’ll take a while…I never imagined I could put them into their new tank after 3 days…but I’m hoping it won’t take months either! !Many thanks for your time, Jess Reply Mari February 15, 2018 at 7:14 pm Hi!You do the large water change to remove the nitrates. They don’t lower by themselves – only water changes can lower them, which is necessary as they’re harmful to fish. That being said, in response to your other question, 80ppm is definitely high after 3 days. Have you tested your tap water? Either you’ve added a bit too much ammonia or your tap water nitrates are high, which would be a problem. As for the filter material, I think that would work. Putting it in the filter is probably best, but it’ll still be helpful this way. I hope this clears up your confusion about the nitrates! As long as your tap water nitrates aren’t super high you can just lower them easily with that large water change, so you don’t have to wait for them to go down. It’s the nitrites that need to be at 0 naturally before you can add fish, not the nitrates.good luck Jess February 16, 2018 at 9:05 am Thanks Mari – I haven’t added any ammonia (I don’t have any). Apparently I read that our London tap water is a max of 50 ppm of nitrate maximum allowed. Yes, I am aware that it is the nitrite and not the nitrate that ought to be at zero, before introducing fish – I am just wondering how my nitrate is 80ppm after 3 days in a fish-less tank, with virtually no ammonia…I guess it’s because the full bacterial cycle hasn’t been set up yet. I did what you suggested an managed to find an air gap in my filter, then stuck the old filter substrate into it. By the way, is there something I can add to my tank to reduce nitrate at all? In case my tap water is just high all the time and meaning a large water change wouldn’t have the desired effect? I looked at the back of my Tetra Aquasafe bottle and it doesn’t seem to do anything to nitrates, only to chlorine etc. Thank you again for answering all these questions. By the way – I have kept tropical fish before for about 15 years in London and my current goldies are living in the same tap water – there were/are looking very healthy. Mari February 17, 2018 at 7:09 pm So you haven’t added any ammonia and your nitrates are at 80ppm? That’s odd. Have you tested the tap water yet? Either it’s that or your nitrate test might not be working correctly – I know some people have reported issues with some nitrate tests as described here, so be sure to look into that. Ammonia is what’s converted into nitrate, so if there isn’t really any ammonia I wouldn’t expect much nitrate unless it’s caused by tap water or a “broken” tes kit. There are some things you can use to combat high nitrates. It’s a good idea to use plants; because goldfish will eat most plants, you could try terrestrial plants like Pothos. Just hang a vine in your tank and it will start growing roots and sucking up nitrate soon enough. Just plants likely won’t be enough, though, unfortunately. If your tap water is really that high then you might need to use RO/DI water or try products like Seachem de*nitrate or Purigen. I don’t have experience with those last two but from what I’ve gathered they might be helpful. This will be especially important while the goldfish are still in the tank (hopefully not too long) as their bioload is too large for this water volume and you’re going to be doing lots of water changes and battling those nitrates. Hope that helps a little, good luck!Reply Jess February 15, 2018 at 4:26 pm Sorry, one last question. My aquarium is only three days old, so how come the nitrate level is so high (80ppm)? Thanks, Jess Reply Javier Carbajal February 1, 2018 at 8:36 pm Hi i was wondering if you could help me. I been cycling my tank (29 gallons) since December 24, 2017. I haven’t done many water changes, maybe 3 times, and i am not sure if i am supposed to. Please help me my readings are still showing high nitrates and nitrites and some ammonia. I really don’t know know what to do. Reply Mari February 1, 2018 at 9:33 pm Hi! That sounds like a relatively long cycling process, although the water changes might have slowed it – you usually only do a water change at the end unless you’re cycling with fish. How did you start the cycle? The fact that nitrates are present means something is definitely going right, it’s just odd that there’s still ammonia and nitrite present. Did you start it with food? Anything rotting in there can cause ammonia. Reply Harley July 20, 2017 at 3:07 am I’ve been cycling my tank for about a month. I’ve watched the Ammonia levels go to 0, then the nitrite rise, then go to 0 and the nitrate rise. But now I’m testing my tank and they all say 0. I have no fish in yet but wondering what happened and am I going to have to cycle everything again or is it safe to add fish? Reply Mari July 23, 2017 at 11:49 am Hi! That’s strange. Have you been continuously adding small amounts of ammonia? The bacteria do need new “food” to stay alive. If you haven’t done so yet I would add a bit of ammonia and test after that to see what happens. I suspect you’ll find you still have a cycle going on in these but it’s always good to test. Hope that helps!Reply Aly-AMarch 30, 2017 at 7:48 am Hello! I just got a betta fish about a week and a half ago and Im having some issues… The first day I brought it home I put him in a temporary tank which was a bowl, the next day I bought him a 2.5g tank and set it up with few decorations and a filter, no heater yet, I immediately put it inside (which from reading this article wasn’t the best idea) but he was doing just fine, he loved his new home and would always swim around and he was eager to eat, three days ago I did his first 25% water change, I used tap water and it was a little warmer thank the water in his tank, I put some conditioner and let it sit for a coupke of minutes while I cleaned the decorations and waste at the bottom of the tank, then I poured the water in and even bought him a heater and changed his food to something better (he had the food that comes with the Aqueon Betta Bow 2.5 tank and thought it was bad quality for him) and he liked it the first time he ate it, but the next day I noticed he was less energetic and would not swim around.. He now sits at the bottom of the tank and barely moves.. I probably did something wrong but don’t know how to fix it.. I don’t think is temp shock and today I tried giving him hisnold food but he would spit it out, even the new one, I noticed the water is a little blurrier than before the water change… I feel like the water was cleaner before the change… I do not own a water testing kit, and if I have to cycle the water where could I keep my fish? Help please.. Reply Mari March 30, 2017 at 10:00 am Hello! I’m the same person that answered your asks on Tumblr. It does definitely sound like the problem is caused by the uncycled tank. 2.5 gallons is, in my opinion, also too small for a Betta and it’s difficult to sustain a stable cycle in these tanks if you’re a beginner. However, it is theoretically possible. To get things back in order, order a liquid water test kit that at least contains tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and p H; the Freshwater Master Test Kit is around $20 on Amazon. Having a test kit like this is essential if you want an aquarium. Do large water changes (80-100%) daily while taking care to match the temperature and acclimate the fish VERY carefully until you can start the process below: What I would do if I had to cycle while the fish was already there is move the fish to a food-safe (Sterilite) tub and then follow the steps from this article in the main tank. In the mean time, I’d do 90-100% water changes daily or every other day on the tub depending on its size (the larger the better) – again, ACCLIMATE. This is VERY stressful for the fish so do things as carefully as possible. Then, once the main tank is cycled (which you can determine using your liquid test kit), carefully move the fish back in there. Another entirely different option would be fish-in cycling as described at the bottom of this post, but it’s not the method I would go with. In any case, either method is very risky which is why it’s important to cycle beforehand – something many beginning fishkeepers don’t do because no pet store takes the time to tell them it’s necessary. Does that all make sense? Reply Aly-AMarch 30, 2017 at 5:06 pm It does. Although its all very delicate, but I understand and I appreciate the time you take to help me. About how many days would it take for the tank to be cycled? And do I need to add anything to the tank’s water or just let it be? Reply Mari March 30, 2017 at 9:49 pm The amount of days it can take varies greatly; it can take up to four weeks or maybe even a little longer if you’re unlucky. You got a bit of a head start so that might help. You don’t have to add anything or do any water changes until the tank has been cycled – besides ammonia, that is (as described in the article). Good luck! I hope your fish pulls through. Aly-AMarch 30, 2017 at 10:01 pm Thank you so much! But Im not sure if I should change the water because I just noticed he’s got fin rot, is not too bad but I don’t want it to continue so Idk what you would recommend me in this case.. Reply Ashley January 26, 2017 at 9:13 pm Hi there, I recently purchased a blue dwarf crayfish online (can’t be sold in pet stores here in Nevada) and because I have never owned a major aquarium I didn’t really look into the car until it arived. (Not the smartest move) right now it has been in its little bag with a live plant for eating for its second day. I’m not sure if this will end up being bad for him since I started cycling when he arived. There was originally 1 crayfish in my tank before, but only for a day. I checked the ammonia and it is not very high, it’s at a .5. Will it be bad to continue leaving the crayfish in the bag? And if so how long will it take for my tank to be ready? Iv added a very young small amount of fish flanks when I first started cycling and and so added healthy bacteria bought from the pet store and and did one small water change of about 15%-20% of the water. Reply Mari January 27, 2017 at 1:35 pm Hi,I’d move the crayfish to a food-safe (Sterilite) tub and do regular water changes (frequency depends on the size of the tub) until the main tank is ready. Ammonia will quickly build up in the bag so that’s not ideal at all, especially since cycling can take up to 3-4 weeks. Be sure to cycle as described in this article to make sure the tank is ready as quickly as possible. I hope that helps. Good luck!Reply Jessica June 22, 2016 at 7:51 pm I have a 150 gallon tank that I’m trying to prepare to set up. TRYING. I plan on getting Orandas. I called a local pet store (Petsmart) to find out about cycling and some information about drift wood curing- the lady I spoke with said that if I bought water conditioner I would not need to cycle. Is this the bottled bacteria method of cycling? I know big brand pet stores aren’t the best to get trusty info from but there are no privately owned stores here. Are there any major tips and downfalls to the goldfish varieties? Also what are your thoughts on driftwood vs foe coral for gold fish varieties. Reply Mari June 26, 2016 at 9:23 pm Hello! Apologies for the delayed reply, although I assume you’re still in the middle of the cycling process and haven’t bought fish yet. Great to hear you’re doing your research and have gotten a nice big tank. I would definitely try to understock it so the fish have all the room they need to grow. I would personally probably only go for about four goldfish in a 150 gallon. The lady in the pet store was very incorrect. Water conditioner is needed to remove harmful chemicals such as chlorine from tap water and some types are indeed effective in removing ammonia as well. However, this is just temporary and not sustainable like actually cycling the tank. You’ll need a product like Quick Start if you want to kickstart the cycle, but even then I definitely wouldn’t recommend adding fish right away. As for goldfish varieties, I used to have an oranda but it unfortunately passed away due to swim bladder issues. They are lovely fish but if you get young ones it can be a little difficult to see whether they will end up with a monstrously huge wen. I personally prefer the ones that are a little less extreme! It’s also easier to buy adult fish because there is less chance of hidden issues that come up once the fish ages, but they are definitely a little more expensive. If there’s any possibility to do so, I would avoid buying goldfish from big brand pet stores – the stock is often of bad quality and it’s so discouraging to immediately have to deal with diseases etc. Try finding a local goldfish breeder/importer or a site like Dandy Oranda’s/Raingarden Goldfish, they ship goldfish throughout the US. I love driftwood in goldfish tanks, but definitely make sure it has no sharp edges because these fish are mega clumsy. Spider wood, for example may not be ideal, something like Mopani wood is probably a better idea. If you haven’t had a look yet be sure to check out the goldfish category here on Aquariadise, there are a few articles in there that might be helpful in your research. Good luck!Reply Sam barker April 1, 2016 at 9:17 am Hi there, Would appreciate some advice, Have a tank that I set up bought some safe start as it said would cycle my tank immediatly making it safe for fish. Left it 2 days before putting in a couple of guppy. I then bought a test kit it’s been 10 days since fish went in and my test results are ammonia 0.2 (these have dropped from 0.5) nitrite 0.25 ( have also dropped from 0.5) nitrate has stayed at 5 from when I started testing. I read online not to do a water change while the tank is cycling with bottled bacteria as it can interrupt the cycle but unsure if these levels are safe for the fish? The test kit indicates danger at a higher level but dont want the fish to be uncomfortable, do these results show it’s cycling at all? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards Sam Reply Mari April 3, 2016 at 12:07 pm Hello,Oh dear, products like safe start do help kick start your cycle but if it says it will instantly cycle your tank that’s not really true. It seems your tank is cycling, but there may not be enough beneficial bacteria to deal with the guppy waste yet (this can also be caused or made worse by a tank that’s too small – at least 15 gallons for guppies! )I would definitely start doing water changes. It does disrupt the cycling process, but that’s the annoying part about fish-in cycling: to prevent the fish from getting hurt, you have to constantly disrupt the process which can cause it to take much longer than cycling without fish. I don’t have a fish-in cycling guide, but there is one here (just scroll down to the fish-in cycling part). You’re not in the worst possible situation right now because the tank is already partially cycled, but it could take a while for everything to become stable. I hope that helps! Just be sure to cycle your tank beforehand next time, products like safe start can help speed up the process but it’s not a good idea to completely depend on them. Reply Sam barker April 3, 2016 at 3:16 pm Hi ok I guess it’s a learning curve and I won’t be so niave in future Lol. Thanks so much for the advice I will start water changes ASAP, what % and how often would you recommended? Sam Reply Mari April 3, 2016 at 3:56 pm It’s definitely a learning curve for every aquarist, such a pity there’s so much bad info out there. I’d suggest sticking with the instructions from the article I linked to – 25% change daily until everything is stable. Good luck!Reply Paul Smith April 18, 2016 at 10:51 am Hi, been cycling a new setup, 25 gallon low tech planted. I got Ammonia and nitrite readings around day 7,1 ppm and 0.75 ppm respectively. Ammonia dropped to 0 within 2 days and nitrite after 5. Meanwhile I was picking up nitrates at low levels, 0.1-0.3. I did a partial change, 30%, and swished out the filter media. The day after, my ammonia and nitrate readings came back up to 0.5 and 0.4 ppm, and nitrate raised a little also. since then ammonia is back to zero but nitrate remains at 0,25 and nitrates are barely present, < 0.1.my questions are –1. were my day 7 readings high enough to indicate a cycle? 2. Did i wash off too many bacteria swishing out, causing the tank to re-cycle? 3. I did not add fish food or ammonia (oversight) until day 7, but many of the plants were melting and i had a few tiny snails (~10mm). would this have been enough load to cycle? 4. Since day 7 I have daily dosed with fish food (flake), hoping to build up my colony. Is this sensible? 5. Finally, I have 2 big, large leaved java fern, 4 large anubias, 4 small pointy leaved crypts and 3 rotala rotundifolia. would these plants likely cause my nitrates to remain so low? Thanks so much for any advice on this. Reply Mari April 18, 2016 at 11:47 am Hi!It seems things were going well – is there a reason you swished out the filter media? That could indeed wash off bacteria and isn’t necessary during the cycling process. Water changes aren’t necessary either unless you’re cycling with fish. Your day 7 readings did indicate cycling, but they were very low and the cycle would probably not have been stable enough to sustain any fish. The melting of your plants and the snail poop likely caused the small ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings. What you’re doing now, doing with fish food, is a much better plan. You could also switch to dosing with ammonia as described in the article as a less “gross” method. Once you do that you should start to see higher ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings. The plants will likely suck up quite a bit of nitrate but I think you’ll still get higher readings than before. I hope that helps! If I was unclear anywhere feel free to ask any more questions. Reply Ginger January 29, 2016 at 5:43 am If I seed a tank, I can add fish the same day? Asking because I’d like to get my betta into his own tank ASAP so I can medicate him again. He’s in a 15g with some cories rn. Reply Mari January 29, 2016 at 7:54 am Hi! Sorry to hear you’re having problems with your betta. Seeding a tank usually doesn’t instant cycle it unless you move an entire cycled filter to it. I would allow at least a day or two to see to which degree the seeding has been successful and how the water values react (using your liquid water test kit). May I ask what’s wrong with your betta? Reply Shannon signal December 9, 2015 at 1:45 pm Hey I just upgraded to a 10 gallon from my 1 gallon. Unfortunately before I could move my betta he died. I had him for months and just found out his home was too small but it was too late not to mention I cleanse everything without soap which may have killed him. Well now I have a 10 gallon. It’s set up with water, sand, decorations and a hand made rock bridge. I put in aquasafe tap water conditioner and two days later added my snail that was with my betta. When can I add fish and what more is needed for my tank because 1 gallon to 10 is a big jump and I’m lost. 10 gallon was a gift so I didn’t do any research. Reply Mari December 9, 2015 at 8:46 pm Hi! Glad to hear you’re doing some research, but sorry about your betta The article you commented on contains all the information you need, but I understand it can all be a bit difficult to figure out if you’re not sure what to do yet! You have to get a filter and heater for the 10 gallon if you don’t already have these. They need to be turned on. You also need a liquid drop test kit like the freshwater master test kit, which seems to be most popular in the US. You use the test kit to keep a close eye on the water values and determine when the tank is ready for fish: it’s never the same so I can’t tell you an exact time frame, but it will usually be at least around three weeks. The cycling game then begins! How to cycle is described in the article super detailed, so that should help you. Don’t add any fish until that process has fully finished, or the tank won’t be safe. I hope that helps, but if you have any more questions feel free to ask. I listed a few articles below that might be helpful to you. Just keep reading, reading, reading and you’ll figure it out in no time. Be sure to let me know how things go, good luck How to care for a betta Betta tank inspiration What aquarium maintenance should you be doing? Equipment checklist8 easiest aquarium plants Reply Cliff October 21, 2015 at 1:47 pm Hi I put two newts in a 5.5 gallon fish tank . I didn’t cycle it sorry didnt know about cycling in till a few weeks ago. So i started to cycle my tank. It has been 12 days . I noticed my small newt always trying to get out buy scratching the glass not climbing on land? Didn’t think much of it. Then 2 days ago my big one starts scratching the glass and climbing on land/rocks. I have 4 1/2″ of water i drop it to 3 1/2″ and fill it back up to 4 1/2″ with reptisafe . Every other day for 12 days. I bought test stripes Walmart only hade stripes no kit. It said ammonia .25 nitrate 0 nitrite 10.0. So i did a half water change then another half change couple hours later.know it saying ammonia .25 nitrate 0 nitrite between 1.0 and 3.0 should i do more? Sorry killed one betta frome cleaning everything no soap with toothbrush. He lasted a year i didn’t now i was killing him. Some of his fines fell off not all put him in shallow dish.scales rased up like bine cone died in 3 days poor guy. I think he liked me little did he know i was killing. Reply Mari October 21, 2015 at 9:55 pm Hi, There’s a couple things wrong with your setup right now unfortunately. I’m not a newt expert at all, but a 5.5 gallon tank is much too small for them. I would recommend bringing the newts back to the store and then reading up on articles like these before starting with fish/amphibian keeping again! You really need to know how things work beforehand, as just winging it is not a great idea at all when live animals are involved. When you’re ready to set up an aquarium again, you can use the 5.5 for small inverts like dwarf shrimp or dwarf crayfish or a single betta fish. Nothing bigger, unfortunately! 5.5 gallons is really, really small. Good luck!Reply Cliff October 21, 2015 at 11:34 pm Well that not to good for my newts . I got them of e Bay i cant just send them back . Hope i can just do daily 25% water changes and everything works out. Reply Darcy October 15, 2015 at 1:17 am Hi there Iv recently set up my new 60 gallon tank with a used Aqua one 1000 canister filter. New substrate and rocks. My question is since I already have about 10 fish I am planning on transferring because of the filter can I add them all straight away or gradually? If so how many and how frequent? Reply Mari October 15, 2015 at 7:40 pm Hello! What a coincidence, I’m cycling a 60 gallon with a used canister filter as well. I don’t know what types of fish you keep, but transferring gradually would be great if the situation allows it! You could split it into three transferring moments with a week in between. As for the frequency, to figure that out you should just keep a close eye on the water levels: if the ammonia levels seem to remain at 0 where they should be, you can add the next “batch” of fish after a week or so. If there are fluctuations, wait until they are over to add more fish. I hope that helps a bit!Reply Mimi January 21, 2015 at 6:42 pm Hmm, I have a cycled tank already, but would like to move my tank critters (2 guppies and a CPO) to a larger tank (so from 20L to 60L). I added from the brand Tetra, their Easy Balance and Aqua Safe to the tap water in the new tank. Do I still have to cycle the tank first? And if I do, can I just put the used filter from the old tank into the new tank in order to get the good bacteria in the new one? Reply Mari January 21, 2015 at 7:46 pm You can put the filter from the old tank into the new tank to move the bacteria so you don’t have to cycle. You’ll have to add another filter as well, though, because one meant for a 20L tank won’t be enough for a 60L. Be sure to keep a super close eye on your cycle and do tests with a liquid test kit every day or every other day, because you will likely experience some cycle bumps! Good luck Reply Mimi January 22, 2015 at 5:49 pm Thanks for the response! I’ve put in the old filter cartridge into the new tank and will wait a few days so hopefully everything will work out! (oh, and the new tank came with it’s own filter, so not to worry )Reply Mari January 24, 2015 at 12:15 pm Great! Just be sure to test and retest before you move the critters over. Good luck Reply Alvin Yao October 5, 2014 at 5:15 am The leaves on my anubias have started to die, and they are rotting in my tank. I didn’t have time to cut them off, so when I tested the water in my aquarium, it had 0.5ppm amonia, and 0ppm nitrite. Since I have no fish in the tank, and already have beneficial bacteria in the tank, would this count as cycling the tank? Reply Mari October 5, 2014 at 1:48 pm If you already have beneficial bacteria in your tank I would assume it is already cycled. If not, then this would indeed likely produce some beneficial bacteria. I wouldn’t count it as “cycling”, though, as 0,5ppm ammonia isn’t that much and you wouldn’t have a stable nitrogen cycle. Reply Alvin Yao November 3, 2014 at 12:13 pm I used bacteria in a bottle which is supposed to make cycling alot faster. I added it on the first day I finished setting up my tank. The water was cloudy from shrimp soil. The media browned in the first couple of days. I only added fish a week later, and when the water was crystal clear. Ammonia was 0.5ppm and Nitrite was 0ppm. It continued to be like that for many days untill one day ammonia became 0. there was never a nitrite reading, ever. I think this is wierd. Is the combination of the rotting plant and shrimp soil for the first wek when I wasn’t checking for ammonia or nitrite that provided ammonia to feed the bacteria and keep it alive, and allow the bacteria to settle onto my filter mefrom starving? Reply Mari November 4, 2014 at 1:34 pm Interesting that you didn’t get a nitrite reading, although maybe depending on the kind of tests you used something went wrong. If there was “rotting” material in your tank I think that definitely played a role along with the bacteria in a bottle, although I can’t tell you anything for sure! For the tank to have cycled there must have been nitrite, but the test may not have picked it up. Reply Morgan Lefford June 16, 2014 at 5:28 am I was thinking about getting a betta and I’ve been researching. That being said, does a tank smaller than five gallons need to be cycled? And if not, why? Thanks!Reply Mari June 16, 2014 at 1:03 pm Tanks under 5 gallons do cycle, they just don’t hold the cycle as well: if there’s a single piece of food decomposing in a 10 gallon, it probably won’t be a problem. There is a lot of water to dilute the ammonia that’s released and the larger amount of good bacteria can easily convert it. In a 2,5 gallon, the ammonia concentration will be much higher, there likely aren’t enough good bacteria and nitrite/ammonia spikes will occur. The whole cycle will be off, which can be fatal to your fish. Tanks < 5 gallons should be cycled as well, but ideally they shouldn't be used at all because it's so hard to maintain a stable cycle. I'd really recommend you go for at least a 5 gal (if you're worried about the costs, you can get them used really cheap), just to prevent any problems in the future. Experienced fishkeepers can usually keep bettas in slightly smaller tanks, but I personally don’t see why you’d want to. It’s more work, there’s a much higher risk of accidental fish death, it doesn’t look as nice and a 5 gal really doesn’t take up much space at all. Hope that clears things up for you! If you’re still interested in getting a betta, this article contains tons of info about proper betta setups. Good luck Leave a Reply Name *Email *Website  . Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why Itï¿½s Important)By unknown author Aquarium cycling is the process that is used to grow a colony of what is known as good bacteria, in an aquarium. Good bacteria is essential to all aquariums because it literally eats waste products, which would otherwise build up and injure, sicken, or kill the inhabitants (pets) in the aquarium. In a freshwater aquarium, there are two kinds of essential good bacteria. The first kind breaks ammonia down into nitrites, and the second kind breaks the nitrites down into nitrates. In the normal cycle, aquatic pets go to the bathroom in their own house. They urinate and excrete directly into the water. It would be the same as you or I urinating or excreting into the air, in our very own houses. For the aquarium inhabitants, the most harmful waste product is ammonia. Nitrites are also very harmful to the inhabitants, but not as harmful as ammonia. Nitrates, in large quantities, are also harmful to the inhabitants, but not nearly as harmful as either ammonia, or nitrites. It is important to cycle an aquarium before you add any aquatic pets that you have hope of keeping, in good health. This is important because in a brand new aquarium, there are not any good bacteria present. When the inhabitants urinate and excrete, the waste builds up much faster than good bacteria can grow, and ammonia and nitrites damage the gills of the inhabitants, and frequently kill the inhabitants before good bacteria can grow. Even if the inhabitants survive the ammonia and nitrite spikes which occur before cycling is complete, their gills may be damaged to the point that their lives are terribly painful, and unhealthy. There are many methods of cycling a new aquarium. Fishless cycling, Traditional cycling with ï¿½starter fish,ï¿½ and Accelerated cycling with commercial products are the three methods I will discuss. Whatever method you choose, there are things you can do to speed up the process.1. Run the aquarium at a high temperature, up in the low to mid eighties, Fahrenheit. Only do this if you have no pets in the aquarium which need lower temperatures. The higher temperature leads to faster cycling.2. Keep the tank only about 50-65% full. This creates a waterfall effect as the water leaves the filter, and when the water from the filter hits the surface of the aquarium water, there is a great deal of water turbulence, exposing more water to more air more quickly, and leading to increased oxygenation, and thus, faster cycling.3. Keep the aquarium light on 24 hours per day during cycling. Only do this if you have no pets in the aquarium which need less light, or which need darkness. The increased light leads to faster cycling.4. Use as many air stones and air pumps as you have access to, which will fit in the aquarium. Keep them all running all the time. This leads to increased oxygenation, which leads to faster cycling. Only do this if you have no pets in the aquarium which need calm, or still water.5. Keep the filter running the entire time the aquarium is undergoing the cycling process. This increases water flow, and insures that good bacteria build up in the filter material, both of which lead to faster cycling. I will tell you right now that I have a bias toward fishless cycling. I prefer it, and at the end of the section on fishless cycling, I will tell you the reasons why I prefer it. You will know when your aquarium has fully cycled, because you will have seen an ammonia spike and a nitrite spike, and you will have zero ammonia, and zero nitrites. Fishless cycling involves using household ammonia and borrowed good bacteria to initiate the cycle, without any aquatic pets in the aquarium. There should be no ingredients in the bottle of ammonia that is used for cycling, except ammonia, and/or ammonium hydroxide, and/or water. It should contain no perfumes, no coloration products, and no surfactants. The liquid should appear clear, and when you shake the bottle, there should be no fizzing or bubbling. I used Home Best Clear Ammonia, which I purchased at a Magruderï¿½s Grocery Store. You may not know the exact ratio of ammonia to water, in the bottle, because frequently the bottles do not have this information on the label. Not to worry. If the ingredients consist only of those listed above, you have the right stuff. The second thing you will need to initiate a fishless cycle is some seed bacteria. If you already have a healthy, cycled aquarium then that is the best place to steal some good seed bacteria from. If you do not have a healthy cycled aquarium, you may need to get some seed bacteria from someone who has a healthy cycled aquarium, or from your Local Fish Store. What you need is some gravel or substrate from a healthy aquarium (about as much as will fit into a plastic sandwich Ziploc type bag). It is also good to get some filter pinchings from the pouch in a hang-on-the-back filter, or filter floss or filter sponge or squeezings from a filter sponge, and some water, both from the same aquarium you got the gravel from. You will also need a testing kit for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. During a fishless cycle, the water should not be changed until the cycle is complete, and you are getting zero ammonia and zero nitrite readings. The only exception to this would be if you accidentally add too much ammonia during the process. If you accidentally do this, you will see either ammonia or nitrites off the charts at 6-8 ppm, and they wonï¿½t come down without a water change. So if this happens, do a 50% water change, and start the fishless cycle process over again. Or, if you know the error you made that caused you to add too much ammonia, calculate the number of drops you should be adding, and add that amount, according to the recipe, which follows, in the next paragraph. To perform a fishless cycle, add 95% of the seed gravel or other substrate from the healthy aquarium to the gravel or other substrate in your new aquarium. Then take the remaining 5% of the seed substrate material, and put it into a new nylon stocking, which you have pre-washed, in cold tap water. Then cut most of the stocking off, so you have a little stocking pouch, full of seed substrate material. Then tie the pouch closed, or seal it somehow, so you have a closed pouch of seed substrate material. If you are using a hang-on-the-back filter, drop this pouch of seed substrate material into the filter. Make sure the pouch does not stop water flow through the filter entirely. Then, add some filter material pinchings or squeezings into the water in the filter and into the water in the aquarium. Next, you will add ammonia. You will need to put the ammonia into a clean dropper bottle, if it didnï¿½t come in one. Label that dropper bottle immediately, with the word ï¿½AMMONIAï¿½ in capital letters. Simply add drops of ammonia until your ammonia reading goes up to 5.0 ppm, which is very high. It took me about 30 minutes of adding ammonia and then testing for ammonia and then adding drops and then testing for ammonia until I got the 5.0 ppm ammonia reading. Keep track of the total number of drops it took for you to get the desired 5.0 reading. After the first day in which you add ammonia, you should test for ammonia and nitrites every day. Then, every day, after testing for ammonia and nitrite, add the same number of drops of ammonia until you see a nitrite reading. On the first day that you actually see a nitrite reading, add half the number of drops of ammonia that you added on the first day, and keep adding that amount every day until you test and have zero ammonia and zero nitrites. At that point, you will need to do a massive water change. I did a 99% water change, and I still had to do a few more partial water changes the same day, to get rid of the high nitrates in the tank. A fishless cycle uses much more ammonia then would normally develop with other methods, and therefore the leftover nitrates can be quite high. My nitrate reading was 160 ppm when I was done with my first fishless aquarium cycle. Donï¿½t add any pets to the aquarium until your nitrate reading is 10 ppm or less. You can do multiple water changes in the same day, until the desired nitrate reading of 10 or less is achieved. This works because the good bacteria is in the substrate, and in the filter, and remains after the water change. When you have zero ammonia, zero nitrites, and 10 or less nitrates, your aquarium is fully cycled, and ready to house your aquatic pets. It took me three and a half weeks to accomplish my first fishless cycle. But someone who follows the above recipe, and uses all the tips to speed up the cycling process would probably be able to get it done in 2 weeks. The reasons why I prefer fishless cycling:1. Fishless cycling is faster than conventional cycling with fish. This is because in fishless cycling, much more ammonia is used than would be generated by the waste of fish. This leads to a faster build up of good bacteria in the aquarium.2. When you are finished with a fishless cycle, you can fully populate the aquarium with pets right away, without risk of ammonia and nitrite spikes. This is because in fishless cycling, much more ammonia is used than would be generated by the waste of fish. This leads to the growth of a much larger colony of good bacteria than would be grown by traditional cycling with fish. After a traditional cycle with fish, aquarists need to add their pets slowly, over time, to avoid adding too high of a bio-load too quickly and getting an ammonia spike or a nitrite spike. After a fishless cycle, the colony of good bacteria is large enough to fully populate the tank with inhabitants, right away.3. With fishless cycling, there is no need to kill, injure, sicken, or damage the gills of any ï¿½starterï¿½ fish. Itï¿½s just kinder. It is important to note here, that as a general rule, one should not add more than 1 inch of fish for every gallon of tank size. This is a general rule, for ï¿½thinï¿½ fish. If you have ï¿½fatï¿½ fish, you may need to add no more than half an inch of fish for every gallon of tank size. And if you have very large fish, like Oscars, you may need to have even less fish-inches per gallon of tank size. If you do overpopulate a fully cycled tank, then ammonia and nitrite will still build up, and injure, sicken, or kill the tankï¿½s inhabitants. Traditional cycling with fish involves getting usually 2-4 small, hardy, disposable fish, and putting them in a brand new tank. They are there to urinate and excrete into the water, and give the good bacteria food (waste) to dine on. This method of cycling typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. Many starter fish do not survive, and those that do often have no quality of life left. Their gills are damaged. After you have cycled traditionally, with fish, you can start to add pets to your aquarium, slowly, one or two inhabitants at a time. You would need to wait a few weeks after adding your first 1-2 inhabitants before adding the next 1-2 inhabitants. This prevents an ammonia spike or a nitrite spike, which could kill the inhabitants. For decades, traditional cycling with fish was the only common method used to cycle aquariums. It is a proven method, and it will work. In my opinion, it is just not the best, or most efficient, method. Accelerated cycling, enhanced with commercial products that claim to add good bacteria directly to the aquarium, and thereby cycle the aquarium overnight have been developed, and are now on the market. Bio Spira, from Marineworld Labs, and Cycle, from Hagen, are two of the most frequently used. Even though others have reported success with these products, I do not recommend them because I have never seen them work well. In sum, for the sake of your new aquatic friends, it is essential to fully cycle a new aquarium before adding the new inhabitants, in order to ensure their health, safety, comfort, and happiness. For the reasons outlined in this article, I recommend fishless cycling above all other methods, in conjunction with the five ways I mentioned to speed up the cycling process.  Drought Can Cause Early Calving Drought Can Cause Early Calving In drought, watch fall-calving cows early, says MU vet who studies nitrates.by Duane Dailey, University of Missouri Cooperative Media Group Owners of fall-calving cow herds should start watching early as calving time approaches, says a University of Missouri (MU) veterinarian. Drought stress and high nitrate levels in a cow's forage ration can trigger early calving, stillbirths and abortions. "Nitrates may be causing itty-bitty calves," says Tim Evans of the MU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Columbia. Evans wants the word out, he says, even though there have been many alerts about dangers of nitrates in drought-stricken feeds, particularly cornstalks, sorghum-Sudan grass, millet and even fescue pastures. While many crop-and-cow farmers may recognize nitrate dangers, those who have not seen a drought this severe or are part-time farmers may not know the dangers, Evans says. "We received a sample of millet hay that was just off the charts," Evans says of samples submitted for nitrate testing. "Test results vary widely, from less than 100 parts per million (ppm) to over 30,000 for the millet." The latter was twice the level considered toxic. Forages with less than 2,500 ppm nitrates are considered safe to use. "But I don't know what you could do with the toxic millet," Evans says. While cows can die from eating high-nitrate rations, the unseen economic impact will come from lost calves. Nitrates can cause premature births and abortions as the oxygen supply to the fetus is reduced. "Cows in late gestation are at high risk," Evans says. "The unborn calf depends on oxygen in the mother's blood flow. Such stress can trigger labor." In the cow's rumen, where forage digests, nitrates can convert to nitrites, which are deadly. Nitrites change hemoglobin that normally carries oxygen. The color of blood turns from red to chocolate brown as the blood cells take on toxic nitrites. Hypoxia, a shortage of blood oxygen, might kill a fetus but cause mild symptoms, such as lethargy, in the cow. "When blood oxygen drops, that starts a cascade of events leading to parturition," Evans says. In earlier stages of pregnancy, that stress leads to abortion or stillbirth. Later, premature births may result in tiny calves that need extra care to survive. At higher risk are anemic cows. "When you stack stresses, the risk of loss increases," Evans says. The main point, he says, "You won't know the nitrate content in forage unless you test." A test is a small investment to prevent loss of cow or calf. Evans recommended testing forages going into silos or plastic bags. Now he urges testing silage coming out, before feeding. The ensiling process can reduce nitrate content 25%-50%. Reduction depends on effectiveness of the ensiling process and on how long the process is allowed to work. "Sixty days is safer, but 45 days is iffy," Evan says. "Again, the only way to know is to test." A good many forage samples have tested at 10,000 ppm, in the "danger" zone. If ensiling reduces nitrates to below 5,000 ppm, the "caution" level, the producer will need nitrate-free forages to mix in the ration to dilute toxicity. A nitrate level above 2,500 ppm should not be fed to pregnant cows or very young calves. Nonreproductive cattle, including steers, can be fed higher levels. Any forage with more than 15,000 ppm nitrates should not be fed under any circumstance, he warns. The rumen can adapt to higher levels of nitrates. However, that takes a gradual buildup as rumen microbes adapt to high-nitrate feeds. A guide on safe use of toxic forages was written by Evans with Rob Kallenbach, MU Extension forage specialist. The guide is available online at vmdl.missouri.edu. Click on "Nitrate Facts" in the right column. Details on samples and testing are listed there. [Click here to go to the top of the page. ]Resources Angus e-Classifieds | Feedlots | Angus Source ®/Gateway | Optimal Milk Module Producer Priority Finder | Angus Beef Bulletin ® | American Angus Association ®Angus Journal ® | Angus e-List | Certified Angus Beef | Angus Foundation About the Angus Beef Bulletin Extra : Privacy : Contacts : Industry events  Effect of Aquarium Plants on pH Aquarium plants can alter aquarium p H, either raising or lowering the p H level under different circumstances. When p H lowers, water becomes more acidic. When it rises, water becomes more basic or alkaline. Plants change water p H through several mechanism. Carbon Dioxide Given enough light and carbon dioxide, plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Carbon dioxide will lower the p H of aquarium water, making it more acidic, while oxygen has no effect on water p H. Therefore, when plants absorb carbon dioxide, thus removing it from the water, the p H will rise. Typically, this has a small, but measurable effect on p H. You actually can measure water's carbon dioxide content indirectly by measuring changes in p H. Under normal aquarium conditions, this change is not enough to have an impact on fish, since carbon dioxide levels high enough to alter p H radically would probably be toxic to fish. Absorbing Compounds In addition to carbon dioxide, plants can metabolize several other chemicals and change p H. For example, plants can absorb ammonia and other nitrogen compounds. These compounds typically encourage biological reactions that produce free hydrogen ions, which lower the p H. By absorbing these chemicals, plants prevent the p H from dropping. Conversely, some plants, like Egeria, absorb minerals, like calcium, from the water. This reduces the buffering capacity of water, which can lead to a lower p H. Dead Plants Dead plants actually can produce a strong effect on p H. Dead plants will rot in aquarium, which releases ammonia and other nitrogen compounds into the water, thus lowering the p H. While ammonia is toxic to aquarium fish, a dropping p H will actually make it slightly less toxic. This still is not an ideal situation for the aquarium fish, and should be addressed by removing dead plants and performing a water change as soon as possible.p H and Plants While aquarium plants can affect p H, p H also can affect aquarium plants. Like fish, plants typically are adapted to the water chemistry of their home waters. For example, Amazon plants, like the Amazon swordplant, prefer soft, acidic water. Conversely, Egeria has adapted to hard, alkaline water, and does best in aquariums that mimic this water parameter. Still other plants, like Anubias, occur over a wide area, and can adapt to a range of p H levels. References (7)Photo Credits Medioimages/Photodisc/Valueline/Getty Images Cite this Article See More Animals What Kind of Water Should I Use on a Freshwater Fish Tank? How to Fix Low p H in a Freshwater Aquarium How to Get Rid of Tannins in Aquarium Water Effects of Ammonia on the Reef Aquarium  Pool Info: Phosphates & Nitrates in Swimming Pools 10% OFF!SELECT PARTS Shop All Parts UP TO25% OFF!POOL EQUIPMENT Shop All Equipment Home Phosphates Topics Plumbing/Valves Pool Chemistry Pool Equipment Pool Maintenance Pool Repair Pool Safety Pool Surface Finishes Pool Glossary Pool Library/Links Pool Info: Phosphates & Nitrates in Swimming Pools Phosphates are pollutants.... Phosphate became a household word in the 1970's, and people started to use low-phosphate and phosphate-free laundry detergents. This was to protect lakes, streams, wetlands and other runoff areas from the detrimental effects of excess phosphate. One of these effects is unwanted algae blooms, because phosphates are an excellent food source for many aquatic plants, like algae. Phosphates Accumulate in Pools.... What's true for lakes is also true for swimming pools. Phosphate is a natural component of most swimmer wastes. It is also present in rain water. Phosphate is persistent and does not break down naturally. Landscape fertilizers which may blow into the pool, have high phosphate content. Mulch or soil and even leaves that enter the pool contain phosphates. For all of these reasons, pools can quickly build up high phosphate levels. This creates an abundant and tasty food source for all strains of algae, and can make controlling their growth difficult. Remove the algae’s food, and say goodbye to pool algae problems. When Phosphates are Present, Algae Grows.... Phosphate is plant food, and algae are plants. If you have had persistent trouble with algae, every year - and it always seems to come back, you likely have a phosphate problem in your pool. When excess phosphate is present in a swimming pool, the symptoms often include the following: Cloudy, Green Water Slippery and Slimy Surfaces Mustard and Green Colored Debris Excessive Chemical Consumption Poor Water Quality Remove the Phosphates and Solve the Problem.... The maximum level of phosphate in pool water is something under 100 ppb. Once the phosphate climbs much above this level, the water quality begins to decrease and slime deposits can begin. Fortunately, draining to eliminate the accumulated phosphate is no longer necessary. Natural Chemistry's Phos-Free is a natural mineral compound which effectively and rapidly reduces the level of phosphate in the water. Sea Klear also produces a phosphate remover under the name of Sea Klear Phosphate remover. Testing for Phosphates…You can test for phosphates in your pool, spa or pond with the Aquachek Phosphate Test Kit. The one minute phosphate test kit uses packets of powder to dissolve in a water sample. Its testing range is from 0-1000 ppb of phosphates. For pools with known higher levels of phosphates, La Motte has phosphate test strips that test a higher range 3000-6000 ppb. Pool Phosphate Treatment Test for phosphate levels Backwash your pool filter thoroughly Apply phosphate remover per label dosage rate specified Run filter for 48 hours Backwash pool filter Retest for phosphate levels. If necessary, repeat steps 3-5Pool Phosphate Removal Tips: Before testing for phosphates, water should be balanced, and chlorine level below 5 ppm Algae should be treated and pool clean before testing and treating phosphates Correct the source of the phosphate contamination, or use weekly maintenance dosage After treatment with phosphate remover, filter pressure will rise. Backwash as needed Small or ineffective pool filters may benefit from using a clarifier after treatment For sand or cartridge filters that have suffered many algae outbreaks, replace the media Nitrates are no fun in the pool!Nitrates are a matter similar to Phosphates, but of different origin. Their big similarity is that they are both a food source for algae. Nitrate is a plant nutrient and is present in all green plants and fertilizers. It is natural occurring and is found everywhere something is growing. Nitrites (NO2) are a close cousin to Nitrates (NO3) and are just as much of a problem for pools, because when a Nitrite comes in contact with water, it easily gains another Oxygen atom to become a Nitrate. This additional atom gives Nitrates real stability, and makes eradication difficult. In fact, the only known way of Nitrate removal in pools practiced today is to drain a portion of the pool, and refill with water that is Nitrate free, if possible. Shocking a pool heavily will revert the Nitrates back to Nitrites, but from their once again, an additional Oxygen atom is easy to come by in a swimming pool filled with H2O. Where do Nitrates come from? Rural areas - those with water wells and septic tanks are particularly prone to Nitrate contamination in pools. Fertilizer is the most common source of Nitrates in pools. Do birds and ducks make regular passes over your pool? Do they land in the pool to bathe? Birds and especially Ducks can do a real number on a pool. Rain spilling off of overhanging trees can add Nitrates to a pool, and even acid rain itself, so common in the Northeast, can increase Nitrate levels. Finally, human waste, sweat, cosmetics can all bring traces of Nitrates into the pool. According to John Girvan, one of the few people to study Nitrates extensively has said that "With nitrate in the pool," he says, "you will get algae and other contaminants that won't respond to normal treatment." Some pool techs have been known to say that Nitrates "lock up chlorine". The presence of Nitrates in pool water will drastically increase the sanitizer consumption. At levels as low as 10 ppm of Nitrate, algae will grow even though you have used algaecide and are keeping a proper chlorine residual. But keeping a proper residual of chlorine in the water can prove to be difficult when Nitrates are present. This is what tricks people into believing in Chlorine Lock, it's not blocking chlorine, but using it very quickly. What can be done to Eliminate Nitrates in my pool? There still however is no chemical to remove the Nitrates from the pool water, so if you have a contamination, you will need to drain most if not all of the pool water. Locating the source would be advised, to prevent re-contamination of the pool. Animals, water run-off, wind blown fertilizers, well water are all likely sources. Check your bathers! Sweat, oils, cosmetics and hair treatments may contain Nitrates. Dogs and Ducks bring all sorts of nastiness into the pool, and should be discouraged. If you have a Duck Problem in the pool, keep ducks out of your pool using Duck Off, made by Lo-Chlor. Related Product Pages: Phosphate Test Kit Phos-Free Sea Klear Phosphate Remover Related Blog Posts: Phosphates and Nitrates in Swimming Pools Phosphates & Nitrates in Pools Swimming Pool Algae ~ Identify & Destroy Back to top Pool Blog Pool Tube Pool Info Pool Wiki Pool Talk  Ammonia and Nitrite First Tank Guide Home Ammonia and Nitrite Using Chemicals to Remove or Neutralize Ammonia in a Fish Tank (The First Tank Guide)Support and Share the First Tank Guide: Tweet Ammonia is constantly produced by your fish and released into the aquarium water as part of their natural biological processes. This is normal and expected. Ammonia is also produced by the decay of excess uneaten food in the tank, and other organic matter such as dead leaves from aquarium plants. Why Is Ammonia Building Up in My Aquarium Water? Ammonia buildup is rather common in aquariums. This usually happens in new aquariums that are still cycling and do not yet have their biological filter established. This will be a concern in your new aquarium for at least the first 6-8 weeks. Ammonia buildup is also common in fish tanks and bowls that are too small to safely house fish or other animals and fish tanks that are overpopulated. In addition, any tank, bowl, or other container that you are using to house your fish will have an ammonia buildup if it is not filtered. Ammonia will also often build up when medications are used, as many medications will kill (or at least severely stress) your biological filter. Why Is This Ammonia a Problem? If the fish are constantly producing ammonia, why is it even a problem? Well, the fish are producing it as part of their waste. Think for a moment, but not too hard, about having to live in a home with your own waste. it's stressful, it's disgusting, and it can lead to a number of health problems. The same is true for your fish. The ammonia in the water, if left unchecked, can lead to ammonia stress and ammonia poisoning. Why Not Just Use an Ammonia Remover or Ammonia Detoxifier? Using a chemical to bind, take up, neutralize, or block ammonia, is not only unnecessary and undesired, but it is counterproductive and will be harmful to the stability of your tank in the long run. Additionally, using these chemicals can be misleading. These chemicals will bind the ammonia into a form that is not going to be bothersome to your fish, but also is unavailable to your biological filter. This means that your biological filter will not have the nutrients it needs to stay viable and it will deteriorate. Then, when the chemical has absorbed all the ammonia it can, the ammonia will begin to build up in the tank in a form that is dangerous to your fish and will cause ammonia stress. Since your biological filter has been being starved, it is unable to process this waste and your tank will begin to cycle again. Also, these chemicals often do not bind the ammonia away in a manner that makes the ammonia undetectable by standard ammonia tests, so it will still appear that your tank has a high ammonia level if and when you test the water for ammonia. In addition, some of these chemicals will even read as ammonia themselves on some tests, so you may get a reading for a much higher ammonia level than in is the tank. This can be very misleading and confusing, and it is all because of the use of an unnecessary chemical treatment. Though ammonia removing chemicals can be helpful in the short term for dealing with a crisis situation, their regular use should be strongly discouraged. What CAN I Do to Address This Ammonia Problem? Rather than using a chemical to neutralize the ammonia, the tank should be allowed to cycle so that it can process the ammonia itself through biological filtration, or the problem that is causing the high ammonia level ( overpopulation, over feeding, insufficient water changes, poor filtration, or poor filter maintenance) should be addressed so that the ammonia is no longer a problem. Keith's Site First Tank Guide Getting Started Routine Aquarium Maintenance Cleaning Your Aquarium Feeding Fish Fish Diseases Small Tank Maintenance Netting Fish Aquarium Chemistryp HAmmonia Removers Dechlorinating Water Conditioners Controlling Algae Bacteria Boosters Water Clarifiers Medicating Your Fish Equipment and Terms Getting Fish About the First Tank Guide Ask a Question Top of This Page Donate through Pay Pal to help keep the First Tank Guide online Great Quotes Montana Role-Playing Calendar My Discogs Profile My Filmogs Profile My Bibliogs Profile My Facebook Profile My Google Plus Profile My Linked In Profile"First of all, your guide is fantastic, and I've been using it to get my wife's and my first tank set up. "Tristan, Virginia January 19, 2015More Comments"Thank you for you help your website has been very helpful and has answered several questions that I had. I also have discovered some things that I have been doing that I can change to help my fish become healthier and live longer. "Patrick, Texas December 2, 2010More Comments Site Map and FAQ Top of This Page Ask a Question My snail mail address is: Keith Seyffarth, 730 West Galena, Butte, MT 59701. Thank you for your support. Page most recently modified: June 18, 2012, 10:25:35. Copyright ©1994-2018, Keith Seyffarth  Does pH Cause the Ammonia in an Aquarium to Be High? African cichlids prefer water with a high p H. Ammonia and p H in aquariums have a complicated relationship. Aquarium water p H is influenced by dissolved chemicals like organic compounds and inorganic mineral salts; and ammonia is a natural component of fish waste and organic breakdown. Understanding p H and ammonia are critical to keeping your fish healthy. The p H of Ammonia Pure ammonia actually has a basic or alkaline p H. So in theory, ammonia should raise the p H of an aquarium. However, virtually all processes in the aquarium that produce ammonia, as well as the breakdown of ammonia produce hydrogen cations. Since p H is the negative log of hydrogen cation concentration, increasing this lowers the p H, negating the mildly basic p H of ammonia. So while ammonia has a basic p H, the processes that create it in an aquarium produce enough hydrogen ions to overcome this and lower the p H. Sources of Ammonia Ammonia comes from several biological processes in the aquarium. Most of these processes come down to breaking down proteins. In a fish's metabolism, they break down proteins from the food they eat and produce toxic ammonia as a byproduct. This releases ammonia, and hydrogen ions. Since ammonia is a weak base, the hydrogen ions have a stronger effect on p H, so this process ultimately lowers the p H. Rotting plant and animal matter, as well decaying fish food, also undergo a similar process that produces ammonia and hydrogen ions. The Ammonia Cycle In a healthy aquarium, bacteria break ammonia down into less toxic forms. A first set of bacteria break ammonia down into nitrite. A second group of bacteria turn the nitrite into nitrate. The various bacteria also release even more hydrogen ions throughout this process which lowers p H. The process typically takes several weeks to a month to establish in new aquariums. Without this process, toxic ammonia would continue to build up until the water became toxic to fish. How p H Effects Ammonia While the processes that create ammonia affect p H, the aquarium's p H can also influence the ammonia. In an acidic aquarium, ammonia actually becomes less toxic to fish. It is never good to have ammonia in an aquarium, but it is "less bad" in an acidic situation. However, some species of fish prefer water with a high p H. They include African cichlids and all saltwater fish. In water with alkaline or basic p H, ammonia is much more toxic. On top of this, water for these fish often contain powerful buffers -- p H-stabilizing minerals -- requiring meticulous aquarium maintenance. References Fish Channel.com: Controling Ammonia in a Fish Aquarium Fish Channel.com: Does Aquarium p H Matter? Fish Channel.com: Saltwater Aquarium p HTropical Fish Hobbyist: Aquarium Setup Guide Photo Credits Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images MORE MUST-CLICKS: The Impact of a p H Imbalance in an Aquarium How to Test the Ammonia Level in a Cycling Aquarium What Is the Meaning of the p H Balance in Aquariums? How Does Ammonia Affect My Saltwater Aquarium? How to Reduce the Alkalinity of Aquarium Water Can Lighting Affect the PH in My Aquarium? What p H Is Recommended for Aquarium Moss? Effects of Ammonia on the Reef Aquarium  Ask Tetra Ask Tetra is a great way to share information with fish enthusiasts just like you. 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