When Can I Add Fish to My Saltwater Aquarium-Understanding the New Saltwater Aquarium Cycle

Adding your first fish to a new saltwater aquarium is a great feeling. it also brings the tank to life. Unfortunately many people turn this event into a frustrating ordeal by adding the fish to fast and having them perish wasting both time and money. So when is the right time to add fish to a saltwater tank?

When Can I Add Fish To My Saltwater Aquarium?

Before you can add any fish to your new marine aquarium you have to make sue that the water chemistry is right and the necessary bacteria have grown in order to make the water safe.

Water in a new saltwater tank is not safe because any decaying fish food or the normal amount of fish waste can cause ammonia levels to rise in the water. This ammonia is toxic to most fish and invertebrates and will kill them in a short amount of time.

The bacteria that need to grow to get rid of this ammonia are called nitrifying bacteria. This invisible bacteria will convert the ammonia into nitrite and the nitrite into harmless free nitrogen or nitrate.

To be sure that this bacteria has grown the marine aquarium needs to be cycles. This is often done by adding a pinch of fish food into the tank or adding live rock to the tank. The food will decay and cause an ammonia spike as will small dieing organism on the live rock. This ammonia will cause the nitrifying bacteria to start to grow.

To check for a cycle you should test for ammonia everyday. Once you see an ammonia spike test for nitrites. After the nitrites appear then disappear your saltwater aquarium is ready for fish.

But add them slowly one or two at a time and wait a few weeks between new additions or you could over whelm the system and cause a small ammonia spike.

Want a crystal clear successful Saltwater Aquarium? Our marine aquarium guide will show you step by step how to avoid the common mistakes that lead to fish death, algae and an ugly tank. To get the secrets to creating a stunning marine aquarium visit http://www.saltwatermethods.com

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