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How to Cycle Your Jellyfish Aquarium?
Start pedaling! Let’s get your aquarium properly cycled!
Before we go into the details of cycling, let do a quick overview of what
occurs biologically during the process. Toxic ammonia is converted by
bacteria into nitrite, then nitrite is converted by bacteria into nitrate. Nitrate
is the final byproduct and will remain in the aquarium.
Since nitrate is the last step in the cycle it is also an indicator that a cycle
has occurred and that your bacteria colony has grown.
Before you start
A water quality test kit will be your best friend during this process. We
highly recommend that you purchase a master water quality test kit from
our website if you dont already have one (avoid the strip tests as they are
not accurate). The test kit will tell you exactly what is happening with your
water and the results are a clear indicator of the bacterial activity.
Don’t let the science scare you, it’s not as complicated as it sounds!
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, when it comes to creating a strong cycle
in your Jellyfish Art aquarium there are many different ways to do this! No
particular method is necessarily the best way; at the end they all essentially
do the same thing. Basically, an ammonia source is provided, then bacteria
are added and then time is given for the bacteria to break down the ammonia
and nitrites.
Ammonia source
Once your saltwater has been properly mixed and added to the aquarium,
you will be ready to introduce your ammonia source. This is an area of
varied opinions, methods and suggestions. Typically, everyone has a
different way that they feel is the correct way to accomplish this... hooray
controversy! All-in-all, each method works just the same; so, decide which
of the following methods you prefer and then stick to it.