Your water quality and the efficiency of the water cycle are the single most important factor in maintaining healthy fish - assuming you remember to feed them!
It is the efficiency of the water cycle that determines the quality of the water in your aquarium or Koi pond. Understanding the water cycle is, therefore, an important step in mastering control over the quality of the water that your fish are kept in.
The Basics of the Water Cycle
The term 'cycling' is applied to the process which takes place as a new aquarium 'matures'. It refers to the build up of essential bacteria, which break down the waste products from your fish and other living organisms within your Aquarium.
Ammonia is the toxin produced in the aquarium and is a result of:-
Fish waste Uneaten food Plant matter
The ammonia present is then first converted to Nitrite by bacteria within the aquarium, and then to Nitrate (also by those aquarium friendly bacteria).
In the limited environment of the aquarium, the Ntirate level is usually controlled by regular water changes.
