Healthy Water

Bath, oil on linen, 110 x 120 cm, 2020 and Goldfish 2, 76 x 61 cm, oil on linen, 2020 Minyoung Choi

Talk to your local fish store! ➡️ Research: "How to cycle an aquarium"
#1 Grow a huge population of "nitrifying" bacteria🦠 or 😵💀⚰️🪦

Starting Nitrogen cycle from scratch:
From ☠️inert tap water  ➡️to life supporting☮️ bio-water (timeline approx. 30-60 days).
Daily testing of NH3, NO2 & NO3 is the only way to know a tank is safe for fish- "cycled."
Set up equipment ➡️ add water and dechlorinate➡️filter/heater on➡️add ammonia/fish food ➡️bacteria grow ➡️ammonia drops ➡️ nitrite rises ➡️ nitrite drops ➡️ nitrate appears ➡️ test regularly ➡️verify 0 ammonia + 0 nitrite after 24hours ➡️ big water change ➡️ add fish gradually  ➡️ test regularly
Target: 0 ppm Ammonia(NH3), 0 ppm Nitrite(NO2), 0-20 Nitrate(NO3) less is better

A Healthy Nitrogen cycle:
🐟Fish make ammonia(NH3)💩☠️
➡️🦠bacteria eats ammonia, makes nitrite(NO2)☠️
➡️🦠bacteria eats nitrite, makes nitrate(NO3)♨️
➡️🌱plants eat some nitrates (old water is excellent fertilizer for house plants/lawn.🌱)
➡️👁️you remove nitrate heavy water🪣(syphon connection directly to the sink)
➡️🚿add dechlorinating treatment + new water, "Water change"

The tank is considered cycled, after adding an ammonia dose, ammonia and nitrite both return to 0 ppm within 24 hours. Research!
Then you can add a few hardy fish as the first group.
Do not stock everything at once.
Research which animals should be first:
Hardy, adaptable creatures FIRST. Delicate, sensitive, biofilm/algae eating animals and/or territorial animals LAST.
Do not stock everything at once.
You need the bacteria to catch up to the bioload(💩) with new animals.

Ways to start cultivating bacteria for the nitrogen cycle:
Dark Start: 4-6 weeks
Fishless Tank Cycling: 4-6 weeks
"Instant Start": 24hrs-7 days(?)
The fast/easiest way to bacteria rich water is to get old filter medium(sponge/rocks/ceramic rings) from another established tank to "seed" the tank. Bacteria can also travel from hardscape items, gravel, plants.
Ask your local fish store for some filter media, ask people at a local "fish club"
... you could try these folks selling online(?):
"Active" lava rocks to add to your tank's HOB/canister filter
"Active" sponge filter(might come with pregnant snails/invertebrate treats?)

☠️Never change all your sponge/filter media and replace with brand new "clean" ones!☠️
☠️This will crash the nitrogen cycle, spike NH3, NO2 & NO3☠️
Suggested to rinse filters in tank water and do not replace until literally falling apart.

Water treatment $58
Dechlorinator: ($18)
Seachem Prime or something similar is needed to dechlorinate tap water and make it safe for fish- this works immediately.
Prime can also be used to temporarily(48hrs) bind ammonia/nitrite/nitrates if they spike. This does not remove the poison➡️You must do a water change.

Test Kit:($40)
API Freshwater Master Test Kit to test out your ammonia and nitrate levels as you cycle your tank or to check how things are going. Test strips ($10-$50) are a quick less accurate alternative if you don't have time but want to check.

(?)Bacteria in a Bottle:($15-25)
Some folks think this isn't necessary because bacteria will grow on it's own. Fritz Aquatics FritzZyme, Seachem Stability API Quick Start claim to assist establishing bacteria in new tanks.

Big Fish, oil on linen, 150 x 130 cm, 2020, Minyoung Choi