Taken from another thread, but I think its a good read for people starting out:
Fact: Bacteria can only consume a set amount of food (be it ammonia, or nitrIte). 1 bacterium can eat 1 bacterium's amount of food, and 10 can eat 10 bacteria's amount of food, and so on. 1 bacterium cannot eat 10 bacteria's amount of food in the same period of time.
Fact: A fully cycled tank shows no detectable levels of ammonia or nitrIte. (unless something traumatic has just occurred)
Fact: A higher concentration of acid (ammonia) or biologically damaging agents (nitrIte, nitrAte) in solution causes more severe damage than a lower concentration. (normal tank levels we are talking here i.e. under 100ppm as no fish will survive in this high level of ammonia or nitrIte)
Fact: The ONLY reason you can detect levels of ammonia and nitrIte in the tank are because the current population of bacteria/plants/algae are not great enough YET to use up this food source in a timely manner.
My logical opinion based on the above facts The BEST way to avoid further damage and future fish death where you have an
uncycled tank AND fish alraedy in the tank is to keep all tank levels (ammonia/nitrIte, and nitrAte) at just ABOVE being undetectable. As long as you can detect a small amount of ammonia and nitrIte in the tank your bacteria have all the food they need to survive and multiply. As their numbers increase the amount of food they require will increase and thus less excess will need to be removed ([acronym:7ea9e4389f="Partial water change"]PWC[/acronym:7ea9e4389f]'s), until finally there will be no detectable ammonia or nitrIte levels in the tank.
And the best advice I can give to anyone, regardless of the topic, is to NEVER take anyone's advice as truth, not even mine.
Take everything you have learned, mull it over, and look for holes in your argument. When you can't find any, post it here, and see if other's can find a fault. If not, your good to go... And HAVE FUN!
justin