Bottled Bacteria Put to the Test.

I used Bio Spira before when I set up my first tank in 2009 and the tank went through the nitrogen cycle in a matter of 10 days. But that is my experience.(disclaimer)

 

Looking forward to this. I know I had a lot of luck with the Dr. Tims on the 2 tanks I have used it on.

 

One more day to work and it's GAME ON!

I would love for a few of these products to expedite setting up a QT.

Which way should I approach this? Follow the directions and add a fish as is states in their directions? Then test for ammonia and nitrite?

Or

Follow the directions and where it says to add a fish, add a determined amount of pure ammonia. What should that amount be?

 

I feel like most people use pure ammonia or another source now-a-days instead of fish. That's my opinion anyways.

 

No, I didn't mean cycle the tank with the fish. The tank is suppose to be cycled..... with the product. That's the whole test, to see if they work like the directions say. If ammonia showed up I would remove the fish.

 

Gotcha. I'm not familiar with any of the products, so I am not quite sure how they work. I assumed that it added a large biological base that one would then "feed" to quickly raise the population further.

I change my opinion to fish.

 

I would say the only way to compare apples to apples would be to add in the same amount of pure ammonia. Each fish is different, and so will have a slightly different load on the tank. I am not sure on the amount though. Maybe the amount needed to raise the tank to .25 PPM?

 

Actually, 0.25 ppm is too high. To get a cycle started, all you need is 0.1 ppm, otherwise, there's a risk of stalling the cycle.

 

Are you talking total ammonia or free ammonia at those amounts? Right now in my cycle my total ammonia is at 2ppm which should make my free ammonia around 0.112ppm.

Way too toxic for fish either way.

 

That is correct, so to give a fair comparison, I'd suggest following the directions and add the fish.

That's my opinion, anyway.