Cycling With Bio-Spira

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Pufferpunk
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

Same theory, different bacteria.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by mrgreen »

So you should take the carbon out of the filter before adding this, but how long should it stay out?
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Pufferpunk
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

I see no reason to remove carbon from a cycling filter. Although, I also see no reason to add carbon to a FW filter at all, unless you want to remove meds.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Puffur »

My SG is 1.005. Should I purchase the bio spira for saltwater?
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C valentini
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C papuan
Also kept:
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

Dunno what happened to the response to this & not sure if you're still waiting--but for BW, I'd do a fishless cycling or use the FW BS & drip-acclimate the fish to that. You can start raising to BW in a week or so.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

I am adding this post from our Mentor, RTR, as I feel it is very relevant to this thread & want to be able to find it again.
On the bacterial "starters", for background information, there are thousands of nitrification bacteria in the world - bacteria which do the conversion/oxidation of ammonium ion to nitrite ion to get energy, and equal numbers of others which do the similar conversion of nitrite ion to nitrate ion, also for energy. Nitrate is desirable to us in that it is far, far, less toxic to out aquarium critters (at least 100-fold, about two orders of magnitude) than free ammonia or nitrite ion), But the trick we need in cycling a tank is to get bacteria which establish and maintain on-going colonies in our tanks. Most nitrification bacteria will do the two jobs we need done (ammonium to nitrite ion, and nitrite ion to nitrate ion), but most will not establish permanently in our filters or even filterless tanks. What we want and need and are willing to pay for is a set of bacteria which will do the jobs AND establish self-perpetuating colonies in our tanks. To me it is senseless to buy bacteria which you need to replace weekly, every other week, or monthly. Get the point? We want the job done once and for all. If we have to replenish the bugs constantly, they really are not what we need. That is the big question. We know that Dr.Tim's selections work. We do not know about the others. They may work initially if there really are live bacteria present (commonly there are not), but if they are not self-perpetuating, they cost way too much. Do the job once and never again - at least so long a you do kill them off unintentionally. That is the main point. We want three things really 1) live nitrification bacteria, 2) bacteria to oxidize ammonium ion AND bacteria to oxidize nitrite ion, and 3) that both sets will establish self-perpetuating colonies in our tanks. If any of those three things are missing, we are throwing money away and endangering our fish.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
bradjacobs

Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by bradjacobs »

Hi
thanks for adding this information about bio-Spira .Bio-Spira™ should not be used though as an attempt to expand a tank’s bio filter beyond its’ recommended limit. For example, if you have severely overstocked a 20-gallon tank with 6 goldfish, then adding Bio-Spira, in an effort to make the bio filter larger in an attempt to neutralize the very large amount of ammonia produced by the goldies, is not the answer.
bradjacobs
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Pufferpunk
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
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C papuan
Also kept:
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

Very true!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by ~reefchik~ »

Somewhere recently I saw it stated that if you have an empty tank, and there are no fish in there, and you do nothing to add ammonia on a regular basis, that the tank isn't cycled no matter how long it's been sitting there with the filter running.

And also that if you don't have a fish in there, and don't add an ammonia source, the nitrifying bacteria die after only 24 hrs?? I guess I never had to think about this before, so it's a new concept to me...but is this true?
~Steph~
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Pufferpunk
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C valentini
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

Absolutely, although maybe not in 24 hours but eventually, without a food source (ammonia), the bacteria will starve to death.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Cherry shrimp/snails 10g planted
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by ~reefchik~ »

Yikes...so how do folks keep quarantine tanks in cycle?
~Steph~
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Pufferpunk
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2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Pufferpunk »

You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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~reefchik~
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2 F8s 20g planted brackish
Cherry shrimp/snails 10g planted
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1 Crazy cat
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by ~reefchik~ »

Thanks for the link. I thought I'd read most of the articles there but missed that one :D
~Steph~
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by Terrance »

Do any of you know if Tetra Safestart work? The bottle says "contain patented biospira". All the reviews that I have read says it works.
Kind regards,
Terrance
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Re: Cycling With Bio-Spira

Post by xrayjeeper83 »

PP reccomends it, so id say its ok
RTR wrote:Fahakas do not have tank mates, they may have swimming food reserves.
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