Just in case the death of my puffer was related to an incompletely cycled tank, I’d like to add some beneficial bacteria. The remaining puffer is acting like he always has, but to be safe (since the reading on nitrates was 0, and I guess that means the tank has not cycled) I would like to add some sort of bacteria.
When increasing SG, the purpose of going slowly is so that we don’t stress our fish, and so we don’t kill any beneficial bacteria that have already started up, so obviously different types of bacteria thrive in different salinity levels. I’ve seen Dr. Tims, Biospira, and “Instant cycler” all mentioned in this forum as being useful for adding bacteria, and each one is either suggested for marine tanks or freshwater tanks. What do you use for brackish tanks? A little of both?
As best as I can tell from my hydrometer, the SG in the tank right now is 1.002. I know 1.002 is still low, so should I assume freshwater bacteria is still going to be okay?
Also, I don’t know if I should wait on any further SG increases until I’m completely sure the tank is cycled. If I do, the regular weekly water changes will actually decrease SG. Or, as long as my bi-daily ammonia and nitrite levels ALSO remain 0, should I continue on with raising SG?
A question about emergency cycling aids
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
-
arynnoctavia
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:56 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: A Green Spotted Puffer named Gollum.
- Location: Duluth, MN
-
Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: A question about emergency cycling aids
You can hold off on raising your SG until you are sure you are cycled without harm to the GSP. What I would ask you to do though is re-test your nitrates. This time though, shake the bottles of stuff you add to your water real vigorously (I think it's like one minute if you're using API) and also shake the test tube well. The biggest reasons nitrate tests come back as 0 are an uncycled tank and an test that wasn't shaken well enough. I've not shaken the bottles enough myself and have totally freaked out.
Repeat the test and if it still comes out as 0 we can figure out why and what to use. The only two products that contain any real bacteria are Tetra Safestart and Biospira, Instant Cycler does not work, all it does is conditions the water and adds nitrate....
Repeat the test and if it still comes out as 0 we can figure out why and what to use. The only two products that contain any real bacteria are Tetra Safestart and Biospira, Instant Cycler does not work, all it does is conditions the water and adds nitrate....
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
-
LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5301
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: A question about emergency cycling aids
For API tests, you have to shake the first bottle just for a moment, then add the chemical and invert the test tube a few times, then shake the second bottle for 30 seconds, add the chemicals, and shake the test tube for one minute.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi
Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: A question about emergency cycling aids
In answer to your Q--you would use Dr Tim's or Tetra's Safestart, both for FW tanks.
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!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
arynnoctavia
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:56 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: A Green Spotted Puffer named Gollum.
- Location: Duluth, MN
Re: A question about emergency cycling aids
Alright, thanks for the advice guys and gals! I retested with lots of mixing at each step, and nitrates showed up on the card kinda between 5 and 10 (also tested ammonia and nitrite, which were still at 0). So I wonder why the newer puffer died, and I hope it wasn't contagious. Gollum is still as happy as can be, but I'm keeping a close eye on him.