The Puffer Forum

ill have to ask one of the shops for some then. i figured this bacteria stuff would help but i guess not. im supposed to get my 2 dp tomorrow too but it looks like that aint gonna happen. ill have to get some filter media first

ya i looked at that. making big water changes isnt a big deal for me. i jus got done doin about a 90 to 95% change. just enough to where the vac quit working. ill check it in the morning. if its cloudy again then ill probly do another big one

You really need that liquid test kit. Most use the API Master Test kit. It runs around $25. When mine crashed is was doing daily water changes for almost three weeks.

ya ill have to get one of those too. im using strips right now. since i have changed a lot of the water is it ok to feed the fish a bit or should i put them in a bucket and feed them out of the tank? just a thought i had cuz i read any over feed might mess things up

If your not reading any ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate then you really dont need to do water changes IMO. It may be a good idea to add an airstone to help them
(fish) breath a little better. The bloom your prob getting is from the bacteria that was in the safestart. I would just let it try to cycle. Keep testing for ammonia and nitrite but im guessing you'll get a nitrate reading first. A good test kit is a must in this hobby so get one as soon as you can. The safestart, from a couple of people i know and some on the net, works pretty decent, but it does depend on what kind of temps the bottle has been exposed to and how old it is.

ill make sure i get a kit. should i try adding more of the safe start to the water since i removed about 90 percent of the water?

Also pick up a product called Prime for your expected ammonia and nitrite spikes. Use the max dose directed on the bottle.

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product ... Prime.html

I made the same mistake when I first started keeping fish as has many others. Prime and partial water changes got me through it well enough and I only lost 1 out of 8 neon tetras. Just refrain from adding more fish until you are 100% cycled.

Good luck.

isnt prime basically the same stuff as tetra aqua safe? i use aqua safe and new balance. both by tetra.

How long after you added the safestart did you start water changes, and did you add the safestart the same time you added the fish? The 3 tetras will not produce that much waist at all if your feeding them right. That may be why you dont have any readings at this point.

I added the safe start first then added the fish. i did the water change today when i noticed the cloudyness

No, they aren't the same. Prime converts ammonia to a non toxic form and it helps to lower nitrites. Check out the link I posted. Safestart is just a fancy chlorine remover.

ok ill have to pick some of that up too if my lfs has it

There are articles already in the library here which include cycling info, including two on Aquarium Microbes - Part 1 is on the nitrification bacteria, Part 2 is on the others. There is also an Article in process on the Library listing in these forums on NTS, New Tank Syndrome, which is what you now have in your tank.

You got the best possible advice on a world renowned expert on the subject. Did you read those?
library/water-filtration/aquariummicrobespart1/
library/water-filtration/aquariummicrobespart2/

I'm sorry, I was thinking of Tetra Aquasafe and not Safestart. Either way, they are not the same.

Safestart advertises that it establishes the biofilter, and the biofilter removes ammonia and nitrates. Long before the biofilter is established you'll need a product like prime to take care of the ammonia and nitrates spikes.

Safestart should have worked but fishless cycling is always a sure thing.