The Puffer Forum

The only one that isnt crap for instant cycling is tetra safe start. Though you need to add the fish in directly after you add the bottle, its what I used on my dps tank.

yes the "safe start" and "dr. tims" i have heard are good products. cycle i used to use until i was told otherwise from pufferpunk

i would personally cycle properly rather than rely on chemicals to do the job.

I like foster & smith colonize (buy one get one right now btw), but you will still want to wait a week before adding any fish. I'd wait 2 weeks for puffers to be on the safe side. throw in some snails if you want, they can start breeding getting ready for the puff

Foster & Smith Colonize = crap in a bottle.

CyberBob wrote: but you will still want to wait a week before adding any fish. I'd wait 2 weeks for puffers to be on the safe side.

why?
i'd like to see you substantiate this!
care to?
doubt you can..........
i don't see anything in the Foster & Smith Aquatics website instructions or information that indicates this.........
possibly, waiting a week or two, even if this product does contain live bacteria (which i seriously doubt), just might starve the bacteria into dying off before the fish are added, thus jeopardizing the health of the fish.
was this just your opinion, or did i miss something?

your signature: "Opinions are like Butts ... Everyone Has One (But Most Stink)"
read it carefully - so true, so true
............please stop with the questionable advice

Does not in any way contains live bacteria:
Bacteria and enzyme conditioner helps establish biological filtration in new aquariums
* Helps neutralize increased ammonia in aquarium when you add new fish
* Conditions your aquarium water and feeds the nitrogen cycle

Pufferpunk wrote:Does not in any way contains live bacteria:
* Conditions your aquarium water and feeds the nitrogen cycle

pretty safe to say that anything dead will benefit the nitrogen cycle

the only way to know for sure if the tank is ready is with a test kit.

The concept of adding viable bacteria and then waiting a week or two before giving them anything for an energy source boggles the mind. Do the good fairies come down an feed them while we are asleep?

Magic and witchcraft make for poor tank operation.

I prefer things which I can measure and moitor. Knowing is always better than hoping.

RTR wrote:The concept of adding viable bacteria and then waiting a week or two before giving them anything for an energy source boggles the mind. Do the good fairies come down an feed them while we are asleep?

Magic and witchcraft make for poor tank operation.

I prefer things which I can measure and moitor. Knowing is always better than hoping.

Sorry, should have been more clear. What I meant was not to add your valuable fish. The bacteria would need ammonia to feed on. So, most people will throw in some danios or snails or sumtin. But, I was suggesting to wait a week or two to be sure the tank is stable.

Pufferpunk wrote:Foster & Smith Colonize = crap in a bottle.

Oh? I haven't really tried it for very long. I would listen to PP on this. It's new to me.
I actually prefer Bio-Spira ... it's the only one I've tried and trust.
I tried Cycle, didn't like it personally.

Although I'm sure he'll have a pleasant thing or two to say to me for suggesting this, but is there anyway cyberbob's posts can approved by a moderator before they show up in the public feed?

sevenyearnight wrote:Although I'm sure he'll have a pleasant thing or two to say to me for suggesting this, but is there anyway cyberbob's posts can approved by a moderator before they show up in the public feed?

I guess I just assumed everyone knew that the bacteria needed food. It should say it on the bottle.
I shouldn't assume things. But, I do stand by not adding any important fish for a week or two.

bertie 83 wrote:i would personally cycle properly rather than rely on chemicals to do the job.

Cycling a tank mean providing bacteria which colonize and establish self-perpetuating colonies indefinitely to oxidize ammonia to nitite .and to oxidize nitrite to nitrate.

News FLash: Ammonia nd nitrite are chemicals. So is nitrate. How do you establish bacterial strains which use ammonia or nitrite for energy sources if you have no ammonia or nitrite present?

Could you pleas define "cycling properly" by your definition?

TIA