The Puffer Forum

Hi all !!!

Recently purchased 25 gal tank with SG 1.012.

Have recently started the fishless cycle deal (with ammonia and Dr. Tim's) and read the article about fishless cycle:

Got ammonia up to 4ppm.

Added Dr. Tim's

2 days later... Still 4ppm Ammonia.

No Nitrites, no nitrates.

Anyone know how long it normally takes for the bacteria to start eating the ammonia (my impressions around here seem to indicate it happens in 24 hrs.?)

Thanks!

Iam pretty sure everyone here recommends biospira for fishless cycling. maybe Dr. tims too but I hear alot of good things about Biospira plus they also say there is a chance neither will work in some cases. I would try to cycle it with an established filter from another tank or a buddys tank just borrow his sponge and put it in your filter to seed the tank. And also some say 24hrs id wait a week to just be safe. Or try asking a pet store of LFS for some old filter media and explain what your trying to do maybe thell give it too you or buy a cheap sponge there and trade them for the old one. It should save you more time if you anxiuos to get fishys in there. good luck.

Thanks SammyDee!

Yeh, The only people I know who have tanks have freshwater, so...

and the LFS here are kinda jerks.

Thought I'd try the Dr.Tim's (I think this is the new "BioSpira" as of 2009, if I read correctly.)

I shook the heck out of it before putting it in but still waiting for ammonia to go down from 4ppm after 2days.

I guess I'm getting anxious.

* Does anyone else know how long ammonia takes to drop with fishless cycling using bottled bacteria?

It sounds like you got a bad bottle. Was it refrigerated?

Isn't Dr Tim's for FW & B-S for SW? I would think with a SG of over 1.010, you should use the SW kind? Why are you cycling at that SG? Are the fish you are purching in that?

Thanks 'lilgreen and pufferpunk!

It's day 3 and still at 4ppm with no nitrates, so ... looks like I got a bad batch like 'lilgreen said (They had it refrig'd when I bought it and I keep in the frig until I used it.)

PP: The guy at LFS said I should set my SG to 1.021 for GSP so cycling at 1.012 was a compromise I made until the tank was cycled. (This is why I don't want to go back there because they don't give you clear information.)

The Dr. Tim's has both fresh and saltwater bottled products and I used the saltwater one (definitely!)

I'm not sure what to do at this point if this stuff if supposed to "instant" cycle, at day 3 with no change it seems something is not working.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

I cycled my BW tank with Tetra Safestart. It took about a month! Probably a good 15/16 days before I started getting a nitrite reading. I too had no other source of filter bacteria. I just learnt that I had to be patient! So if you're only in the first few days, you might have a little more waiting to do!

BFF: Wow, 2weeks! They give you the impression it is "instant" cycle! lol, oh well.

I figured since it's bacteria in a bottle, they would start reducing the ammonia right away.

I still don't see any drop of NH3 from 4ppm almost going on day four.

Some have suggested it would take 4-5 days for cycling with this stuff (Dr. Tim's)
('m really starting to doubt the $$$ these products charge for this. )

Might get my "Will work for saltwater filter media" sign out and start begging on the highways.

*sigh*

thanks!

Patience is a virtue!! I don't know how people manage to cycle in 10 days or so - I guess the best way is with established filter media from another, healthy tank, but unfortunately it is not available to everyone. I guess you could try another bottle, but as you say - its pretty expensive stuff. Thats why I just decided to let nature take its course. When you finally get there though, it will be worth it! Good luck!

Yeh, gotta have patience.

I was worried because the impression was that "instant" means, well, instant.

This with others saying nitrites showed in a day or two got me thinking my cycle is DOA.

Will try giving it a full week and see what happens.

thanks.

OK, 5 days later finally got my first Nitrite reading: 0.25

Was beginning to think nothing was happening.

My ammonia level still seems to be 4.0.

Folks that say starting with 4.0 ppm or higher may be right that this is just too high of a "pow" at the beginning for the bacteria to handle.

Seems keeping them at 3.0ppm until the nitrite "spike" is plenty high enough.
(Then half it to 1.5 ppm once the nitrites "spike" kicks in.)

Maybe there's hope for the "bottled" bacteria.

Fingers crossed.

It is made to be instant, meaning that you add the product, immediately fully stock your tank & the ammonia/nitrite should remain 0. Not so true I guess...

PP: Not for me, i guess!

Was a bit worried after four days of nothing registering on the tests results.

BUT now I'm making some slow progress with a 0.50 reading on the Nitrites and 3.0 ammonia, so I'm feeling a bit better.

Patience.

I've been seeing this happening a lot lately. The thing with the instant cycle products is: add the bacteria and then add the fish. You don't need to add ammonia to the tank, the bacteria isn't in sufficient amounts to handle ammonia loads at 4ppm. People are using this product in the process of fishless cycling when they should be using it as the cycle itself.

I agree 100% with this. I doubt a tank properly stocked with fish would put out that much ammonia.