The Puffer Forum

When setting up a new tank it is preferred (and humane) to use the Fishless Cycling Method.
However, if you need to set up a tank on short notice or in a emergency (such as for quarantine) these products are a must.
The two products featured below are highly recommended by this forum.

FRESHWATER AQUARIUMS:

The only known product guaranteed to work for freshwater aquariums is Tetra Safe Start.
This product is not to be confused with Tetra Aqua Safe which is a dechlorinator similar to Prime.
You will need both products when setting up a new tank.
Use the ENTIRE bottle of Tetra Safe Start when setting up the tank and add the fish immediately! Pour directly into your filter for best results.
Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Tetra-77962-SafeS ... safe+start

MARINE AQUARIUMS:

The only known product guaranteed to work for marine aquariums is Bio Spira.
(Instant Ocean brand is the most commonly seen, but it can also be Identified as Dr. Tims Bio Spira)
Again use the ENTIRE bottle of Bio Spira when setting up the tank and add the fish immediately!
Again just as with using Tetra Safe Start you will need to use it with Tetra Aqua Safe or Prime.
Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-779 ... =bio+spira


Please check out the article on Fishless Cycling here: library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
Please PM me for corrections or to update this with additional info. Thanks!

Thanks for posting this!

Thanks! I figured I would put this together since these products often get referenced on the forum. This way the newbies can have a visual reference to these products and a link to where they can find them if their LFS does not sell them or suggests something else that does not work.

Should we un-sticky this one then?
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13865

Strange - no one else to date has had any reproducible success with Fritz products, live or dead.

For those who have aquariums already, pop an extra filter on your tank(s) and then you have a great source of bacteria at hand. Maybe slightly irrelevant to this thread but a great alternative to bottled bacteria.

Just a question, what was that stuff the tpf once recommended. It was bought online, kept cold I think, made by someone named Tim? or it was called Tim something? Is that stuff not recommended anymore?

I think bertie' s idea better describes instant cycling. Products like safestart IMO better describe emergency cycling. I wouldn't want people to think that safestart is better than fishless cycling. However, I am no expert on the subject.

Dr Tim's One & Only. Safestart did instant-cycle my GF tank.

The tropical science nitromax didnt do much to my 150gallon when adding it to the water column, but once i actually added it to the filter media, it "cycled" it in a couple hours. gave me a nitrite spike, 80%water change and it has been good eversince. I added it to my ten gallon tanks filter right off the bat and it showed signs of cycling in about 3 hours. added it to my established tanks filter and the next day it had my water clear cause i used to change the filter when it started to cause overflow. come to find out i was recycling my tank everytime.

Tropical science nitromax one day with liquid gravel vac aerobic heterotrophic bacteria additive have yielded effective results for me when nitromax is added to the filter and liq. gravel vac added to water column.

everytime i tested water on these tanks, i read 0 for ammonia, 0 for nitrite, and 10-20 ppm nitrate about 6-12 hours after adding eith the exception of the 150 gallon getting a nitrite spike once.

Are you adding an ammonia source to equal the bioload of a fully-stocked tank?

Added no ammonia to the 10 gallon or my 36 gallon. My 36 gallon had high ammonia,nitrite, nitrate from my fish already in there. I did a huge water change to lower them and added the nitromax to the filter, then the liquid gravel vac the next day. ammonia was at 2ppm 4 hours after adding, 1ppm the next day, 0 the day after and has remained that way. Nitrite was 1 ppm then 0 after that and has maintained. Nitrate has stayed around 20ppm and has remained there.

If you added 2 different products, how do you know which one worked?

By definition, an instantly cycled tank would show zero positive ammonia(1) and nitrite(2) readings from the time of adding the "instant cycle" product, and a positive increase in the nitrate(3) titer.

(1) Most hobby test kits cannot differentiate between dissolved ammonia gas, NH3, and ammonium ion, NH4. It may be necessary to use a teat which can differentiate between ammonia and ammonium ion. The former is dangerous, while the latter is harmless.

(2) Nitrite ion is always harmful.

(3) Nitrate ion is considered safe for humans (adults) at ~30ppm. Margins for infants or pregnant or lactating female humans may be lower. Levels for fish are variable and may be lower or higher to much higher.

FWIW

RTR wrote:(1) Most hobby test kits cannot differentiate between dissolved ammonia gas, NH3, and ammonium ion, NH4. It may be necessary to use a teat which can differentiate between ammonia and ammonium ion. The former is dangerous, while the latter is harmless.

Isn't the ratio of NH3 & NH4 dependant on the PH (at least in saltwater)? So you should be able to calculate the rest if you're smart in Math.

Pufferpunk wrote:If you added 2 different products, how do you know which one worked?

I honestly dont know which one worked. i assume the nitromax worked cause i was adding both to the water column in my 150 gallon with no change. then i dosed the filters with nitromax and i saw a change. I then dosed the other tanks with nitromax in the filters and, it appeared to "cycle" them from what my test kit showed.

I can only really say that putting nitromax in the filter and liquid gravel vac in the water made for an accelerated cycling period. not instant but definately enough to add fish on the first day and it be managable.