Bio-spira And Cycling

[4CalendarC]

basically i have a 29gal tank, after i bought the tank before i got any fish the specialist at the fish store told me to put the bio-spira stuff in the tank and overnight it would be ready for a few fish. i did this, and she recommended a gourami and a few tiger barbs. i am using a biowheel filter so it has good filtration but even after the first week i still have amonia in the range of .50 - 1.0. so far no fish are dying but just worry that it wont go down and eventually it will slowly kill them.

how long does an amonia spike usually last?

have done a 20% water change and added amonia lock and it still is present

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

Well the Ammonia lock just changes it to a nontoxic form that still reads as ammonia. I forget the exact name of it at the moment, but I'm sure someone will be able to tell us in a minute ;-} I don't really trust the bio-spira stuff, seems too iffy to rely on working. Here's a few articles that could help you understand cycling better- good luck!
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=141944

 

[TigerIssey]

Hi
For more info on the research done on bio-spira

http/www.marineland.com/science/nspira.asp

It does work, the site will point you to any questions you may have. I trust the stuff and reviews on other forums enough to ship from US to UK. With Bio-Spira you are supposed to add your full bio-load of fish at the same time as the bio-spira. Additionally you are not supposed to use ammo lock with it, you are adding actual bacteria that need a source of ammonia ie fish. This is the only time you add fish before cycling, you have to. I think you have lost your ammonia source by using ammo lock therefore your bacteria have died.

I would advise getting another batch + you full bioload of fish aand follow manufacturers instructions which can be found on the link. You may need to empty the tank and refill using recommended conditioner for chlorine etc to rid the tank of ammo-lock.

 

[campbellmay]

Yes, Bio-Spira definitely does work...and I speak from personal experience. But they do advise you not to use any ammonia-removing chemicals, as it interferes with the growth of the bacteria colony. TigerIssey is right, I would change a large percentage of the water, add another pouch of Bio-Spira (you can't overdose on this stuff, thank goodness) and completely stock your tank.


(I think you mean ammonium, ImperfectFaerie )