Cycling products

[Captain Nemo]

Hi! Was looking through my fish catalogue and found several pages devoted to products like "Cycle" and others that claim that if you use them they eliminate harmful ammonia and nitrite and turn them into nitrate without causing any harm to the fish, or interfering with your nitrogen cycle. If I understand them correctly this means you can cycle safely with fish. But how true is this?

 

[jrd77]

I tried the "Cycle" with my fist tank and while adding the product had a giant Danio and a pleco in there. They all did fine but in my opinion, it would be better to save your money and do it the natural way with a couple of really hearty fish and frequent water changes because I peaked at pretty high leveles even with the Cycle, BUT not one fish died...Best of luck!

-Jessie

 

[Teelie]

Most of the cycling stuff isn't worth it. Bio-Spira is the only thing I've heard that is proven to work.

 

[Where the river goes]

I've tried cycle and bio-spira, both are junk imo.

 

[yhbae]

Bio-spira is proven to work while others are not.

I still believe the best way is to seed bacteria from established tanks... Grab some java moss from established tank into a new one with light fish load, and bingo!

 

[Sylvia27]

I used ammo chips. 2 fishes died the next day.
Then, when the nitrite spiked, I used nitro-zorb. My nitrite went down to 0 in 2 days.
Question is: maybe it would have gone down without the nitro-zorb.
I don't know for sure.
It was recommended to me here and I believe it helped.

Sylvia

 

[ajhainey]

I think Hagen 'cycle' helped me - the first batch was definately duff but adding doses from the second bottle I got had a very noticeable effect on ammonia/nitrite levels..

aj xx

 

[robbrouse]

I have had my 20 gallon tank set up now for about 5 weeks (4 with fish) and I make suren to check levels everyday. My Ammonia spiked at just about (+\-) 2. And my Nitrite was at 2 untill today (it hit 3). I've been doing 10 to 15% water changes every day or every other day at the latest. I started with 2 Zebra Dinos and 2 golden Teters and they all 4 seem to be very active and happy. I just will be happy for the day my Nitrite tet at zero.

I've also started a fishless cycle on a 10 gallon tank. It's the long way around, but I figure no fish will suffer this way (just wish I've of know about the fishless cycle before I started the fish one).

I've talked to a few LFS and they all swear by bio-spira, the probelm is it's very hard to come bu here in Utah, not sure else where.

Just take it slow and if you do do a FISH cycle, be willing to change a lot of water and you just pull though it. I've heard it'll take longer do teh water changes, but I'd perfer my fish to make it.

Robb

 

[nirvanarama]

cycling products like stress zyme and "cycle" are very controversial and while a lot of people sya it works, a lot of people also reckon that it doesnt and that it is junk. its a classic case of seeing what works for your set-up, as everyone is different and our experiences all vary from one another.

well thats my opinion done i think....

 

[heresmike]

I've tried Cycle and Bio-Spira. Cycle did nothing at all that I could tell. Fishless cycle took weeks. Unsure if Bio-Spira did its thing or not. I used it in a fishless cycle, and the cycle took 10 days. But I had also added some filter media from a mature tank, so I don't know if it was the Bio-Spira or the mature media that sped things up. I doubt if I'll be spending any money on either product in the future.