is there a third cycling technique

[reg2k2]

Needing to re-dose Amq----this could be due to the use of chloramines. Some years ago, the major water supply here switched over to chloramine...I remember a guy at work asking me if I had my Ammo-Lock ready. My supply is actually different, and didn't convert until last year. I still don't use Ammo-Lock as a conditioner, but things seem ok.

Amquel states it will give false readings w/ Nessler re-agents. Ammo-Lock claims it does not, that it will give an accurate reading. If you check the API site, go to articles, and Chlorine/Chloramine....they do cite a study there. For this reason I would go w/ Ammo-Lock, along w/ the fact that Amquel can affect the use of dye-based med's. I wonder sometimes if people hear of the false readings w/ Amquel, and assume it applies to all a-removers.

Now, if someone shows up w/ high ammonia readings, new tank, fish clearly affected...I have no problem recommending Ammo-Lock2. But to use it with the intent of cycling...hm, I dunno. I think I'd sooner go with Bio-Spira or the like.

Some time ago, there was a rush of posts on cycling---and no beginners' section to house them.lol At that time, I had wanted to start a thread similar to this, myself. Curious about comments on Ammo-Lock2 inhibiting the cycle...compared to what I'd read in the article above.

Also, when my tank initially cycled, I believe it was thru the use of AmRid (zeolite). Not sure if memory serves, but if I had any fish loss right away, I think it would have stuck in my mind. I'd seen cycling charts, but think I largely ignored them. I was testing for ammonia, nitrites and if I'd seen anything near a spike, I think I'd remember that, too. But then....
afaik, zeolite does not remove nitrite, tho carbon may...a little.
Torrean, I've never heard of NI lock...?

 

[Torrean]

I took a quote from the wolfs pinned topic. "add a commercially available nitrite remover."

I have never used nI lock but I believe I have seen it before. Not 100% on that one so it may not exist. But if nI lock is a figment of my imagination what is the wolf referring to?

 

[Briarmoor]

I am way too new to comment on any of the ammonia binding questions here, but for what it is worth, I used Prime on the recommendation of my LFS guru. My ammonia was getting dangerously high during a fish cycle (although the fish seemed okay I wanted to get it under control). The fish didn't take the chemical real well, but I didn't lose any (some gasping and general stress). I will be fishless cycling from now on, I hate stressing the fishies.

P.

 

[Iron Man]

If you want to do an easy fish cycle WITH FISH, use ammolock2 (zeolite?), replace it every month, but every two months during a replacement, put only 3/4s of what you had in there before back in. This will keep ammonia levels safe at the same time giving you a little to cycle with, while starting out with the fish you want to start out with, and you'll be able to do a slow safe fish cycle. Plus....you'll eventuallly get off dependence of the zeolite as well.