My Tank Just Wont Cycle

[Dr. Bogger]

Hi everyone,

Sorry if im missing something here, but this is kinda imporent as i already have expensive fish in my aquarium... and i need my tank to cycle ASAP.

Okay, I purchased Turbo Start by Fritz at my LFS, and it was a bad batch i received, so i returned it for a new bottle.. However, i have already used over half the bottle in my 28 gallon aquarium, and the bottles is a 4 oz bottle (treats 150 gallons), however, my 28 gal tank has yet to even reduce ammonia, i dont even see increasing nitrates, so im kinda lost as to what is happening.

Now, my 10g tank that i used turbo start has completely cycled already, within 3 days ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates are about 15-20 now... however in my 28 gal tank, its now going on 4 days, as i received my bottle of turbostart on friday.... and my big 28 gal tank still has 1ppm ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates (thats the amount of nitrates that are in my tap water)...

Does anyone have any idea why my big tank just wont cycle? its realy getting annoying, and turbo start says i should notice a drop in ammonia within 24 hours, however, i havent seen a drop at all, except when i do water changes, which is obvious.

Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[doresy]

Sounds like an awful start!

I don't believe any wonder additive will cycle a tank, let alone in days .......sorry

What 'expensive fish' have you got?

 

[Dr. Bogger]

Sounds like an awful start!

I don't believe any wonder additive will cycle a tank, let alone in days .......sorry

What 'expensive fish' have you got?

Yes, Turbo start WILL cycle a tank in 5 days, i have used it in the past, and it worked like a charm

please, someone who knows a little bit about turbo start, please help me out.

 

[Snooks1!]

Why not just cycle the tank with ammonia?

And if you already have a fish in your tank..why would you try cycling it?

 

[andrew84uk]

Hi everyone,

Sorry if im missing something here, but this is kinda imporent as i already have expensive fish in my aquarium... and i need my tank to cycle ASAP.

Okay, I purchased Turbo Start by Fritz at my LFS, and it was a bad batch i received, so i returned it for a new bottle.. However, i have already used over half the bottle in my 28 gallon aquarium, and the bottles is a 4 oz bottle (treats 150 gallons), however, my 28 gal tank has yet to even reduce ammonia, i dont even see increasing nitrates, so im kinda lost as to what is happening.

Now, my 10g tank that i used turbo start has completely cycled already, within 3 days ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates are about 15-20 now... however in my 28 gal tank, its now going on 4 days, as i received my bottle of turbostart on friday.... and my big 28 gal tank still has 1ppm ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates (thats the amount of nitrates that are in my tap water)...

Does anyone have any idea why my big tank just wont cycle? its realy getting annoying, and turbo start says i should notice a drop in ammonia within 24 hours, however, i havent seen a drop at all, except when i do water changes, which is obvious.

Thanks for the help in advance.

People have been giving me advice for few days about fishless cycling and added expensive fish without cycling could cause you a major headache if they die. Money spent for nothing on such beutiful fish. You should have cycled before buying them.

I can't offer any advise apart from go and buy some ammonia and start the cycle this way instead of bottled stuff. I would be tempted to do a water change and add ammonia.

 

[smmetz]

Well, doing big water changes is about the only thing you can do to reduce amonia while the bacteria catch up. I recommend 50% change today and tomorrow, to get the ammonia down a bit.

I always liked this thread for cycling questions:
<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=10099</a>

Look for the section: "How to Save the Day (and the Fish) with an Un-Cycled Tank"

edit: there are also some products that claim to nuetralize ammonia while not stopping a tank from cycling. I do not know anything about how effective they are and if they really do not interfere with cycling, but one such product is Amquel. Searching for it, I can now only find Amquel+. I do not know if that claims to not interfere with cycling. (I have an old bottle of Amquel, and it claims on the bottle that is does not interfere with cycling)

eidt # 2(lol): found an item description from amazon that claims:

does not interfere with the biological nitrogen cycle in aquariums or ponds. The harmful ammonia in the cycle is changed by AmQuel into a non-toxic compound that the bacteria quickly consume

http/www.amazon.com/Kordon-AmQuel-Instan...r/dp/B000256EMG

 

[celaeno]

this is why you should make sure any bacterial additive actually works (by dosing ammonia and testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) before putting fish in.

 

[Truck]

use api stress zyme its brilliant

 

[Dr. Bogger]

Okay, first of all i only have one expensive fish in it, along with a bunch of guppies, the expensive fish only cost me $6.49, so its not like its THAT big of a deal, but you get the point.

However, i would like some advise from somebody who has actualy USED Turbo Start...

I can see this thread is already going agenst me

Turbo Start is SUPPOSE to completely cycle the tank, and those who do not know what turbo start is, or how it works, please do not reply anymore...

its not the fact that i may loose fish, its that i am concerned that my tank has not cycled yet, however, my 10g tank has completely cycled in 3 days.

PLEASE, ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT TURBO START REPLY!

use api stress zyme its brilliant

Stress Zyme doesent work for crap... Just a little FYI, The ONLY two products that i know of, that actualy cycle a tank (for real) within 5 days, is Turbo Start, and Bio-Spira.

 

[bronzecat]

Hi Dr Bogger

I dont think anyone is going against you, but you need to read between the lines?

Stress Zyme doea work i can assure you, it cleared up a problem in one of my tanks in about 36-48 hours, with partial water changes.

Best of luck

 

[Dr. Bogger]

Hi Dr Bogger

I dont think anyone is going against you, but you need to read between the lines?

Stress Zyme doea work i can assure you, it cleared up a problem in one of my tanks in about 36-48 hours, with partial water changes.

Best of luck

Yes, stress zyme might clear up problems with cycling, like if the bacteria dies off, but imo, it does not actualy help with the innital cycle of the tank... i have used it before, and i have never actualy noticed anything when using it...

 

[Snooks1!]

You know what works absolutely 100%, without a shadow of a doubt for cycling tanks?

NH3



Bio-spira and other such additives are very iffy. When they do work, they're great, but roughly 50-75% of all bio-spira is old and dead. It's extremely hard to keep the bacteria alive inside of a bottle...Between manufacture and shipping, not to mention the time spent on a store shelf, there's no telling just how said products were kept.

So, to answer your question:

You bought a bad batch of Turbo Start.

By telling "ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT TURBO START REPLY" you come off as very pig-headed and stubborn. It's very simple; products meant to cycle your tank don't always work. If you are really that upset about your tank not cycling because of some hokey additive, why not just start over and do a proper fishless cycle?

There is no quick and easy way to start a tank, you'll have to do it right, or you'll have massive problems. I'm not trying to discourage you from keeping fish, but by trying to cut corners will only cause problems.

 

[Dr. Bogger]

You know what works absolutely 100%, without a shadow of a doubt for cycling tanks?

NH3



Bio-spira and other such additives are very iffy. When they do work, they're great, but roughly 50-75% of all bio-spira is old and dead. It's extremely hard to keep the bacteria alive inside of a bottle...Between manufacture and shipping, not to mention the time spent on a store shelf, there's no telling just how said products were kept.

So, to answer your question:

You bought a bad batch of Turbo Start.

By telling "ONLY PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT TURBO START REPLY" you come off as very pig-headed and stubborn. It's very simple; products meant to cycle your tank don't always work. If you are really that upset about your tank not cycling because of some hokey additive, why not just start over and do a proper fishless cycle?

There is no quick and easy way to start a tank, you'll have to do it right, or you'll have massive problems. I'm not trying to discourage you from keeping fish, but by trying to cut corners will only cause problems.

I am sorry if that comment sounded rude... but i already know all about the fishless cycle, and i did it in the past, and honestly, after i did it, i have had all my fish for about 2 months after doing it die for unknown reasons... I read all the instructions right, and everything, thats the main reason why i didnt realy wanna do a fishless cycle again.

And also, if you would have read my entire post, the turbo start DID work on my 10gallon tank... that tank cycled completely in 3 days with turbo start... After the 3rd day, ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrates = 15-20. So i know for a fact the turbo start i bought works, because it did a wonderfull job on my 10g tank... but just wont work on my 28g tank, for unknown reasons.

I should also mention, that turbo start i received was a new fresh shipment... and ALL turbo start bottles include a expireation date on the bottom of the bottle. Turbo Start MUST be refridgerated, or the bacteria will die off, and if frozen it will also die... So the refridgerated life of turbo start is suppose to be 3 months after it is manufactered.

I apologies to anyone who was offended by my post... but im looking for a proper anwser, not the common "You should have done a fishless cycle" anwser... i know all about fishless cycles.

 

[Snooks1!]

Bad batch of the stuff then mate.

Sometimes that's just the way the cake bakes.

 

[Dr. Bogger]

Bad batch of the stuff then mate.

Sometimes that's just the way the cake bakes.

I thought i just explained above, that it IS NOT a bad batch...

My 10 Gallon Tank COMPLETELY CYCLED in 3 Days using Turbo Start... So that is proof that its not a bad batch... i am using the same bottle as i did with the 10g tank... and i put in the turbo start in my 28gal tank at the exact same time as i did with the 10 gallon tank.

yet one has cycled, and the other did not... both tanks have fish in them, actualy, the 10g tank has about 30 or 40 little baby guppies in it, along with 5 adult guppies...


And my 28gal tank has 1 Bichir, and like 6 or 7 adult guppies...

I figured adding a few extra fish may help grow the bacteria faster when using turbo start.

So i am bascily wondering why my big tank wont cycle when using the same bottle of turbo start as i used with the 10g tank, that completely cycled in 3 days.

Not to be rude, but im starting to get tired of explaing the same thing over and over again