Seachem Stability, Tetra Safe Start Or Better?

[zain611]

Is seachem stability a good product to get for cycling a new tank with no long term causes after or tetra safe start (TSS) or is there a better one?

 

[zain611]

Anyone heard of bio spira? i heard it was the best conditioner to instantly cycle your tank overnight but it had to be refrigerated but tetra made a new formula where you dont need to refrigerate it called safe start

 

[CezzaXV]

The general consensus is that such products do very little to nothing to create a cycle, and there definitely aren't any products other than used filter media that can cycle a tank overnight. Such products may or may not aid a cycle that is going on otherwise, but they're not going to cycle a tank on its own.

I see from your signature you have a tank with fish in it. Do I take this to mean you're doing a fish in cycle?

 

[phoenixgsd]

i think its common sense really, a cycled filter has a colony of bacteria, right? this bacteria takes weeks to grow, feeding on fish waste ect, nothing you add to your tank can grow a whole colony in your filter overnight, so you should ask yourself, do any of these products 'really' work, do these bottles contain enough live bacteria after being bottled and stood on a shop shelf without being fed for however long, to cycle a tank overnight

 

[the_lock_man]

From what I've read, BioSpira DID work. I think the OP is right in that Tetra bought the manufacturers, and it was never heard of again. There is also a product I've read about in the States called Dr Tim's which apparently works too - I don't think anyone's importing it to the UK though.

So it seems that it is possible to make an additive that works (in as much as it reduces the time taken to establish the cycle, wouldn't like to say "overnight" though) - it seems to me as though the other manufacturers aren't prepared to invest in the R&D to make something worthwhile. Presumably on cost grounds.

 

[zain611]

Okay it looks like i have to do WC then if i get my 215l tank and i current tank is cycled and i did have an ammonia and nitrite spike a few weeks ago were i changed from gravel to sand

 

[DJH584]

There is also a product I've read about in the States called Dr Tim's which apparently works too - I don't think anyone's importing it to the UK though.

The product the_lockman_man is referring to may well be Dr Tim's One and Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria for Freshwater Aquaria and this is available through Amazon HOWEVER the postage is £8.44 which makes me think that it would be sent from the USA.

 

[zain611]

Is this it?

http/www.amazon.co.uk/DR-TIM%2527S-AQUATICS-Only-Freshwater/dp/B001LULBXI/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1357149480&sr=1-4

 

[DJH584]

Is this it? http/www.amazon.co...57149480&sr=1-4

Nope this one - far cheaper http/www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Tims-Aquatics-One-Only/dp/B001LUOI92/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1357151291&sr=1-1-fkmr0

 

[zain611]

So does it work and doesnt contain bacteria which you need to keep topping up in your tank?

 

[CezzaXV]

You don't need to top up bacteria in your tank. Once you've grown them by way of a cycle, they'll always be there and reproducing as long as there's a food source for them.

I'd prefer to do it the old fashioned way with bottled ammonia. In my opinion it can teach you a lot about caring for fish and water quality. Seems like most people want it to be just be able to add fish right away and not understand the science. Although it's sold as a freshwater product, I see all of the positive reviews are for use in a saltwater tank which contain live rock which would already contain the bacteria BEFORE adding this product. I see the one scathing review was from someone trying to use it in their freshwater cichlid tank (which wouldn't have already contained any of the bacteria).

 

[#1 Fish Fan]

I use either API stress coat OR tetra safe.

 

[zain611]

Im starting to remember now that when i had my 5 goldfishes in my tank (28l) 10 months ago my tank was really overstocked so i decided to give them to my grandad as he has a pond and somewhere after i cleaned the sponge and noticed there was 0 nitrites (before ammonia and nitrites were high before i cleaned the sponge) so i decided to get tropical fish for the first time aswell. i then went to a pets@home a little far from my home and got some API strezz zyme, interpet dechlorinator and heater. After that i fully cleaned the tank and gravel (with tap water but left filter sponge) filled it up with water and left it for a week to settle during that time i added a bit of stress zyme. After that and when i cycled my tank i never had an nitrite spike just ammonia but what made me know it was cycling was how much ammonia would increase each day so could API stress zyme may of gave a 0ppm nitrite

 

[CezzaXV]

Did you notice a rise in nitrates? No nitrites isn't really a good thing during a fish-in cycle. Obviously you want rid of them because they're hazardous to fish, but them not rising at all and no rise in nitrates either would indicate that no cycling is going on whatsoever.

 

[zain611]

There was a rise in nitrates, during that time i had to replace the sponge as there was something going wrong with the cycle and when i was cycling with that sponge it was the same with no nitrite readings but a few weeks ago i got a nitrite and ammonia spike when i changed substrate but that cleard yp in 3 days and that was the first time i got a nitrite spike since that time