Tap Conditioner

[sjolliff]

When using api stress coat and adding reccomended amount it stop my cycle no real changes in 35 days
i then started again but jst with tap water and after 5 days nitrites are high and so are nitrates so the stress coat ruined my cycle,

and in my other tank when i put stress coat in all my nitrite and nitrates went,

but when i want to do a water change now will adding jst tap water kill the bacs, i dont want to risk the stress coat

 

[arobinson1984]

I dont quite understand what you mean?

Are your tanks still cycling?

What are the test results?

Andy

 

[sjolliff]

Hi sorry it was a bit vague i was rushing, ill start again



before i bought the said tank i had 10 small perch fry, in a 10 litre tank which had just tap water in only, the fish started to die 1 by 1 untill they was all dead, then i found this site and found out about cycling, so i emptied the tank and put into a black bag,


When i bought the tank which im cycling now tank from new i filled with tap water and added the recommended amount of api stress coat
2 weeks later, hardly any ammonia drop no sign of nitrites and nitrates, so rabbut gave me some of his mature media, 5 days later no change, so he suggested a started again and did a 90% water change (apart from the filter) so i did that added 5ppm of ammonia still no change at this point i was up to about 35days in my fishless cycle.

last sat when i moved the old (fry) tank i heard a bit of water, so i decided to test it, 0 ammonia and nitrites and nitrates really high,

i thought this was wierd, my old tank with just water is cycling and my new tank is not?

so i put a litre of water from the current tank ( which showed 1.5ppm ammonia) im cycling into the old one, i tested it 24 hrs later NO nitrites or nitrates
and still 1.5ppm of ammonia,

I was told to go sparing with the stress coat, thats why i added exactlly how much it said, but it looks like the stress coat stopped my original cycle then killed the bacs in my old tank

last monday i change 90% of the water in my current tank, added only tap water nothing else then added mature media from a friends pond,

and allready ready my nitrites are flying up as well as my nitrates, ammonia going down nicely, and today i had a big ph drop (6.2)

which happens during a cycle

many thanks steve

 

[drobbyb]

If you think it's the stress coat, why don't you try another brand? Personally, I doubt that the stress coat is causing the problems as many many people use it with fantastic results. There has to be some unknown factor which is inhibiting your bacterial growth.

 

[sjolliff]

Its the only thing i dint put in this time and evrything is spot on, and i should not be far off in a week or so, so that would be 2weeks say without stress coat,

which is better than 35days with and still no sign of nitrites and nitrates

 

[arobinson1984]

I cant see how the stress coat would have a negative effect on the bacteria. Its more likely that bacteria may have been affected if you put in any tap water without dechlorinating it first?

I'd try another brand, I've never used it but seachem prime seems to have a good reputation.

Andy

 

[OldMan47]

The Prime works very well in my opinion but I have never seen any bad press on Stresscoat either.

 

[sjolliff]

I just taken a glass of my tank water and added a little stress coat,

so if i test in 24hr, the reading should be the same as my tank (fishless cycling)

the last time i did this the stress coat removed the nitrite and nitrate, which is ok if you have fish in but not while your trying to cycle

 

[sjolliff]

Maybe it dont kill them off but does it de-toxify them, so it does not show on the tests?

 

[sjolliff]

Just tested a few hours after adding some stress coat to the glass sample from my cycling tank

bear in mind that my cycling tank has just hit the nitrite spike and nitrates very high

no nitrites or nitrates, if this would of been in my tank i would have to start again

 

[liamg1285]

thats seems a lil bit weird bout the stresscoat. ive cycled 5 tanks now using it with no problems. but i only used it when adding fresh water as the chlorine will prob kill off any bacteria in the filter and would be bk to square 1.

 

[sjolliff]

Iv just bought some tetra aquasafe abd put some into another sample glass of my cycling tank, goin to leave it a few hours then test

 

[sjolliff]

Just done a test with tetra aquasafe added to the glass sample and the nitrites are lower than my cycling tank

tank is 5ppm and with the tetra aquasafe is around 2ppm, and will continue to get lower i bet.

i did OD with the tetr but is should not make a differance and most people do too

i really dont inderstand how two de-chlorinators iv used is making such a big change to my water

i thought they just got rid of chlorine and the ohter stuff, not nitrites etc,

 

[liamg1285]

wat test kit are u using.

 

[sjolliff]

API master kit,
thought i had a prob before with it so i tried the tetra one got the same results

The only thing i can put it down do is that the water here does not require it

here is the water quality from my local source
http/www.yorkshirewater.com/extra-servic...;loc=bd22%206dn