Question for all you people who have used BIO-Spira successfully...

[Tycoon]

Can you give me instructions and advice on how to use bio-spira properly?

Were there fish already in your tank when you added bio-spira or did you wait until the bacteria settled in and cycled the tank before you added any fish?

How long did your cycling process take using bio-spira?

[Coler]

the instructions say add biospira and then add fish = instant cycle. if you don't add a food source the bacteria will die off, so no settling in...if it works.

having said that its really hit and miss and I gather has to be stored refrigerated or some such.

I suppose you could add a safety net...put in the biospira then put in some fish food...check levels the next day...no ammonia, no nitrite, some nitrate = a bit of a cycle.

What I wonder about is how to calculate how big of a bio-load a bottle of biospira will accomodate if it works.

[jpappy789]

I used it semi-successfully. I added Bio-spira the same day I set up my tank and the next day added fish (suggested by the LFS). I have had very minimal problems with my tank and they have only been because of poor maintenace on my part. I have heard that this product can be a hit or miss type of thing so rushing into getting fish is pretty risky but as coler said they do need a food source. I started it up with zebra danios in my tank and they have all survived to this very day.

[gingerinaustin]

I cycled two tanks (a 12 gallon brackish tank and the betta 5 gallon) with Bio-Spira.

Bio-Spira alone will not cycle a tank; the bacteria must have an ammonia source to feed upon or they will die. I added the fish at the same time as the Bio-Spira as per the package directions. Neither tank ever had an ammonia spike and as soon as any (any) nitrite showed up, I did a 50% water change.

Cycling occurred in a week for the brackish tank and a week and a half for the betta tank, as evidenced by negative ammonia and nitrite readings and positive nitrate readings. Compared to 63 days to cycle my 55 gallon, it was well worth the money. (I tried adding Bio-Spira midway through cycling the 55 gallon to try and 'speed things up'--it did nothing.)

[Coler]

Interesting that you did get some nitrite despite adding...glad it worked though.


Compared to 63 days to cycle my 55 gallon, it was well worth the money. (I tried adding Bio-Spira midway through cycling the 55 gallon to try and 'speed things up'--it did nothing.)

I guess that shows its hit and miss

[jm1212]

add the Bio-Spira and then get the fish around 24 hours later. if you wait to long though, i.e, longer than 36 hours, the bacteria may be dieing off.

[gingerinaustin]

Coler, Bio-Spira isn't magic--it just speeds up the cycling process and minimizes the ammonia and nitrite spikes. It's normal to see some ammonia and nitrite when using Bio-Spira, which are handled with water changes just like cycling a tank without Bio-Spira. The benefit of Bio-Spira is a shorter, gentler cycling period.

Bio-Spira is designed to cycle new tanks quickly. With the 55 gallon, I didn't add Bio-Spira until day 41. I had already had a minor one-day ammonia spike and a nitrite spike, then the nitrite disappeared...and no nitrates ever showed up. I added the Bio-Spira at that point, trying to get the tank to show some %&^#@#* nitrates. It still took another 25 days (day 66) to see nitrates. My theory is, the Bio-Spira didn't help because there was already plenty of bacteria in the tank already. I don't know why it took so long for my nitrates to build up to a readable level, but the dang thing did finally cycle after 9 1/2 weeks.

[Rbishop]

It helps, but doesn't preclude testing and water changes like any other fishy cycle.

[ct-death]

It helps, but doesn't preclude testing and water changes like any other fishy cycle.
I heard that they changed the formula, but have they finally got a product that carries the same nitrifcating bacterias that we culture or the same as the original? ie. Have the finally proven it works?

That would be awesome if it did. It would be just as effective as grabbing some culture from a LFS then! I get bacteria cultures for $8 at my LFS, how much is Bio-Spira?

[wataugachicken]

i used bio-spira. it wasn't instant, but it saved me a lot of work. instead of twice daily water changes on a 50g tank for a month, i only went through a week-long cycle, which was pretty minimal. 50% changes once a day for a week. not bad.

[gingerinaustin]

I paid $11.50 (including tax) for each "treats 30 gallons" packet of Bio-Spira. The stuff is useless if somewhere between manufacturing and purchase, refrigeration is not properly maintained; I have not had any problems with the Bio-Spira from my LFS.

There is a load of stuff on the Marineland website about what it is, how they developed it and all of Tim Hovenek's published journal articles. All the articles are about "what it is", not "does it work." Like all these products, the only evidence they share on performance is testimonials. Still, Bio-Spira's testimonials are from folks at the NYC aquarium and the Columbus and Tulsa zoos, and the Kent SeaTech hatchery's biologist--a bit more convincing than "Joe Schmo in Podunk says it worked on his 20 gallon."

[necigrad]

Supposedly, the theory is that you should add half the Bio Spira, wait a few days, then add the rest. When you dump it in, there's no food for the bacteria unless the fish have been in there for a bit. On top of that, Nitrates need nitrates, of which there are none in a new tank, so they'll die off. Basically, as I've heard, by adding part at first you help jumpstart the first part of the cycle. After a few days you add the rest to get the other half of the cycle.