Chemical Solutions in a new tank

lilcam

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Jul 17, 2004
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My starter tank came with samples of Bio-Coat and Bio-Safe. Should I bother using them? I read something about Bio-Spira and it's supposed to help with cycling. I'll buy it tomorrow from the LFS.

I didnt rinse the gravel that well so I ended up redoing my tank. I'm not sure if I wanna add Bio-Coat and Bio-Safe. My buddy who has been raising fishes for over 30 yrs states I should just let the water age by having the filter run, but then again I see all these products at the local fish store.
 
You need the tank to cycle. Letting it sit or even run through the filter does not chemically, or biologically cycle the tank. It needs an ammonia source. Many of us here prefer to fishless cycle our aquarium, if for anything at all, to spare possible fish deaths related to stress (and spiking ammonia levels).

If the tank is fishless cycled (read up on what that means and how to do it), and it becomes ready for fish and inhabitants, all products besides a good water conditioner is not needed.
 
Neither of those chemicals would be harmful, nor will they cycle the tank. One might not be needed, though. Do you know if your water has chlorine or chloramines? If your water utility uses chlorine, aging the water will allow it to gas off naturally--and while you can do this in the tank on setup, you'll need to either treat the chlorine or have some buckets/tubs for aging the water you use for water changes. If your water has chloramines, it must be treated chemically--first to break the chloramine down, then to bind the resulting ammonia. The Bio-Safe will accomplish this for you.

Bio-Coat--and other similar products, IMO, are not needed. They aren't harmful, really, but they give the illusion of making the water better for this fish, when truthfully, clena water is as good as it gets for the fish. Adding chemicals and such isn't good--the more stuff in the water, the worse it is, really. Think of being in a room where someone constantly sprays air cleaner. At first, no big deal, but after a while, don't you get sick of the stuff?
 
Ahhh ... ok, i like the analogy with the room and air spary. Well, on Saturday I found my tank to be cloudy and thought maybe I made a mess by adding the Bio-Coat and Bio-Safe. Then I remember that I didnt rinse the gravel too good. As of this morning, I redid the whole tank last night and it's still clear. Let's see what it looks like tonight.
 
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