Cycled instantly???

L

lillibirdy

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Feb 5, 2005
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Wednesday, I set up brand new 45g tank, let it settle,

Thursday added Stress Zyme. (says it has 300 million live bacteria in it, but I forgot they need ammonia to live)

Friday added the Magnum 350 pro w/dual bio wheels, to my 45 gallon tank , I seeded the canister with gravel and media from an established tank, and added one fish, started her up.

Saturday, I finally made up my mind to use bio spira to cycle, and picked up 5 small silver dollars and 5 serpae tetras. I assumed I would receive bio spira by Tuesday (was ordered), and would have plenty of ammonia for the good buggers to eat by then. I was also testing levels for fish safety, prepared to change water if necc till I got the bio spira in......

Monday night,Well...., it is day three of fish and aquarium, and still Ammonia is 0 Nitrites are 0 and it looks like Nitrates are 5......HOW can this be???? Did it cycle instantly because of the seeding? Where is the process? Where is the spikes????

Shouldn't, (if cycled) the Nitrates be a tad higher? If it IS OK, should I then NOT put the bio spira in??? Or is it just that the aquarium is large and hasn't shown the ammonia YET, and I am misreading the Nitrates? I even took it to neighbor to get an unbiased read of the card and they said 5. BUT, you know what they say about something seeming to good to be true it probably isn't...but would be nice...
KathyW
 
No, it's not cycled let alone be stable. No tank cycles in 3 days regardless if you do fishless or fish cycling. Add the bio-spira, Why keep it unless you are going to put up another tank really soon.
 
It may be entirely possible your tank is already cycled.

If you added enough seeded media to your tank to handle your specif bioload then your tank IS cycled regaurdless of what Freeless says.
Just to be safe though, I would keep testing your tank daily for another week or so, then weekly for another 4 weeks just to make sure.

I routinely have used cycled media to start new tanks immediately and have never had any ill effects. I always test to make sure, but to date have not had a tank set up this way go into another cycle.
 
freeless2002 said:
No, it's not cycled let alone be stable. No tank cycles in 3 days regardless if you do fishless or fish cycling. Add the bio-spira, Why keep it unless you are going to put up another tank really soon.
Click to expand...

I think you missed the details in the post Freeless. If I take a AC 300 off an established 55g tank and put it in a new 30g tank and add fish, I have already cycled the new tank, granted I didnt overload the 30g to a capacity greater than the 55g.

But yes, if one has already bought the Bio Spria and doesnt have immedate plans to start a new tank, I would suggest adding it to the tank as well. Either way, in this case, its going to waste.
 
Tap water tested 0 for Nitrates.... Wow, what a trip. I am still messin around testing and water changing 4 weeks now with this other ten gallon tank I started with two fish (didn't seed), and this new 45g is cruisin right along??? Seeding is amazing. Yes, I will keep testing tho...still not convinced it is done.

About Bio Spira, this is from their website regarding storage, since I have another tank I want to do this summer, it wouldn't go to waste in the fridge if I don't use it now.

BIO-Spira® is an active bacteria culture. Refrigeration provides the optimal long-term storage. If BIO-Spira® is left out of the refrigerator at room-temperature, it will still perform at optimal conditions. However, it is best to return BIO-Spira® to refrigeration when possible. Use the following as a guide:

a. Long Term Storage (1 year): 50°F (10°C)
b. Mid Term Storage (6 months): 39°F-87°F (4°C-31°C)

With this in mind, in FAQ it also has this......
Q: Does BIO-Spira® expire?

A: BIO-Spira® is comprised of living bacteria, so it does expire. Refrigeration extends the shelf life and retail outlets carry a limited supply of BIO-Spira®. To ensure freshness, use BIO-Spira® within 30 days of purchase.


I guess the trick is to know when the timeline starts, when I recieve it or when they package it...maybe I will email them and ask.

More input welcomed!!!
KathyW
 
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Perhaps add it to your 10g you are having problems with.

And don't be too shocked by the seeding success. Think of it this way....you are doing with seeding what Bio Spira does. You are simply adding biologicals to your tank to cope with whatever bioload you introduce.
 
I just did this with my 33 gallon. I had the old filter from my 10 gallon and about 10lbs of the gravel/poop and plants from the established tank(2 years).

I threw the dirt/filter in and put in 5 fish a couple days later, a barb, 2 tetras, 2 corys and 1 pleco. Only one fish has died on me 2 months after setup and I also added everything from my 10 gallon within a week. I detected no change in my fish apart from obviously being in a larger tank.
 
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In my opinion seeding speeds things up but it doesn't allow for instant cycling. I would still keep close tabs on your water quality for at least another week. If you start seeing nitrates without seeing any ammonia or nitrites then your good to go.
 
It sounds to me like there are a couple of things going on. First, your bioload is pretty small for a 45 gallon tank so it shouldn't exactly send levels through the roof. Second, you're taking measurements pretty shortly after you've introduced the fish. Lastly, the seeding material you used is at least helping to jumpstart a bacteria colony.

You're on the right track to keep testing and keep a watchful eye. I would also keep from adding anymore fish for a couple of weeks even after you're sure ammonia and nitrities are not present. When you do buy ad more fish, do it slowly so as not to overload the bacteria colony.

Seeding worls extremely well as long as you are seeding with material loaded with enough bacteria. I've started three tanks with filter material from my first tank and have never had ammonia or nitrites show up in those tanks.
 
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