Cycling (groan)

[Ripples]

Sorry guys... I know this is a terribly boring thread but I kind of need some help.

I'm fishy cycling (yes I know - fishLESS is best - but I honestly couldn't find any ammonia that didn't contain a whole world of other crap in it - and didn't trust myself not to completely muck it up).

Anyway.. my ammonia munching bacteria friends are definitely there. I had a spike for a couple of days, some frenzied water changing.. and it's back down to <25pm (sorry test can't be more specific than that) and holding steady. But my NITRITES are still on the rise.. and despite daily 50% water changes (10 buckets a time. yawn!) they just don't seem to be going down (they're between 3 and 8 which the kit says is dangerous in the long term). PH is normal for me (7.5).

Is there anything I can add to the tank to help with the second level bacteria? I'm already going to take a filter sponge from tank 1 and put it in - but was hoping there was another way of kick starting.

And sorry - I know there's loads of threads on this - I even read the entire cycling sticky - but couldn't find anything to specifically help with 2nd level.

Thank you so much
R

[Liz]

Well, and I'm sure you'll hear it fast.... are you familiar with bio spira?

[mrakins]

As Liz said, BioSpira will work great. Moving the filter sponge in will help. Also, adding a teaspoon or two of salt to the tank will help combat the nitrite toxicity. Other than that, the nitrite eaters seem to be a little slow to grow.

[Ripples]

Thanks guys. I've never come across BioSpira before - but given I'm going to LFS this evening (to pick up more Aquasafe for all these darned water changes!) I'll ask if they have any.

Thanking you - especially for prompt responses!
R

[Liz]

Not sure whether it's neccessary to tell you this:

Make sure they don't sell you any other products claiming to contain cycle boosting bacteria... they all contain dead/useless bacteria, except for biospira. Bio-Spira is hard to find because it has to be refrigerated constantly in order for the bacteria to stay alive (which is partially why many products claiming to contain nitrogen fixing bacteria are useless, they aren't refrigerated and the bacteria can't "hybernate" so they just die off, plus other products don't contain the right bacteria), so it is expensive to ship and maintain. Besides, LFS can make just as much money marketing non-useful products with the claims that they will boost your cycle.

But yeah, Bio Spira, if used under the right conditions and always kept refrigerated, is basically a cycle in a bottle. Right now I am getting readings of nitrites and nitrates in my tank after just a few days.

[Ripples]

Darn. Went to the biggest (and IMHO best) LFS in London and they don't carry it. Don't think it's made its way across the pond yet. Will stick with using filter sponge from old tank and the salt trick.

BTW - so I read 'aquarium salt' for salt there? Presumably I don't grab some stuff from my kitchen? (<---- showing ignorance AGAIN!)

R

[mrakins]

You can use aquarium salt, table salt (w/ or w/o iodine), or kosher salt. I'd stear clear of sea salt or marine salt. And the cheapest would be table salt.

Did you ask whether the folks at the LFS would be willing to order some Biospira for you? A lot of places don't carry it, but maybe some pesky customers would change that :)

[Ripples]

Nice idea. I'll see when I next go in. I guess the problem would be that while they have freezers for food - they don't have fridges for bacteria. Hmmmm.

[Liz]

You can order it yourself at fishstoretn.com
Mine was delayed a day, but I think it's working. Although I'm not sure biospira would be worth it this far into the cycle, and with you adding filter media and such.

[daveedka]

Zee sponge from the other tank will probably get things going long before the bio-spira could arrive. The fact that nitrites are rapidly climbing is a good sign despite the trouble it causes. Water changes and reduced (eliminated) feeding for a few days really will help a bunch. Right now you have good ammonia production and good ammonia consumption. if you reduce ammonia production by reducing the organics (Uneaten food, and rapidly processed food) in the tank, you can slow down the nitrite production a good bit and ake life easier. Your fish really can go a week easily without food, and will still produce plenty of ammonia to keep your cyle going strong without excess production from added organics. It is a natural tendancy to overfeed fish especially new fish, When and if (most of us never get it right) you really learn how little food your fish need you will be amazed. Even if they eat all of the food, they pass much of it through their bodies without processing it and it produces much ammonia in the bottom of the tank.
Dave