Biospira tank cycle help!!!

T

tktodd

Registered Member
Apr 14, 2006
3
0
0
Hello

I recently started up a new 35 gallon fish only salwater tank. I added biospira along with five fish. It has been about 40 hours since I added everything. I did test after like 6 hours after adding fish and biospira, and the ammonia was 2.0 or slightly greater and nitrites were at zero. So I got scared and added some AmQuel to the tank just to be safe.This took the ammonia down to 1.0 If my test is showing correctly. The next morning (like 16 hours since biospira was added) I checked the levels again and they were back up to 2.0 on the ammonia and still zero on the nitrites. So I added a little more Amquel and got the ammonia back down to 1.0 again. Now after like 36 hours since biospira was added I tested everything and I got These readings...Ammonia 1.0 - Nitrite 0 - Nitrare 10. Does this sound right?? why is the ammonia still high?? I never saw the nitrites spike at all. Any help would be great.....Thanks
 
your amonia is still high because, IMO, all those miricle cycle thigns dont work. It would have been less expensive and more humain to add a few dead shrimp. You might want to take them back and get store credit for later. Five fish in a 35 gallon pretty much puts it to its max (of course this depends on the tyupe of fish, but generaly speaking), you shouldnt add them all at once.good luck
 
I gave biospira a try because like 80% of what I read on this and other forums praise the stuff. Thanks for the feedback.
 
biospira is the only type of "instant cycle" product that does work. The only problem is it MUST BE KEPT REFRIGERATED, not only by you, but the place you bought it at, on the way from it being shipped there. A delay in shipping or a lost package could destroy the entire shipment.

May i ask what type of test kits you are using? The test strips are very inaccurate and make sure you have the SW test kits and not the FW, speaking of that, you did buy the Marine biospira and not the freshwater right? They are different type of nitrospira for the different kinds of water.
if you just bought the regular biospira that would explain why it didn't work, the salt would have killed all the nitrifying bacteria colonies.
 
Hey Pufferpoison

I am using API saltwater master liquid test kit. The biospira was very cold at the fish store I bought it from and It was the marine type. It has now been just about 3 days since the biospira was added and the latest test are listed below.

Ammonia 0.50

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 20

PH 8.4

Is this the way it should be going using biospira??
 
what's the date on your API test kit? doesn't sound like the nitrite is giving correct readings, Nitrite eaters turn nitrite into nitrate, and unless your water RO/TAP would have nitrates in there, the nitrite bacteria must be growing and doing their job. Can you test the water you use to fill the tank / topoff with? if there isn't any nitrates in there, then your test kit seems to be off, if you've never received any nitrite results.
 
i'm guessing maybe the amquel is giving off some bad readings, i would do a small water change and try to get the ammonia < .25 it's pretty bad stuff for the little guys. Do you have any Live Rock?
 
It sounds like you didn't do much homework on cycling a tank. Read more before you do such things otherwise you have to worry about Ammonia killing fish, which in normal fish-less cycling you don't have a second thought about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom