How long should I wait to do a water change? How long does it take for the nitrobacter to take root and start working?
after I add bio spira
- Thread starter dave76
- Start date
Wait untill your nitrites spike like mine did :/ I would almost say add the fish and add the bio spira on the next day so there is food ready for it. I added both at the same time and my nitrites spiked pretty bad on like the 3rd day. I did 50% water changes like twice a day for a few days till it stopped. Then everything was perfect. Just test your ammonia/nitrite levels every morning and night and if the levels spike do a water change.
Wait 1 week. By this time you should see nitrAtes, and you will have a healthy bio support system.
I have used BIO-Spira in the past. Follow the Directions. Add fish 24 hours after the BIO-Spira unless you plan to use ammonia to feed the bacteria. If you add the BIO-Spira, then do nothing but test you will lose some bacteria as they have nothing to eat and then when you add a full bio-load you've just shot yourself in the foot.
Having said this, you may still discover a large spike. In my case I had ammonia, and nitrite spikes both after using BIO-Spira. I still cycled faster than if I had not used BIO-Spira at all, but I still had a longer fishy cycle than I would have liked. My favorite method of cycling is combining BIO-Spira and Fishless Cycling. Simply dump in the BIO-Spira, give it 24 hours to settle in, then dose ammonia to 5ppm. Check in 24 hours. If the ammoni and nitrites are gone and you've only nitrates left, congratulations, you're cycled. If you still see high ammonia and or nitrites, congratulations, you've just saved your fish from a lot of anguish, just keep adding ammonia to 5ppm daily until the bacteria can get rid of it in a 24 hour period, then do a large volume water change and add a full bio-load. Good luck!
Having said this, you may still discover a large spike. In my case I had ammonia, and nitrite spikes both after using BIO-Spira. I still cycled faster than if I had not used BIO-Spira at all, but I still had a longer fishy cycle than I would have liked. My favorite method of cycling is combining BIO-Spira and Fishless Cycling. Simply dump in the BIO-Spira, give it 24 hours to settle in, then dose ammonia to 5ppm. Check in 24 hours. If the ammoni and nitrites are gone and you've only nitrates left, congratulations, you're cycled. If you still see high ammonia and or nitrites, congratulations, you've just saved your fish from a lot of anguish, just keep adding ammonia to 5ppm daily until the bacteria can get rid of it in a 24 hour period, then do a large volume water change and add a full bio-load. Good luck!
If you read the Skeptical Aquarist there is a bit of a story about that. I think in the end, because of other things beside ammonia in urine, it's not the best idea.muskrat said:
Harlock said:
Actually it was in reference to a discussion we had before he got the tank regarding a fishless cycle i had accomplished using pure ammonia. He suggested that I just pee in there saying it would accomplish the same thing. He suggested that after I told him how hard it was to find a pure ammonia source.
If you wait 24 hours after adding bio spira before adding fish then a lot of it is going to die. I believe that's about the limit it can survive without a food source. WHen you put the fish in they won't immediately produce ammonia, at least not at a sufficient level to keep the bacteria alive. So you should add it at the same time as the fish if not a little while after.
Don't wait a week to do a water change. If you detect any ammonia or elevated levels of nitrites then do a water change. It will usually have taken a few days for them to rise and most of the bacteria will have started colonizing somewhere, they won't stay freefloating in the water for too long.
Don't wait a week to do a water change. If you detect any ammonia or elevated levels of nitrites then do a water change. It will usually have taken a few days for them to rise and most of the bacteria will have started colonizing somewhere, they won't stay freefloating in the water for too long.