Fishless cycle + Biospira

[anonapersona]

I'd add the BioSpira to your filter. With 5ppm ammonia, it may not be an "instant" end to your cycle, but it should significantly shorten your cycling time. Still better to continue this way fishlessly than to go the fishy cycling route. If the BioSpira isn't viable, then you haven't harmed any fish.

Of course, a full water change will eliminate the ammonia, leaving any bacteria that have already begun in the filter. Then adding the BioSpira dosed at the proper rate followed by fish, as per directions, would certainly work. No fish will suffer.

Man, you folks are hard-headed. About 4 people have said that adding the BioSpira to a tank with high ammonia will not help much. But, hey, go ahead, it's your time and your money..... sheesh.

 

[anonapersona]

Since none of this thread has been of any help, this is what I'm gonna do:

I'll add half the BIOSpira into the filter (on the ceramic rings, below the micro filter) and let is go for a couple days. Once the nitrites start showing, I'll dump the other half to eat the nitrites and boost the cycle.

Does it SAY to add it to the filter??? No.

 

[Xielos]

Have you read the instructions on the BioSpira? Does it say anything that indicates to you that you ought to add the BioSpira and then wait 1-2 weeks to add fish????

I'm not an idiot, I know fully well I'm not using the Bio Spira as directed. Let me put it this way:


Lotsa bacteria food (5ppm ammonia) + Little bit of bacteria(1oz of Bio Spira) = Lotsa bacteria (which will eventualy cycle the tank)

Nitryfying bacteria live in the filter media and in the substrate. If I add it to the wter, its just floating there untill it finds its way into the filter. The logical thing to do is add it straight to the filter.

Have you even read the entire thread?

 

[ozziegt]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[Ghostshrimp55]

I'll throw in my two cents again. Now, this is based on experience. I tried a method similar to what Xielos is trying. Only, I started off with gravel and filter squeezings from an established tank. The ammonia level was brought up to 5ppm. After about 2 weeks, it dropped down to 3 ppm. At that point I figured, hey, the cycle has somewhat started. Let me go and add bio-spira. So, I added 3/4 of one of the big pouches (I think for a 90 something gallon tank). I have a 55g tank, so I figured I was good. I waited a few days and checked for nitrites. Once I had those, I added the rest of the package so I could be sure that I was introducing a large nitrite-eater colony at a time when there was food available for them. Okay, should be good right? NO. The tank levels stayed at 3ppm ammonia, pH 8.5, .3ppm nitrites, and 20ppm nitrates for another 2 weeks.

It was at that point that I figured something was wrong. So, I e-mailed the manufacturers of bio-spira and explained what I did up to that point. They said that in order for it to work properly, you need to add it to the water and then add your fish. To me it defies logic. Fish=ammonia and I added ammonia so it should have worked. But, in reality, the cycle stalled. I think it had something to do with the pH of 8.5 due to the large levels of ammonia. That's just a hunch. But, anyway, I don't think fishless cycling with bio-spira is a reliable method, not at levels of 5ppm ammonia. Maybe you could try a much smaller concentration......say 1ppm........and build it up from there. That might work. I just feel that intoducing a large amount of a base into the system is bad mojo for bio-spira.

That's my two cents.............again.

Oh, and one final edit. After realizing that the whole cycle had stopped, I changed out 90% of the water, added 6 cories and 6 zebra danios, an amazon sword, a red crypt and 2 other plants that I can't identify. I watched the water levels religiously and did small changeouts every day until I consistantly got 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and only a little bit of nitrates (10-20ppm). I didn't lose a fish and everyone is very healthy and active today, even the 5 otos that I added 3 weeks ago.

I understand the risks of fishy cycling but, is it really that awful? All you have to do is watch your levels and change water accordingly and the fish will be quite happy. Throw in some plants to help eat ammonia and nitrates and all will be okay.

 

[mishi8]

My experience was a little different. My fishless cycle was taking quite a long time, even with seeding. I determined that it had, in fact, stalled due to too much ammonia and extremely high nitrite and nitrate readings (I got readings of all three almost immediately in the cycle due to seeding). I corrected the stall with water changes to bring readings into line (NH3, NO2, NO3 and KH). Once the cycle was corrected and allowed to continue along, THEN I added BioSpira, which seemed to quickly finish up the cycle. The BioSpira was essentially a boost of additional bacteria. Now, it's entirely possible that my cycle was going to end anyway, but with the way it was progressing I anticipated that it would take longer than it did with the addition of BioSpira.

 

[Bosemani Fan]

My $.2= Bio-Spria is not an instant Cycle! It will shave some time off of the Cycling Process but will not replace it!

 

[RockabillyChick]

i'm trying to fishless cycle plus biospira, and its NOT working the way its supposed to, so do it the way the packet says.

i had 4ppm ammonia, added the biospira, its been about a week, and the ammonia is STILL 4ppm, even though my nitrite and nitrate are off the scale on the test. i'm probably going to end up doing a full water change, hope theres enough good bacteria in the filter, and throw in some danios.

 

[mishi8]

My $.2= Bio-Spria is not an instant Cycle! It will shave some time off of the Cycling Process but will not replace it!

Exactly. It takes time to cycle. BioSpira should shorten the cycling time, if it is viable. The whole process of cycling and keeping fish in general is one of patience...there is no such thing as an instant cycle with a new tank and filter.

 

[mishi8]

i'm trying to fishless cycle plus biospira, and its NOT working the way its supposed to, so do it the way the packet says.

i had 4ppm ammonia, added the biospira, its been about a week, and the ammonia is STILL 4ppm, even though my nitrite and nitrate are off the scale on the test. i'm probably going to end up doing a full water change, hope theres enough good bacteria in the filter, and throw in some danios.

Have you considered that your cycle may have stalled due to the off the chart readings? Have you tested your KH and PH? Since you've given the BioSpira a week (your other message said only 4 days) to settle, try a large water change and then dose again with ammonia to see where you're at at the 24 hour period. If you really want to just add a few fish, then first challenge your biofilter with a smaller amount of ammonia to see if your biofilter will handle a small number of fish rather than a tank full. You may be able to add small number of the fish you want (if it's anything other than danios) rather than trying to cycle with a fish you don't want to keep.