Fishless Cycling and Bio Spira

[twig]

I'd just cycle it with bio-spira and forget the fishless cycle. Bio-spira works very well and i cycled a full 80g tank with it. added 8 rainbowfish and 6 cory with 6 shrimp and i had a small nitrite spike for a couple days before the tank settled =)

fishless cycles can take a loooooooooooong time.

 

[Star_Rider]

sophiecat, you have listed active established tanks..correct?
is you do..you don't need biospira..
you hve a couple options with the existing tanks..run new filter in existing tank, run sponge filter in existing tank'or you can squeeze/clean your filter in the new tank releasing bacteria from the existing tank to the new tank..with fish added it can ccyle in as little as three days.

heck you could even try your method in it..using existing live bacteria from your tanks.

I use the 'filter squeezins' method on my new tanks..works like a charm.

 

[NeonJulie]

Sophie, if you do the fishless cycling with ammonia for 4-7 days, there's a good chance you will have a good supply of NitrItes. It took about 4 days for me to get the bacteria to the point that it depleted Ammonia under 6 hours. (But yours is a larger tank.)

If you gave it a little time beforehand, you could then add the Bio-Spira all at once, and keep feeding it ammonia, because there would be NitrItes to feed it. Just my opinion.