reasons why cycle is useless

[Kasakato]

Ya well, that's like almost anything. Look on TV, those gadgets don't always do exactly what they say they do. Its just a fact of life, people want money and they find a way to get it.

For ich, salt and heat is the best way. It replaces most ich meds and is safer for the fish. http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39759

 

[wataugachicken]

if you really need a quick cycle get the marineland one it is harder to find cause it has to be kept frozen and it has a short shelf life even when frozen.

bio spira - umm. . it shouldn't ever be frozen. it needs to stay refrigerated so that the bacteria stay dormant, otherwise their life cycle speeds up and they die before you can add them to your tank. freezing will kill them too..

 

[lbritish]

the issue with most disease treatments they sell for things like ick or other horrible things is that they dont treat it long enough... In my opinion all of them are guilty of this. They suggest say 5 days of dosing for disease X and then do a 50% water change or something like that. In reality it should be 10. 50% in between and at the end... or 5 days of dosing, 50% change. 5 more days of dosing 50% change.

The issue is most of these things dont work beacause people dont know how to diagnose microscopic organisms without well.. you know seeing them under a $600+ microscope to tell it's a gram negative versus a gram positive bacteria after trying to stain it with something meaning you should use the blue pill instead of the white pill or something like that. So if you dont know the right drug to use and treat it with the wrong thing you end up killing it with the drugs usually if you go the 10 days. If you use the right drug for the short period of time the fish might survive since it weakened the bad thing up and then fights the rest off by itself. Otherwise it comes back with a vengeance...

The Bio-Spira seems to be the suggested bacteria in a bottle solution from most I've read. The rest is sort of like that live sand in a bag that sits on a shelf for 6-12 months for the saltwater people... how that works who knows...

 

[nascar2]

Bio Spira

I used the Bio-Spira when I setup my tank. Did not have any problems. I bought the tank and Bio-Spira. Put the bio in the fridge and set up the tank, filter, heater etc. I let it run for a couple days and then purchased my fish. I think I started with 8 fish. I added the fish and half the Bio to the tank. Then a week later I added the other half of the Bio-Spira. The 2nd half was stored in the fridge also, not sure if it being open but in a ziploc bag actually affected the bacteria.

 

[Ghoti]

Wondering why?

. I added the fish and half the Bio to the tank. Then a week later I added the other half of the Bio-Spira. The 2nd half was stored in the fridge also, not sure if it being open but in a ziploc bag actually affected the bacteria.

I was wondering why you start with half? The bacteria should double in # (in the presence of food) in 24 hours and continue doubling every 24 after that until it reaches a balance with the available food. Therefore 24 hours after your first dose there is twice as many bacteria and thus the same as what the original package came with. By the time you added the second half the tank should already be cycled. Is there anything to gain in waiting the week before adding it?

 

[mooman]

I think the aquarium market needs some real government regulation.

Government regulation is the absolute LAST thing that the pet industry needs (or any other industry for that matter). Oops, did I just give away my political leanings :cool2: :duh:

 

[maaltan]

true.

But govenment is all we have. the individual not going to make the right decision as long as money is involved.


edit-

well neither wil the government but anyway