Stalled Cycle? Adding Bio-Spira to partly cycled tanks?

tomm10

tomm10

Prodigal Son
Oct 15, 2003
751
0
0
Oxford, MA
www.tomwalkerportraits.com
I am on day 13 of cycling my 10g tank with four Zebra Danios. I've been testing for Ph, Ammonia, and Nitrite every day and for the last four days I've been testing for Nitrates as well.

Ph is holding steady at 7.2 but what concerns me is that for the last 7 days Ammonia has been at 1.0, Nitrites has been at .25, and (for the 4 days I've tested) Nitrates have been at 5.

Last weekend I got some cotton from the filter of one of the tanks from my lfs and swooshed it around in the tank. I then stuffed it into my filter. I've been trying not to overfeed but I'm sure I have a little bit.

What concerns me is not so much the levels themselve but the fact that they don't seem to be climbing or falling. I have been adding real plants to the tank over the past week. There are now 5 live plants in the tank. Is it possible that moving the substrate around to plant has disliodged/killed some of the bacteria.

Am I just being paranoid here?

Has anyone ever added Bio Spira to a tank they have started to cycle? Is this a possibility?
 
The plants will help reduce ammonia (which means it isn't converted to nitrites or nitrates) and nitrates that were already present. The planting process probably has not affected the bacteria bed that much--I wouldn't worry about that. However, with such a small bio-load, you won't see the dramatic spikes anyway. This means that you will need to be careful about adding fish, since the bacteria bed won't be very large to begin with.

You may also want to test your water source--nitrates are not usually present until the later part of the cycle, which leads me t believe that either they are in your water already, as may be the ammonia. Do you have chloramines, and if so, how do you treat them?

Adding bio-spira can be done at anytime, so far as I understand. Typically, you add the bio-spira, wait XX hours, and then fully stock the tank.
 
patience grasshopper.

to quote someone else, "in this hobby nothing good happens fast".

just a personal note, and i'm not sure if this would apply to bio-spira exactly. i would be hesitant to release large quantities of any bacteria into a tank with fish, especially during the cycle. if you did it before the cycle, great. but now that you have stressed fish with lowered immune systems in a tank that's cycling.... it has looked to me to be a recipe for disaster or at least a few cases of dropsy.

i haven't used bio-spira but i have used several types of bacterial supplements when i was newer at this and i have also seen references from other people that have used stuff too.... in my tank(s) i have seen cases of dropsy (internal bacterial infection) occur that may have been coincidental towards using the supplements...........

YMMV
 
I've tested my tap water for ammonia and have found none. I've yet to test it for nitrites or nitrates in the water but I will. The water is from a well so I doubt it has chloramines but I have been treating the water (on changes and initial filling) with water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines.

I'm not so sure about not getting spikes. A coworker started about the same time that I did with a 5g tank and two leopard danios. His tank has been ammonia spiking at 8ppm!

I may try to go the Bio-Spira route since a local shop sells it. I don't mind waiting for the cycle but I hate stressing the fish.

Thanks
 
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