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torch
02-16-2015, 04:11 PM
What is best and fast fishless cycle product? I need to redo my 90 gallon tank from scratch it will be using Kaldness K1 media.

torch
02-16-2015, 04:35 PM
I found PurePond and Purepond Bomb. Which one works faster?

FMA4ME
03-02-2015, 06:29 AM
Hi torch. How did your cycle go? I also am interested in a fishless cycle and was wondering about beneficial bacteria in a bottle, are they all the same?

blueluv
03-02-2015, 08:17 AM
I'm going to use tetra safestart. I'm curious what others recommend

torch
03-02-2015, 10:30 AM
Hi torch. How did your cycle go? I also am interested in a fishless cycle and was wondering about beneficial bacteria in a bottle, are they all the same?

I didn't get to chance to setup new tank or purchase PurePond.

FMA4ME
03-02-2015, 03:39 PM
I'm going to use tetra safestart. I'm curious what others recommend

Lol, I'm hoping a few members chime in here.
Thanks torch, let's see what we find out here :)

Larry Grenier
03-02-2015, 03:54 PM
You said "re-doing" so you have all the starter culture you need. I haven't used anything but water from another tank, a little leftover fish food and, even better, a sponge filter from an established tank for many many years. Did this last fall with 8 baby discus and all are happy-n-healthy.

FMA4ME
03-02-2015, 05:43 PM
Thanks Larry! :D
I can't speak for torch, but I'm expecting my very first Discus in about 2 weeks. I do have mature media, but it's 10 years old and probably has seen every thing under the sun in that time. I don't want that nagging at me. So I'm currently sterilizing the tank they'll go in, and using brand new filters. So far Seachem and Prime have come up, are they the same?

Len
03-02-2015, 09:56 PM
purepond all the way. It works extremely well.

FMA4ME
03-02-2015, 10:11 PM
purepond all the way. It works extremely well.

Another one for purepond! I don't think I've ever heard of it, is it only available online?

blueluv
03-02-2015, 10:36 PM
purepond all the way. It works extremely well.

Hey Len. Can purepond be used with pure ammonia to perform a fishless cycling? What do you think of tetra safestart ?

Len
03-02-2015, 10:44 PM
I don't use safestart so can't fairly comment, but yes purepond can be used with ammonia to do a fishless cycle, but you really shouldn't need to do it. The purepond will dissolve over a long period of time as it is needed, and in the meantime the bacteria will be colonizing on your filter media.

FMA4ME
03-03-2015, 11:16 PM
Going with Seachem.

bluelagoon
03-04-2015, 12:30 PM
I haven't used anything but water from another tank,.
The BB colonize on the objects in the tank and filter and not in the water column.That is just dirty/depleted water.

RichardL
04-25-2015, 04:25 PM
I'm going to use tetra safestart. I'm curious what others recommend

I had great success with Tetra SafeStart. Dr. Tim's Aquatics worked well also.

reaper7534
04-26-2015, 03:28 PM
I've used table shrimp in the past to cycle, I'm going with ammonia this time. I have plenty of type since I'm still in the process of setting it up. I've never tried off the shelf products so can't speak for them.

blueluv
04-26-2015, 06:52 PM
I had great success with Tetra SafeStart. Dr. Tim's Aquatics worked well also.


I've used table shrimp in the past to cycle, I'm going with ammonia this time. I have plenty of type since I'm still in the process of setting it up. I've never tried off the shelf products so can't speak for them.
I decided not to try it the way I was planning. Instead I bought 2 pure pond bombs to cycle my aquarium

dragon1974
04-27-2015, 10:34 AM
Going with Seachem.

+1 for me

MissaD89
04-29-2015, 12:37 AM
I've tried a few start up products, and they do really help building up BB. Tetra safe start and marineland aquarium bacteria.

Boyd Luth
01-30-2016, 07:51 AM
I had great success with Tetra SafeStart. Dr. Tim's Aquatics worked well also.

I have used these products in addition to media moved from an existing mature tank, no problems :-)

Willie
01-30-2016, 02:16 PM
I can tell you, as a Ph.D. microbiologist, that there is no scientific possibility that any of the bottled stuff will do anything to promote cycling. As far as I can tell, they are basically filtrates of activated sludge, some with color dyes added. No much how much you add, it's not going to increase the population of Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas and any of the other bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle in your tank.

Best approach is to put in a mature filter from another tank. You don't need to use aged water, gravel, or anything else. Put the sponge in and your tank is instantly cycled. Locally, I give any newbie a cycled sponge from my tank for the asking to get them going. The second best approach is to wait.

Willie

DJW
01-30-2016, 02:33 PM
I can tell you, as a Ph.D. microbiologist, that there is no scientific possibility that any of the bottled stuff will do anything to promote cycling. As far as I can tell, they are basically filtrates of activated sludge, some with color dyes added. No much how much you add, it's not going to increase the population of Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas and any of the other bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle in your tank.

I was skeptical myself, having some knowledge of how bacteria function, but I managed to get a full cycle from a sterile tank in 10 days using these products. Now I'm not so sure.

What is your take on these three links:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC91364/

http://microbiology.columbia.edu/faculty/pdf/dworkinshah2010.pdf

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?21233-Biofilter-dry-out-experiment

Dan

Alight
01-30-2016, 02:51 PM
http://www.marineland.com/Products/Food-and-Water-Care/Aquarium-Bacteria.aspx

Actually, safe start and Biospira really will help. The do have the Nitrobacter, and Nitrosomonas, but the actual quantities are fairly small. It will take about 2 weeks for it to work in a fishless cycle with ammonia. Without it, in a really clean tank and room, your tank might never cycle. In a not so clean environment, it can take 1.5 months, easily.

I've tried both safe start and biospira recently, and both work, but are not instant cyclers. The will greatly speed up the process after bleaching your tank though. One warning, watch your pH during the cycle. It will start out very high because of the ammonia, and this can slow down the cycle. If you adjust with acid, keep watching because the pH can go very low as the ammonia is converted to nitrites and nitrates. If it goes too low, it can slow down or stop, or even reverse the gains made as it can kill off the bacteria. I think this is one of the mistakes that people make when they say the stuff doesn't work.

Willie
01-30-2016, 05:40 PM
Neither Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas and other bacteria implicated in the nitrogen cycle forms spore and go into dormancy. To keep cultures of bacteria alive is a fairly involved task, starting with growing pure strains to extremely high densities, keeping it on specialized media, excluding oxygen, maintaining sterility.... None of this happens in a plastic bottle with water. Anecdotal evidence may exist, but it's simply not science.