Bacteria resources & fishless cycle

[ChienHsu]

Hi!

After a big disaster my discus had, I have cleaned up my tank completely with bleach. Now I need to do fishless cycle before I can put my survive discus back. Since I do not have any bacteria resources from any healthy tanks neither I want to get from LFS, can I have suggestions which commerical product/s can be a good resources for bacteria? Many thanks

Chien

[brewmaster15]

Hi Chien,
With the fishless cycling using ammonia as we discussed, time alone will do the trick. Bacteria is everywhere. Once it finds the ammonia in the tank, it will start to consume it and grow in numbers. This in turn will create the waste product nitrite which in turn will feed a different population of bacterias growth.

Some have had good luck jump starting this system, other not. I have seen a few weeks cut off cycling time.

heres a good comparison for starters...
http://www.fritzpet.com/article_comparing.html

keep in mind when reading it , its wriiten by the company for their product.

hth,
al

[ChienHsu]

Al: Thank you very much! I really appreciate your helps

Chien

[ronrca]

Al,
About the charts on that website you posted, Im confused! Their product claims to remove 40% ammonia after 8 days and 60% ammonia after 14 days. When I was doing my fishless cycle without seeding it, I had no ammonia reading after 1 week! What the.......??? Am I missing something? ???

[brewmaster15]

hi Ronrca,

My guess is the starting concentrations are very different. The graph is good for comparing products , if the water volumes, filter areas, temperatures,oxygen content of water, and initial concentration of ammonia are the same. Changes in any of these parameters can affect growth of the bacteria. And the time it takes to get established.

This is my guess as to why these products work better for some than other people or not at all.

hth,
-al

[ronrca]

So what you think may be the difference is that there is a lot of ammonia to begin with as with fishless you only add enough to reach 5ppm!? Am I on the right track?

What Im trying to get at is that bacteria responsible for the conversion of ammonia, cultures and multiplies very quick, around 6-12 hours. Therefore, within a week in a tank with reasonable levels of ammonia I guess, levels should of come down a lot even without seeding it with any kind of bacteria from old tanks/filters or bottled bacteria.

Boy, do I depise 'bacteria-in-a-bottle'. Doesnt work unless you get utilize it within its expirorary date, around 2 weeks or so!

I have researched BioSphere, also a bacteria in a bottle that has worked for quite a few people. HOWEVER, only if you can get a bottle before the bacteria dyes. Once it gets shipped up here in Canada, the bottle expires (plus being exposed to temperature fluctutations). Oops! I guess the manufactors of these bottles forgot to tell someone about that! :-\

[jamesmcsyd]

Try this product NITRIVEC by sera.

Instant bacteria. Ready for fish after 24 hours. If tried it and it worked brilliantly.

James

I believe Bio Spira is the only true way to jumpstart your aquarium. It is actually living bacteria that is stored in a refrigerator and is placed into the aquarium. Check with local stores. It's made by Marineland. There's always the fishless cycle if you have the time as well.