Here's the skinny...
I have been cycling for well over a week and I added 3 oz. of bio spira around the 5th day (yes I know it is better when you get the fish) because that is when the LFS finally got it in (it arrived in a special container at 39 F). I was told that the load can be pretty heavy...so I have 6 Demonasi juvies, and 2 E. Labs. BTW it is a 30 g 36". I have a bag of substrate from my established community tank as well as bio balls from the same. I have fed them once (extremely lightly I might add) a day. My levels seem to be capped at 1 ppm for NH3 and ~ 1.6 for the NO2. It has stayed the same for at least 4 days. When i poured the bio spira in I poured it in the AC 70 which I added xtra ceramic in addition to the biomax and on the Penguin 170 bio wheel (which it was an old bio wheel but dry when I got it) Here's the question...I am pretty sure the bio-spira isn't bunk (I would have a much higher NH3 and NO2 spike especially for this load) Should I do a 10% to 15% water change (no gravel or filter manipulation) or will this hurt my bio load from fully establishing? I do not want to put strain on the Nitrosomas and nitrobacter from the bio spira. But if it is probably in my filter and gravel I could probably get by with a strict water change...correct? Are these levels super high? All my fish are behaving normally (no twitching, gasping, etc.) except one lab is kind of sluggish and funky. Any suggestions from people who have used this product would be very welcome...I usually do a fishless cycle so I am very paranoid...I heard this product would take the stress factor out even on a full stock load.