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.
My friend cycled his 75 gallon ~ 9 days with 8 Frontosas with the stuff...oh, yeah the frontosas were by no means juvenile...so the appeal was there. I will pray for good weather. I know the unpredictability of bio-spira just in the parameters of its shipping and handling. It does work...I have seen it...Cycle, Stress Zyme, and Stability are bunk, though. They are pretty much "snake oil" I am at the threshold of Small water changes vs. None Thanks for the help
Re: Need help in cycle with bio spira and mbuna [message #9626]
Mon, 28 April 2008 12:31
honeybunny Messages: 33 Registered: February 2008 Location: new york
Member
I used Bio-Spira in my 55Gallons. It's didn't work as well as I hoped. My LFS recommended a product called TLC. It's works great. I got a bacteria boost in two days after putting it into my tank. I had really high ammonia for almost three weeks hoping the Bio-Spira would kick in. I was told my Bio-Spira might have been dead so I purchased another one. It didn't work. After putting in my TLC the bacteria boost and after a week my tank cycled.
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Need help in cycle with bio spira and mbuna
Thanks for the help