Pet Forum / Aquaria / Goldfish / November 2007

My recommendation would be to get a test kit (I use the Aquarium
Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit) and use it religiously.
Opinions are very mixed on the use of starter cultures such as Cycle and I'm
not sure if they really help, but I'm using Cycle while cycling the tank I
have slated to house a betta.

I'm also a big fan of fishless cycling so as to avoid putting the fish under
the stress of ammonia and nitrite poisoning.  See details here:
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_fishless.php
http://malawicichlids.com/mw01017.htm

It can take a month or more, so be patient.

Hi there.
Getting tank water from a pet shop is really a bad idea.
If the idea in getting it was that you would be cycling your tank with
it, it didn't.
The nitrifying bacteria are stuck like to every surface inside the
tank, filter, gravel, plants, decor...everything *except* the water.
It used to be thought that the bacteria also were in the water column
just floating about. They aren't.
It was also once thought that adding the mulm from old dirty gravel is
good, or squeezing out a dirty filter pad into a newly set up tank
would cycle it too. All bunk. You're just adding crud, that's all. No
benificial bacteria.

Since you're getting back into the hobby, there have been some
"bacteria starters" that have become common and are pushed by
employees. Cycle, Stress Zyme, BioZyme, etc...all do *not* have the
correct start up bacteria in them.
They have a later stage bacteria that shows up (depending on the
brand) wither middle or end stage cycling.
The first stage bacteria in the cycling process are nitrospira
bacteria. As far as I know, the only product so far with this
nitrospira bacteria is BioSpira, made by Marineland.
I have personally used many of the products listed above myself.
None except BioSpira worked.
I'm a long time hobbyists and let me tell you the terror I had the
first time I used BioSpira on a large tank.
I had used it before on a few smaller tanks, but nothing like a fully
stocked 75g.
My 75g was fully cycled in 24 hours of being set up, filled with new
water, new gravel, new plants (plastic then), and all fish transfered
(angelfish and female bettas, assorted bottom feeders) the same day.
It was like it never happened. There was no crash, the ammonia spike,
nothing.
Then, a few years later I changed the gravel completely and used Bio
Spira again.
Again, nothing was noticed.....and that's fantastic!
Of course all normal water changes, and proper maintenance was being
done.
So if you choose to use a bacteria starter, find BioSpira or forget
about it.
The product needs to be kept refrigerated (Not frozen! It kills the
bacteria and makes the product useless).
It can't be left at room temp either, or it'll die.
I once had a problem with spoiled BioSpira I got at a pet shop. It
turned out the employee stocking it put it out on the shef next to the
other starter products and it had been there over night.
When he found it was supposed to be refrigerated, he just stuck it in
there and thought it would be fine. = / Duh. It wasn't.
It was all chunky and brown looking, instead of looking like cloudy
water.
If you have any friends with healthy fish tanks, you can seed the tank
with a stocking full of their gravel and hang it in the tank.
You can also do a fishless cycling wich uses household ammonia. If you
do this one, make sure you get *plain* ammonia (usually a generic
brand) without any scents or additives.
Cycling *with* fish, the usual of the past, isn't necessary anymore as
there are better ways to cycle a tank.
Fish do suffer effects when used for cycling. The degree varies of
course and some hobbyists would think their fish appear to have no ill
effects from it. However, usually they have scarred gill tissue from
ammonia burns. Not something the average hobbyist is going to see.
Welcome back too!