Hey guys. Well, the day after I started my tank, FEB 9th, my ammonia was .25. It has remained at .25 for every Since. A fellow coworker told me about BioSpira and how it cycles your tank so fast that you put the fish in as soon as you the biospira per directions on the bottle. Heres the thing, though its supposed to cycle your tank overnight prettymuch my tank is STILL sitting at .25 amonia. Any suggestions / advice or comments on bio spira? I am worried about my fish as I have started with the same thing as my friend did, 2 clowns and a blue damsel and now im worried i may lose my fish!!!! though he didnt lose his.
Biospira use
- Thread starter leon1972
- Start date
Washburn82
Reefing newb
The only thing that cycles your tank, is time. From what ive read. There is no magical chemical out there to speed it up. I may be wrong. Someone will speak up.
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
I don't put much faith in the bottled bacteria... clearly if your ammonia is still raised, it did not work.
Are you planning on keeping the damsel long-term? Or was it a "hardy fish" purchase?
Damsels are very aggressive and territorial. They will bully almost anything you add to the tank.
Are you planning on keeping the damsel long-term? Or was it a "hardy fish" purchase?
Damsels are very aggressive and territorial. They will bully almost anything you add to the tank.
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
I would take him out now, before he causes problems.
You should also see if the LFS will hold the clowns for you until your tank is thoroughly cycled. Ammonia will significantly shorten their lifespan and burns their gills. Not very pleasant for them.
Alternatively, have you used more than one test kit? You could be getting a bad reading if it hasn't budged at all.
You should also see if the LFS will hold the clowns for you until your tank is thoroughly cycled. Ammonia will significantly shorten their lifespan and burns their gills. Not very pleasant for them.
Alternatively, have you used more than one test kit? You could be getting a bad reading if it hasn't budged at all.
No, I am using a chemical test kit. I dont know if that matters or not on bad reading.I just looked at my records (I was told i should start keeping records of my readings and what i did to adjust this and that for future reference. I was told its good practice for when i go from a FOWL to a Coral tank.) and I am mistaken. My ammonia spiked to .5 for 2 days then dropped back to .25.
snyderju
Reefing newb
Honestly, even if you don't lose you fish right away you can still do some irreversible damage to them that like Erin said will shorten their lives. Time is the best way to ensure a good cycle. You don't want any fish in your tank if you have ammonia or nitrites as they are both extremely toxic to fish. I would try to move those fish until your tank is done cycling.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
Sometimes those "quick fix" cyclers work, sometimes they don't. They are not a guarantee. The only surefire way to cycle a tank is to wait it out.
Ok, so my tank has been at .25 amonia since saturday with 3 fish 2 hermit crabs and a snail with the BioSpira. So, in 3 days of having all that no amonia spike. Im thinking if my tank wasnt cycled by now the amonia would have spiked with the stuff i have in it. I have a bucket of saltwater mixing at the moment and am doing a partial water change if there is no change by tomorrow when i get home from work. Im thinking if amonia has been at that level the last few days and no change with the fish in em then maybe it is cycled? I would think if it wasnt then amonia would be increasing.
ErinCahir
Sausage Wrangler
Did you see a spike in nitrites and nitrates? If not, then no, your tank is not cycled. The ammonia spike is only the first part of the cycle. Just because it hasn't gone up (or down) does not mean your tank is cycled. It takes patience.
Please find somewhere else to house your fish until the cycle is over.
Please find somewhere else to house your fish until the cycle is over.
chichimom79
reef junkie
Perhaps your test kit is bad or you are reading it incorrectly? Just a thought
I have nowhere else to house my fish. I already thought of the bad test kit. It was exchanged for a new one. I saw a very small spike in the Nitrites a while back, before i even used the bio spira and that was it. Everything just seemed so small of a spike i didnt think it had done anything yet. Of course it all went directly from one tank to a cooler to the new tank in a matter of 24 hours.
Ammonia .25
Nitrate 20
Nitrites 0
Ammonia .25
Nitrate 20
Nitrites 0
chichimom79
reef junkie
You should not be reading any ammonia if you cycled. Period. End of story. Finite. Done. :)
Northstar24
The Tang Herder
/thread
Though I will add if your local fish store told you this was the correct way to set up a salt tank, you need to find a new store
chichimom79
reef junkie
what does this mean?
Bifferwine
I am a girl
End of thread. It means you said all that needed to be said!
If you are still showing ammonia, your tank has not finished cycling. I'm guessing the addition of the Bio Spyra is preventing the ammonia from spiking any higher -- but it's not helping drop the ammonia any faster.
If you are still showing ammonia, your tank has not finished cycling. I'm guessing the addition of the Bio Spyra is preventing the ammonia from spiking any higher -- but it's not helping drop the ammonia any faster.
