I remember the weeks of painstaking waiting starting the nitrogen cycle for the first time on such a big tank. After my tank seemed balanced, I added my new ray and hoped for the best.
I somehow restarted the nitrogen cycle in my first stingray tank. The ammonia spikes began at .25 ppm after a big water change / partial media change, and I began to worry. I began daily 20% water changes, and the ammonia rose again to about .50 ppm. I implemented a 25% water change 2x/day schedule and began doing some research. What I found was amazing!
There is a product by a company called Fritz Pet called Turbostart. I had tried StressZyme (worthless, btw) and was rather skeptical, but the person I talked to on the phone seemed very confident and I had read quite a few positive reviews. I decided to order it, as I was fairly worried about my ray and tired of doing massive amounts of water changes.
A couple of days later I received a small brown package in the mail. It was in insulation and chilled, and the bottle was still very cold. I read the instructions, poured in the proper amount of fluid into the tank, and went about my business.
I ceased the water changes and continued checking the ammonia. The next morning (I had only put the Turbostart in the night before) the ammonia was reading somewhere a bit below .25 ppm. I was excited, but still rather skeptical. I fed my ray a bit more than I had been (as I was worried about ammonia and reduced the blackworms by about 50%) and watched. Later on that day I checked the ammonia and, to my surprise and endless joy, it was sitting firmly at .00 ppm.
I was so excited that I danced around the apartment, breathing a sigh of relief that a small aquatic member of my family was once again living in healthy water!
My advice to anyone with a similar problem, if it ever comes up (and I don't know how often that is, exactly), is to consider a product similar to this. I hear Biospira (which I was having difficulty obtaining) does something similar.
In short, don't by unrefrigerated "nitrifying" bacteria. You will be sorely disappointed. If you are having trouble getting your tank started, would like to start sooner rather than later, or your tank mysteriously starts the cycle over, consider using a refrigerated tank cycler.
Note: I will continue to monitor the ammonia levels. It has been stable for a few days, but any changes in the long term will be posted here.
I somehow restarted the nitrogen cycle in my first stingray tank. The ammonia spikes began at .25 ppm after a big water change / partial media change, and I began to worry. I began daily 20% water changes, and the ammonia rose again to about .50 ppm. I implemented a 25% water change 2x/day schedule and began doing some research. What I found was amazing!
There is a product by a company called Fritz Pet called Turbostart. I had tried StressZyme (worthless, btw) and was rather skeptical, but the person I talked to on the phone seemed very confident and I had read quite a few positive reviews. I decided to order it, as I was fairly worried about my ray and tired of doing massive amounts of water changes.
A couple of days later I received a small brown package in the mail. It was in insulation and chilled, and the bottle was still very cold. I read the instructions, poured in the proper amount of fluid into the tank, and went about my business.
I ceased the water changes and continued checking the ammonia. The next morning (I had only put the Turbostart in the night before) the ammonia was reading somewhere a bit below .25 ppm. I was excited, but still rather skeptical. I fed my ray a bit more than I had been (as I was worried about ammonia and reduced the blackworms by about 50%) and watched. Later on that day I checked the ammonia and, to my surprise and endless joy, it was sitting firmly at .00 ppm.
I was so excited that I danced around the apartment, breathing a sigh of relief that a small aquatic member of my family was once again living in healthy water!
My advice to anyone with a similar problem, if it ever comes up (and I don't know how often that is, exactly), is to consider a product similar to this. I hear Biospira (which I was having difficulty obtaining) does something similar.
In short, don't by unrefrigerated "nitrifying" bacteria. You will be sorely disappointed. If you are having trouble getting your tank started, would like to start sooner rather than later, or your tank mysteriously starts the cycle over, consider using a refrigerated tank cycler.
Note: I will continue to monitor the ammonia levels. It has been stable for a few days, but any changes in the long term will be posted here.
