Bacteria Supplement
- Thread starter kitnerjr
- Start date
Tetra safe start (Dr tims one and only) or seachem stability are good products. Water changes should not have a noticeable effect on the bio filter though.
water changes alone do not affect the bio media, BB r in the filter media and the substrate. Anti bacterial medication can kill the bio bacteria too. If u have ammonia build up in ur tank then probably BB r gone. U can do one of two things
1- use instant cycle chemicals ( have never used it myself ) but alot of people had good results with it and other people advise against using chemicals cycling products. If u decide for this I recomend that u check the ammonia-nitrite- nitrate levels for a period of time to make sure everything is ok.
2- do daily 30-50% water changes ( depends on how high ur ammonia build up is) for about a couple of weeks till the BB is re established. u will need to monitor ammonia-nitrite- nitrate levels during this period and do wc accordingly untill u get good results and then u can go back to regular water changes as u used to do before.
1- use instant cycle chemicals ( have never used it myself ) but alot of people had good results with it and other people advise against using chemicals cycling products. If u decide for this I recomend that u check the ammonia-nitrite- nitrate levels for a period of time to make sure everything is ok.
2- do daily 30-50% water changes ( depends on how high ur ammonia build up is) for about a couple of weeks till the BB is re established. u will need to monitor ammonia-nitrite- nitrate levels during this period and do wc accordingly untill u get good results and then u can go back to regular water changes as u used to do before.
the beneficial bacteria live on surfaces in the tank, not in the water itself. doing water changes will not affect your bacteria at all.
which ich medication are you using? some meds will 'nuke' the bacteria in your tank, causing the tank to no longer be cycled.
IMO large volume water changes and Prime for dechlorinator will be your best friends right now. I don't put any faith in any of the 'bacteria in a bottle' products, as most are bunk and useless.
which ich medication are you using? some meds will 'nuke' the bacteria in your tank, causing the tank to no longer be cycled.
IMO large volume water changes and Prime for dechlorinator will be your best friends right now. I don't put any faith in any of the 'bacteria in a bottle' products, as most are bunk and useless.
I have read that UV sterilizers and DE filters are both effective at removing the ICK fungus from the water stream. I run a DE filter continuously and have never had an ICK problem... for what ever that is worth?
Oughtsix, ich is not a fungus, it is a parasite, and the length of time it is free floating in the water as opposed to stuck on the fish is very minimal, so IMO your UV and DE are not the things keeping your tank ich free. choosing healthy stock and quarantining new stock for a minimum of a month in a separate tank are what keeps your main tank ich free.
I've been using heat and API Super Ick Cure at 1/2 dose every 48 hours as well as 20% water changes before each dose. Carbon removed, although I do have an eco stone in the tank.
Just want to get things back to normal after the Ick is gone and was thinking of using some type of instant cycle chemical.
what are the ammonia and nitrite readings in your tank? if the test results yield small amounts of either, i would just do water changes and use Prime. If the test results are on the high side, i would find another healthy established tank that you could get some media from (chunk of sponge, etc) and add that to your filter to boost your bacteria numbers. if you are still treating the tank, wait until you are finished and have done a huge water change and run some carbon in the filter before you add any established media.
Super Ich Cure, due to it containing malachite green, will affect your bacteria colonies, especially if your tank's ph is high and the temperature is raised.
Super Ich Cure, due to it containing malachite green, will affect your bacteria colonies, especially if your tank's ph is high and the temperature is raised.
I hated to use the Ick Cure, but since I have a peacock eel there was really no other choice since they are too intolerant of salts, and I was loosing fish left and right from the ick.
I will run the numbers again later on when I get home, since a few of the fish are semi-new, and the local "mom & pop" pet store run longer than usual warranties and I was planning on getting some type of cycle treatment for the end of my 2 week treatment while I was there. Also, part of the problem as in a separate post, my step daughter is constantly messing with the tank and food as well as putting foreign objects into the tank. I'm hoping to invest in some type of locking system this weekend to resolve that as well. I've had fish tanks all my life and have never come across this many problems before.
instead of locking the tank up somehow, i'd be teaching your stepdaughter that the fish tank is to be looked at and not touched. that was rule #1 in my house when i got my first tank and my daughter has never given me any trouble at all when it comes to the finkids. first tank when she was 3 years old (prime toddler trouble maker time! lol). she's now 7.