Cycling aquarium
- Thread starter Ashfro
- Start date
They didn't work for me last time I cycled a tank. I tried three different brands, I think Dr Tims, Seachem, and Tetra. It still took a month, 125 gallon tank with large wet/dry sump. YMMV. Maybe you'll get a good batch.
For my new tank, I have some of the Biohome Filter Starter Balls. I hope they work, but if not I'll just wait it out.
For my new tank, I have some of the Biohome Filter Starter Balls. I hope they work, but if not I'll just wait it out.
This is the preferred method of starting a aquarium cycle. Just make sure you Dechlorinate the new water you fill the aquarium with. Also protect the Beneficial Bacteria by not letting the Bio Media dry out or rinsing the Media you took from an existing filter with tap water. I personally just transfer Media from Cycled filter right to the new filter because I don't let Bio Media get grungy.
Transferring the media from an existing filter/ tank is the best. As far as off the shelf stuff I have had decent results with Fluval and Fritz. But to keep ammonia/ nitrites in check when cycling this way water changes are needed, especially often for heavy bioloads.
So this results in having to buy more of this stuff.
So this results in having to buy more of this stuff.
I dot not be leave in any store bought cycling kits, I always cycled with raw shelled shrimp in a bio bag and let it run, no it never stank. Can do the same by just adding fish food to the water from time to time. and just let it run.
if you have bio Medea already then are ahead of the game and can get cycled sooner or you have enof and bio load low you are good to go.
if you have bio Medea already then are ahead of the game and can get cycled sooner or you have enof and bio load low you are good to go.
Off the shelf BB is intended for adding the fish in immediately. You are saying you can add raw shrimp and then put the fish in?
No let the shrimp decompose it will produce ammonia starting off the Nitrifying Cycle. Monitor the water parameters until they stabilize to zero Ammonia zero Nitrite and Nitrate reading is positive. Then you can add fish gradually.
Well the OP was asking about off the shelf bacteria. If doing without fish I would just add ammonia.