Yeah, someone was telling me about seachem stability. Im skeptical because I believed cycle by nutrafin was the real deal......soooo wrong. Anyways I will look into it. And as far as the waterfall effect goes. I have a hob filter and canister. So it shouldnt effect either at all.
Facts or myths about cycling??
- Thread starter jeep07
- Start date
1. Seachem Stability definitely speeds up the process.
2. Using the 'waterfall effect' will inrease oxygenation but not really any point in doing both that and filling your tank with airstones, water can only hold so much oxygen and after that level is reached, it's just pretty bubbles!
3. Water changes during cycling are only really necessary if the ammonia level starts to get too high (over 4ppm for too long and it can start killig off the bacteria), or (as in the case of a 10g I as cycling using the 'dead shrimp' method) things start to smell!
4. As well as aerobic bacteria to convert Ammoia to Nitrites, there is anaerobic bacteria (lives in an oxygen free environment) that converts Nitrites to Nitrates. Some advocate using various methods to create 'oxygen free areas' to promote the growth of the anaerobic bacteria but really letting the tank 'do it's thing' with a litte help from Stability is the best imo. We're not building space stations here and the bacteria will grow and do what it has to without any help from us other than wc's to keep the ammonia to acceptable levels untill the bacteria takes over (and Stability to speed it up).
2. Using the 'waterfall effect' will inrease oxygenation but not really any point in doing both that and filling your tank with airstones, water can only hold so much oxygen and after that level is reached, it's just pretty bubbles!
3. Water changes during cycling are only really necessary if the ammonia level starts to get too high (over 4ppm for too long and it can start killig off the bacteria), or (as in the case of a 10g I as cycling using the 'dead shrimp' method) things start to smell!
4. As well as aerobic bacteria to convert Ammoia to Nitrites, there is anaerobic bacteria (lives in an oxygen free environment) that converts Nitrites to Nitrates. Some advocate using various methods to create 'oxygen free areas' to promote the growth of the anaerobic bacteria but really letting the tank 'do it's thing' with a litte help from Stability is the best imo. We're not building space stations here and the bacteria will grow and do what it has to without any help from us other than wc's to keep the ammonia to acceptable levels untill the bacteria takes over (and Stability to speed it up).
jeep07;4672158; said:
If you have a biowheel, then the biological media is already getting lots of oxygen. Just lower the water level enough so that you can hear the water splashing a bit, but not so much that the biowheel slows down, or stops intermittently.
Everything in that post seems correct, except having the lights on all the time. Beneficial bacteria don't photosynthesize, so you don't need to keep the light on (actually, I have a big towel draped over my sump to keep it in complete dark because for a few hours each afternoon the sun shines through that window, and I was starting to get a bunch of algae growing on my scrubbies, which meant they were probably reducing my biomedia's effectiveness).
SCGeordie;4672384; said:
No, in order to get nitrate, Nitrobacters have to oxidize nitrite, meaning they use oxygen. I think perhaps you're thinking of the bacteria which take nitrate and convert it to nitrogen (denitrifying bacteria), which can only do this in anaerobic environments. Most fish keepers don't use this method, though, since it's more practical to perform water changes (even people with enormous tanks perform water changes, rather than try to recreate an anerobic environment that could result in sulfur compounds).
SCGeordie;4672384; said:
Juxtaroberto;4672405; said:
I would like to emphasize this point as well
I also vouch for the seachem product. Stuff works great, I added a couple fish just a couple days into adding the stability and I was able to completely avoid the cycle, no odors no cloudy water, great product when used correctly - nutrafin cycle on the other hand? not so much
