questions about safestart cycle

[Zoodiver]

Instead of buying lots of junk that is going to keep swinging your cycle, just wait it out and let the tank cycle naturally since you already have your ray. Watch the ammmoina levels, and do small water changes as they start to creep up. Don't clean out your filter and don't vacuum the gravel until you start seeing nitrates show up.

Watch your ray closely. The animal will tell you how the cycle is going. If it shwos signs of stress, do the water change.

All those chemicals have a side effect of bonding with O2, meaning there isn't much left for your ray. The airstone is a smart choice. Keep a lot of surface movement. I'd also make sure there is air moving across the surface, don't keep a very tight lid on it.

 

[hereticlosmorte]

k, your tank is not properly cycled. what you need to do is this:

1) remove the ammonia remover from your 405. it is removing ammonia which is the job of your beneficial bacteria (which is in turn starving them).

2) only use ceramic rings (biomax, etc) and activated carbon (polishes water) in your filter. i personally place filter floss in every level of my 405, and from bottom to top, carbon in first, then 3 units of ceramic rings.

3) water change your tank every day for the next while until your levels return to nominal. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, low nitrate. i water change at around 40 nitrate, but it can go higher.

4) cycle is crap. plain and simple. don't bother with it. now that the rays are in, just let them help cycle with their ammonia.

5) a much more inexpensive and better product than aquasafe for conditioning and declorinating your water is seachem prime. a cap-full of it (5mL) will condition 50g of water, vs aquasafe which you have to use 10mL for every 5g of water. so 10mL for 100g vs 200mL for 100g. yeah, better to use the seachem prime.
it's far superior to aquasafe.

glad to hear your ray is taking the worms. it will go through alot of them, i would advise starting up a worm farm as it will save you money in the end.

 

[bernyberns]

thankx for the replys..so dont add the safestart? well sh@t lol cost me 25 dollars..and i was thinking about getting prime. guess ill order some