Stress Zyme or Cycle - Which One ? My Water Test Levels Are Inside - Not Great

[rx330]

I have been cycling my tank for about 14 days, and somewhat rushed to add fish before allowing for proper cycling, and added a blue damsel and pink spotted goby, about 3 days apart from one another.

The fish appear fine (good color, eating, activity levels), but the water levels are far from great. I know I needed to let the tank cycle longer, and before I put more fish in, I want the water quality to get under control.

I understand that I can expect some fluctuations in water quality tests in the beginning, but I am afraid those fluctuations might kill the fish unless I get the water under control quick.

I just ran a few water quality tests, and these are the results.

TANK TEMP = 78
SALINITY = 1.020
PH = 8.2
AMMONIA = .25
NITRATE = 5.0
NITRITE = .25

I have been adding the appropriate dosage of STABILITY each day for 3 days straight, and these levels do not seem to be helping me get to better water levels. I also added the proper amount of live bacteria to my tank 4 days ago.

I am assuming I should add either STRESSZYME or CYCLE to speed up biological process.

Please advise which of the 2 products you suggest, and whatever additional recommendations you can make pertaining to getting my water back in shape quick while not harming the 2 fish inside.

Thanks everyone for the time !

 

[Zagz]

Neither product will help with the cycling unfortunately. What you can do if possible is get some media from a friend's tank or an LFS you can trust and add it to your filter.

You will have to keep doing water changes to keep the ammonia and nitrite down, but you seem by your numbers to be almost there.

 

[rx330]

None of my friends have a tank, but I do have 2 very reputable local stores that I completely trust. What type of media are you specifically referring to, and I got to ask, but why would none of those 2 products work, if their main purpose is to assist with tank cycling and biological filtration ?

As a newbie, I need to ask. Thanks.

 

[thominil]

I agree, don't add either one of them, and quit adding "Stability." Too many chemicals added to the tank make the tank just that much more unstable, and what happens with unstable tanks? Simple, they eventually crash. Just as Zagz suggested, see if you can get your hands on some filter material from a saltwater tank, or go get a few pounds of live rock from your LFS.

 

[Zagz]

Thominil has given you the best options for media. I don't know how sensitive the fish you added are, (I am a freshie), so I have no idea if they are able to withstand much if any ammonia and nitrite. The sooner you are able to add media the better.

 

[thominil]

The main reasons why they don't work is that the bottles sit on a store shelf for months at a time and they go through temperature extremes during shipping process. Most people never see positive results with them. The refridgerated supplies sometimes have positive results, but barely ever. In my mind, it's just another thing that pollutes your tank. Right now you should be focusing on removing all readable ammonia and nitrite levels from your tank via partial water change. Nitrite and ammonia are extremely toxic to fish. Fish can handle between 0-40ppm of nitrate.

 

[mrg02d]

I wonder why people are willing to spend 20-30 bucks on snake oils, but not simply buy $20 worth of cycled live rock that no doubt contains much more bacteria than a bottle cap worth of junk might contain.

Seems to me that people ought to go straight for a few pounds of cycled live rock rather than waste money on "stuff". I guess its the pretty bottles.

My tank cycled FAST since I added 15 or so pounds of live rock right off the bat. I was done just under 3 weeks of adding live rock. (Uncured too).

People want a quick cycle, and I believe its possible, but seem to think less about what needs to happen to cycle. Maybe live rock should be one of those "must haves" just like an RO/DI system? Dont need much live rock either...

Matt

 

[logansmomma1228]

I don't think us freshies can even put live rock in FW tank, so that would not be an option to cycle one. I know a lot of people, when buying tanks and setting them up, don't know a lot about this hobby (or art as i like to call it ). I sure didn't. I think those bacteria can help a little, but enough for me to buy it. My first tank was cycled succesfully with pure ammonia and I will continue to do it that way. I wonder if there is a FW version of LR that could be used to help the cycle along, besides used tank stuff. That would be cool. Maybe some plants or something?

 

[thominil]

Anything that has a solid surface for bacteria to grow on would work. Plants, rocks, gravel, and other tank decorations would work in FW or SW, but it has to be from the same type of tank (putting an object from a FW tank into a SW tank, or vice versa, wouldn't work) because FW and SW bacteria are two different strains of bacteria.

 

[melosu58]

I would not fool with either of those two also. We have an excellent article on SW cycling in our article section. You might want to read up on. You`ll want to practice some patience also because nothing comes fast in this hobby. Everytime I see people take shortcuts there usually is problems. Alot of folks including myself it took a month for the tank to cycle. Now because you have added fish you`ll need to do some PWC`s to keep ammonia and nitrites down and this will prolong your cycle even longer. Hope all works out.

 

[cmor1701d]

Agree that PWCs are your best friend righit now. Treat the tank like it's a new QT tank that requires 2x/day 20% PWC's until the biological filter is able to handle the bioload. Any measurable ammonia or nitrite is harmful to fish. Nitrate is much more tolerable to fish (up to 80 - 100ppm).

Here's my 9 (still deciding on #10) rules for SW:
Rule # 1. Nothing Good ever happens Fast in a salt water aquarium
Rule # 2. Don't add anything (supplements/chemicals/minerals)you don't test for first.
Rule # 3. PWC (Partial Water Changes) are your friend, and cure many ills.
Rule # 4. QT EVERYTHING before adding it to your tank (mandarins excepted, corals should be dipped)
Rule # 5. Use only RO or RODI water (either buy it or make it)
Rule # 6. All animal species live longer on a 30% reduced caloric intake. Only feed every other day at most (fish species dependant)
Rule # 7. Hyposalinity is the best, safest, and most effective treatment for marine Ich (IMHO)
Rule # 8. A Refractometer is a MUST HAVE, not a luxury.
Rule # 9. Anemones will never live anywhere near their normal (aprox 30 years) lifespan in a home aquarium. Leave them in the ocean

 

[bry1105]

"Rule # 6. All animal species live longer on a 30% reduced caloric intake. Only feed every other day at most (fish species dependant)."

Really? So Im better off feeding my fish a little less? Every other day? I feed a little every day.