Jungle start Zyme? and New 55gal tank

[angel4335]

Has anyone used Jungle brand start zyme? is it any good?

We are finally setting up the 55gallon tank that we've had sitting empty in an extra bedroom forever. So happy! Anyway, I set the tank up yesterday, had it filled with water and put the filter on to move some water around. Today i rinsed the sand, and put it in (turning the filter off til it all settled) and put the heater in, which i really should have done yesterday.. but didnt think if it.

I had planned on taking all the rocks and decorations from my 5gallon tank (tank has 2 male guppies and a small pleco) to help seed the tank and help the cycle along, but when i went in my 5gallon today i noticed the glass floaty thermometer in there was broken! uh-oh Luckily it was only the outer glass that had broken (but i read on another post that if liquid inside is red, it isn't mercury anyway, which is good to know) So i took out the broken bit, and used a cup to scoop out the pieces i seen on the bottem and the surrounding rocks. But i worry that there may still be broken glass in there, especially with my little pleco. So i don't think i want to take the rocks or filter from that tank.. I'm guessing it should prolly be broke down and cleaned thoroughly and i'm thinking i should get those 3 fish out as soon as possible as well. would the pleco and the 2 guppies be ok in the new 55gal tomorrow if the temperature is right and i add some of that start zyme?

On another note.. I've been wondering for awhile If it ok to use the driftwood and plants from the reptile section of the petstore in an aquarium? What would have to be done to these before adding them to a tank? Thanks!

[eco23]

Originally Posted by angel4335

Has anyone used Jungle brand start zyme? is it any good?

We are finally setting up the 55gallon tank that we've had sitting empty in an extra bedroom forever. So happy! Anyway, I set the tank up yesterday, had it filled with water and put the filter on to move some water around. Today i rinsed the sand, and put it in (turning the filter off til it all settled) and put the heater in, which i really should have done yesterday.. but didnt think if it.

I had planned on taking all the rocks and decorations from my 5gallon tank (tank has 2 male guppies and a small pleco) to help seed the tank and help the cycle along, but when i went in my 5gallon today i noticed the glass floaty thermometer in there was broken! uh-oh Luckily it was only the outer glass that had broken (but i read on another post that if liquid inside is red, it isn't mercury anyway, which is good to know) So i took out the broken bit, and used a cup to scoop out the pieces i seen on the bottem and the surrounding rocks. But i worry that there may still be broken glass in there, especially with my little pleco. So i don't think i want to take the rocks or filter from that tank.. I'm guessing it should prolly be broke down and cleaned thoroughly and i'm thinking i should get those 3 fish out as soon as possible as well. would the pleco and the 2 guppies be ok in the new 55gal tomorrow if the temperature is right and i add some of that start zyme?

On another note.. I've been wondering for awhile If it ok to use the driftwood and plants from the reptile section of the petstore in an aquarium? What would have to be done to these before adding them to a tank? Thanks!

I'd avoid the StartZyme at all costs. It doesn't contain the correct type of nitrifying bacteria, it can give the false appearance of a cycled tank, and can potentially cause some long term negative consequences. If you're going to use a cycling product, make sure it contains the correct type of beneficial bacteria. Since you have seeded media, there's really no need IMO. Just stock the new tank very slowly and monitor the water parameters as fish are added over the weeks.

The majority of your beneficial bacteria lives in your filter media, so you won't really lose much if you don't bring over the substrate. The 3 fish will have a very small bio-load, and there's no danger of bringing them over to the 55, especially if you bring over every scrap of your filter media. The bacteria in the media will be balanced to your bio-load, and should keep up with any toxins the fish are producing. Since the waste will build up so slowly in a larger tank like that, I'd expect the bacteria to have time to adjust and handle the small amount that has been lost from the deco, substrate, walls, etc...of the other tank without an issue.

Some of the reptile stuff like plants has metal components, so as a rule of thumb should be avoided...I couldn't tell you about the wood though.

[jeffp]

the wood in the reptile section, as far as i've seen, is usually manzanita or malaysian, which is aquarium safe. you could double check and make sure and ask them though

[angel4335]

You think its ok to bring the filter media over from the tank that the thermometer broke in?

[eco23]

Originally Posted by angel4335

You think its ok to bring the filter media over from the tank that the thermometer broke in?

Yeah, I think it'd be a sin to leave it behind. That's where all your beneficial bacteria is, and you'd be starting your cycle from scratch without it. I have to assume they don't use mercury in modern day thermometers (guessing there)...but as far as I'm concerned there's no question that media is coming with me.

In fact, if you're not keeping the 5 gallon up and running for a while, I'd bring the whole filter with me. Then you can run 2 filters together on the 55 gallon, if you need to set up a QT/hospital tank, pull the 5 gallon out of the closet, fill it with water, throw the smaller filter back on it (off of the big tank) and you've got an instantly cycled quarantine tank when needed.

[jetajockey]

Originally Posted by angel4335

You think its ok to bring the filter media over from the tank that the thermometer broke in?

Yeah I don't see an issue with that.

[angel4335]

Its more the possibility of there being little bits of glass that i was worried about.. the actual inside part of it didn't break. But if you guys think its ok i'll go ahead and do that, and when the temperature evens out i'll move them over. Thanks!

[eco23]

Originally Posted by angel4335

Its more the possibility of there being little bits of glass that i was worried about.. the actual inside part of it didn't break. But if you guys think its ok i'll go ahead and do that, and when the temperature evens out i'll move them over. Thanks!

If you're worried there's glass shards in it...fill up a bowl with either tank water, or dechlorinated tap water and swish it around super good to clean any debris off. Just make sure you don't do it in raw tap water.