Live Nitrifying Bacteria

[DeeLee2013]

Hello All!

I was wondering if the Live Nitrifying Bacteria sold from Drs. Foster & Smith will help in the tank cycling process. Has anyone used it, and did it help relieve milky water due to a bloom?

Thanks for the input!


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Mebbid]

Hello All!

I was wondering if the Live Nitrifying Bacteria sold from Drs. Foster & Smith will help in the tank cycling process. Has anyone used it, and did it help relieve milky water due to a bloom?

Thanks for the input!


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

There's not a whole lot of people that use the bottled bacteria. What are the parameters on your tank? Could you post a picture?

 

[Chesmok]

I don't know about that one but I use Seachem Stability all the time especially with new tanks and I've never had any issues. But I do also use filter media from my established tank as well though.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Yorg]

Hi DeeLee2013:

I'm not familiar with the Foster & Smith product. I've had (mixed) success in the past with Tetra SafeStart and Seachem Stability. Where are you in your cycle? What are your water readings? Do you have fish in the tank? How long have you had the milky water?

-Yorg

Hello All!

I was wondering if the Live Nitrifying Bacteria sold from Drs. Foster & Smith will help in the tank cycling process. Has anyone used it, and did it help relieve milky water due to a bloom?

Thanks for the input!


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[DeeLee2013]

Hi DeeLee2013:



I'm not familiar with the Foster & Smith product. I've had (mixed) success in the past with Tetra SafeStart and Seachem Stability. Where are you in your cycle? What are your water readings? Do you have fish in the tank? How long have you had the milky water?



-Yorg

So, here are my current readings:

NitrAte: 0ppm
NitrItre: 1ppm
GH: 300ppm
Chlorine: 0ppm
KH: 40ppm
pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 2ppm
Copper: 0ppm

I do have a few hardier tropicals in the 36g tank, and the milky water is 90% transparent/ 10% opaque. Its been milky to some extent for about 2 weeks. The fish are: 2 MM platies, 2 swordtails, and 2 smaller cory cats.

I was used to cycling much smaller tanks than a 36g, and added some hardy FW fish about 72 hours after the tank was set up. I used water conditioner from TopFin (which has always worked well in the past). Our water here is naturally very hard since it is water from natural aquifers. The water quality has been getting noticeably better in the past 48 hours...

I've included some pics for reference:




? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Mebbid]

With your readings like that I am worried about what your ammonia levels might be. I would highly recommend a few 50% water changes and then taking a sample of your water to the LFS to be tested for ammonia.

The API freshwater master test kit would also be a great investment for you.

 

[DeeLee2013]

Perfect and good to know! I'm doing a PWC this evening. How soon should I wait before doing another? And at what point should I start to see everything level off?


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Mebbid]

Perfect and good to know! I'm doing a PWC this evening. How soon should I wait before doing another? And at what point should I start to see everything level off?


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

Take a look at this article. It's a nice walkthrough on fish in cycling. All in all it can take from 1 - 3 months for an aquarium to fully cycle.

Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

 

[DeeLee2013]

Great article and thank you for the info! There's always a learning curve I suppose.


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Mebbid]

Great article and thank you for the info! There's always a learning curve I suppose.


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

The day there is nothing else for me to learn about the hobby is the day I leave it Thankfully, that's not gonna happen

 

[DeeLee2013]

Amen to that!!


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Oto]

I've used the Tetra bacteria: I think it's called SafeStart. It's worked really well for me, they tank was producing nitrates in a little less than a week. I've also noticed the ammonia levels stayed pretty low, around 0.5 ppm. I'm not sure about the Doctor Foster and Smith on e though. It should be about the same.

 

[DeeLee2013]

So, after a 30% water change, the cloudiness is almost gone completely without any additives besides a water conditioner. However, my levels are thus;

KH: 30ppm
GH: 300ppm
NitrAte: 0ppm
NitrIte: 2ppm
Ammonia: 1ppm
Chlorine: 0ppm
Copper: 0ppm
Temp: 77*F
pH: 7.0

I'm worried about my nitrite and ammonia levels, not to mention my carbonate hardness. I seem to remember that, if it is too low, the pH swings will invariably happen. I know the tank is cycling, so will the kh level out? Or should I look into getting sodium bicarbonate? As for the nitrite/ammonia, they're not spiking, but they're just worrisome.

Ideas, comments, pointers... All welcomed!


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Patty1980]

Another 50% wc

 

[DeeLee2013]

Another 50% wc

As soon as possible? Or should I wait 24 hours?


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Mebbid]

As soon as possible? Or should I wait 24 hours?


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

Now is as good a time as any. I generally give it at least an hour after a water change.

 

[Patty1980]

I'd wait at least an hour. I've done as many as 3 or 4 in a day during a fish in cycle. I'd keep it up until ammonia is <.25

 

[DeeLee2013]

Thanks for the input!


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[DeeLee2013]

Thanks to everyone's input and help, my tank is looking awesome and the readings are quite worthy of a happy dance!

NitrAte: 5ppm
NitrIte: 1ppm
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Chlorine: 0ppm
Copper: 0ppm
pH: 7.2
GH: 300pm
KH: 60ppm
Temp: 78*F

Not out of the woods yet, but definitely doing better. Soon, the tank will have a new background to help hide the lines, and a drip-acclimation system, too.

Not planning on adding new stock for a few weeks, if not a month. Mostly because I discovered that one Blue MM Platy is pregnant. So...from cycling directly to breeding, lol.


? Diana Lee ?
? the St. Augustine Redhead ?

 

[Leel82]

Hey thats great new for your tank, Im going through a similar kind of experience as you right now too, and this threads helped a little, so thanks!