Bio-Spira

[duckkbutter]

Say your cycling with fish for about a week. Realize your tired of testing and pwc. Could you just go out and buy Bio-Spira and add in with your current fish...or should you empty everything/clean add everythin back in and get new fish and bio-spira?

 

[Blazeherd2306]

Look at this thread
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=52770&highlight=biospira

 

[jersysman]

Say your cycling with fish for about a week. Realize your tired of testing and pwc. Could you just go out and buy Bio-Spira and add in with your current fish...or should you empty everything/clean add everythin back in and get new fish and bio-spira?

You are always going to have pwc's to do. That is something that you just have to look forward to in this hobby. Yes, you can use bio-spira, however, with the cycle already being started, you will probably have a mini-cycle where you are going to have to do pwc's until your ammonia and nitrites are 0. The cycle will go faster, but, what I am trying to say, is that you will just have to get used to doing pwc's. It's a part of the hobby.

 

[duckkbutter]

Yes, i understand about the pwc just wondering if bio-spira would work with existing fish already in the tank for a week. My understanding from what i read is that the bacteria need the fish. So what I gather is that it is ok to add bio-spira to my current status of my tank.

 

[Gunnie]

Yes, you can use Bio Spira in a tank with existing ammonia and nitrite levels, but that is not the intended way to use it. The bio bugs are meant to be added to a new tank so they can maintain the levels to where they're supposed to be. It will have to play catch up in your tank, and if the levels are high, then it may take longer to catch up than your fish can bear. Then when you have to do a water change to save your fish, you end up sucking up your bio bugs into your siphon with the old tank water, and you've wasted your time and money. Bio spira takes some time to attach itself to a surface in your tank, and remains suspended in your water for at least a few days. I have used it 3 times with excellent results, and always waited 2 weeks before the first water change. What you can do though, is drain your tank as low as possible and add the bio spira once you've filled it back up. This way, you've reduced most of the ammonia and/or nitrites and the bio spira has a better chance of keeping up.