This is why you shouldn't use "Instant Cycle Bacteria"

[fish4phil]

I've had my tank setup for ~6 weeks. 36G Freshwater Tropical Community. Currently less than 50% stocked, stocked very slowly (3 fish at a time over the ~6 weeks). No filter maintenance (canister). I bought and used this Nutrafin Cycle product, followed the directions spot on, including at the begining of the tank for 3 days before adding fish, at each water change, each time I added new fish, etc. The bottle, having good reviews on Amazon, promised a near instant cycle, healthy fish, and being able to stock almost immediately. Been testing with API Master Test Kit, though only recording the results for the past 10 days. Here they are:

Date______Ammonia__Nitrite__Nitrate__pH
12/11/2013__0.25____0.25____5_______7.6 (added prime) & Stopped using Nutrafin Cycle
12/12/2013__0.25____0.5_____20______7.8 (then did a water change)
12/13/2013__0.1_____0.5_____5_______7.8 (added prime)
12/14/2013__0.0_____1.0_____10______7.8 (then did a water change)
12/15/2013 (added prime)
12/16/2013__0.0_____0.25____5_______7.8 (added prime)
12/17/2013__0.0_____0.35____10______7.8 (then did a water change)
12/19/2013__0.0_____0.35____0_______7.8 (added prime)
12/20/2013__0.0_____0.4_____0_______7.8 (then did a water change)
12/21/2013__0.0_____0.25____0_______7.8

Clearly not cycled, per the magic of this bottle. For those finding this thread, please don't 100% rely on bacteria in a bottle (I'm going to say don't use it).

It seems now I'm not producing any Nitrates as I once was. Any thoughts? It almost seems, when I stopped adding Nutrafin Cycle, then the "real" Nitrites -> Nitrates bacteria actually started to grow?

 

[flitabout]

Well your experience was better than mine. My ammo rose on it's own for like a week straight. I would do a water change and get the ammo down to 1ppm and then It would climb to 4-5m all on it's own. Thank the good Lord that I didn't have any fish in there when I used it! It literally I took months to stabilize after using that crap. Even if I don't have any seeded material to use, I will never use any bb in a bottle no matter the drive to see fish in there. If I really want to see fish in there I will just do a fish in cycle.

 

[Masha]

Apparently nutrafin cycle is heterotrophic bacteria, that has to be replenished every so often to maintain the BB colony.

The BB that occurs naturally is autotrophic, and can build up a self sustaining colony.

At least, that is the impression I got when I looked it up.

Seachems product, I forget the name now...stability? is also heterotrophic, and you have to keep dosing it. Tetra safestart is autotrophic and is supposed to be the same bacteria as the kind that occurs naturally.

 

[Delapool]

Well your experience was better than mine. My ammo rose on it's own for like a week straight. I would do a water change and get the ammo down to 1ppm and then It would climb to 4-5m all on it's own. Thank the good Lord that I didn't have any fish in there when I used it! It literally I took months to stabilize after using that crap. Even if I don't have any seeded material to use, I will never use any bb in a bottle no matter the drive to see fish in there. If I really want to see fish in there I will just do a fish in cycle.

I wonder if it was hetero bacteria causing the ammonia increase? However that was reading that organics (I assume from fish) are eventually converted to ammonia by them.

 

[flitabout]

Not sure like I said no fish just a few plants in there. All I had at the time was plain gravel and a couple of plants. I didn't even have the driftwood in yet.

 

[T1KARMANN]

Nutrafin cycle is that good


You should have used seachem stability great product