Bio Spira

[ssky]

@Mascale. Thank you for your candid comments. I understand it and agree too. That is one of the reason I am coming to this forum. To tone down my urge to rush things up . I bought bio spira since it was on sale with the thinking that what the heck. Let me give it and see what happens. I placed a dead fish in the tank for several days and then dose ammonia. The plan is to check how the cycle is coming along and then use bio sipra to see if things can be boosted. Please comment if I need to make changes in my plan.

Again I would like to thank all of you who are reading my posts and offering me your valuable suggestions. It is really helping a saltwater noob like me.

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[Outlaw]

I would never suggest adding it and then fish. But I had a bottle laying around for months, the first two on top of the fridge, the second two in the fridge. As I was planning to do fish less anyway, I figured it couldn't hurt to throw in the bottle. My 20 gal QT cycled in 8 days with ammonium chloride. I was so blown away I got another (both from Amazon), and my 75 DT with ammonium chloride cycled in 8-9 days. I have been dosing it with 2-4 ppm daily and every night it's at 0. I wouldn't say it works for everyone, but it has been brilliant for me. I honestly expected 30 days per, and started QT a couple weeks early.

I just hate having to dose my DT as the fish have only been in QT for a day or so...

Gotta keep the DT alive for a month.


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[Macscale]

@Mascale. Thank you for your candid comments. I understand it and agree too. That is one of the reason I am coming to this forum. To tone down my urge to rush things up . I bought bio spira since it was on sale with the thinking that what the heck. Let me give it and see what happens. I placed a dead fish in the tank for several days and then dose ammonia. The plan is to check how the cycle is coming along and then use bio sipra to see if things can be boosted. Please comment if I need to make changes in my plan.

Again I would like to thank all of you who are reading my posts and offering me your valuable suggestions. It is really helping a saltwater noob like me.

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That would be IMO the correct way to use the Spira...

 

[Mattyfelts]

I would never suggest adding it and then fish. But I had a bottle laying around for months, the first two on top of the fridge, the second two in the fridge. As I was planning to do fish less anyway, I figured it couldn't hurt to throw in the bottle. My 20 gal QT cycled in 8 days with ammonium chloride. I was so blown away I got another (both from Amazon), and my 75 DT with ammonium chloride cycled in 8-9 days. I have been dosing it with 2-4 ppm daily and every night it's at 0. I wouldn't say it works for everyone, but it has been brilliant for me. I honestly expected 30 days per, and started QT a couple weeks early.

I just hate having to dose my DT as the fish have only been in QT for a day or so...

Gotta keep the DT alive for a month.


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I may be wrong but aren't you supposed to use pure ammonia. wouldn't dosing ammonium chloride introduce chloride, a much unwanted element into our tanks?


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[Chefjpaul]

Ammonia chloride is a derivative of hydrochloric acid and ammonia. (More acidic - good for PH).

Its perfectly safe and appropriate for cycling, see Dr. Tim's website for instructions.

I used only the ammonia chloride to cycle my tanks as the only ammonia source. Easier to control IMO.

I think nitrites / nitrates will consume all the molecules involved.





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[Outlaw]

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[Mattyfelts]

thanks for clarification. as I said I was unsure


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[ssky]

Ammonium chloride...ummm that's a good suggestion. Thanks

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[ssky]

So here I am chronicling my cycling process.

Thursday Dec 18. Dosed ammonia to 4 ppm.
Friday Dec 19. Checked ammonia. No significant change.
Left for vacation.
Tuesday Dec 23. Ammonia .25 ppm, nitrite 0, nitrate 20 ppm
Tuesday Dec 23. Dosd ammonia again to 2ppm.
Saga continues.

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[ssky]

Wed. Dec 24. (after 12 hrs.). Ammonia down to 1 ppm, nitrite 0, nitrate 20 ppm.
Wed. Dec 24. (7:30 pm). Ammonia 0 or close to 0,
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20-40 ppm
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.022
Temp 77.8 F
Wed. Dec 24. (7:30 pm). Poured Bio Spira whole bottle (250 ml)
Wed. Dec 24. (8:30 pm). Dosed Ammonia to 4 ppm.



Just for reference for others. I have 45 gallon tank with 40 galllons pf water. It takes 3 ml of ammonia to get 4 ppm.

 

[ssky]

Thursday Dec. 25 (10:00 am). After 12 hours of using Bio Spira. Checked the water. Ammonia 1 ppm, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 40 ppm. Looks like things are going good.
Thursday Dec. 25 (12:00 pm). Dosed 1 ml of ammonia to raise it to 2 ppm.

If it again goes down to 0 by tomorrow. I am planning to do a 10 % (10 gallon) water change. Place my first pair of ocellaris clownfish in.

Suggestions/comments?

 

[Sniperhank]

If you hit 0 ammonia and nitrite tomorrow, that is a great plan and exactly what I would suggest. The water change may or may not be large enough depending on what the nitrate level is, so I would leave that open. I always say a 50% water change simply because the math is easy...40 nitrate becomes 20 nitrate. But I'm sure you get the idea.

 

[ssky]

The problem is I only have 10 gallons of RO water available

 

[ssky]

Is it possible to use one of those API water conditioner to fix tap water and use that? I have one sample lying around that can condition 10 gallons more

 

[Sniperhank]

Conditioner doesn't fix the things that come into tap water. Your tap water could be bringing in higher nitrates than you are removing! So don't waste your time with tap water. Just do what you can with the ro/di.

 

[ssky]

One more question. If I get fish from my lfs and if he says that the fish were with him for so many weeks and yada yada yada, should I still quarantine the fish. The reason I am asking is that I do not have any qt setup.

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[Mebbid]

One more question. If I get fish from my lfs and if he says that the fish were with him for so many weeks and yada yada yada, should I still quarantine the fish. The reason I am asking is that I do not have any qt setup.

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Yes, always always quarantine fish. Most lfs ranks will have active ich infections regardless if you can see it or not.

 

[ssky]

I dosed this morning to 4 ppm ammonia. I wss wrong when I wrote my morning report.
Thursday Dec 25 (10.00 pm). Could n't wait and tested again. Ammonia is down to 2ppm, Nitrite .25 ppm, Nitrates 40 ppm.

I will check one more time in the morning and if parameters are good, then water change and fish..

Wish me good luck guys.

I don't know what am I gonna do with the qt setup. I don't have anything to use it as qt. Not happy. Any suggestions????

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[ssky]

Friday Dec 26. Ammonia is down to .25 ppm may be zero can't distinguish clearly. Nitrites is also 0.25 ish, nitrates at 20-40 ppm.

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[Mebbid]

I dosed this morning to 4 ppm ammonia. I wss wrong when I wrote my morning report.
Thursday Dec 25 (10.00 pm). Could n't wait and tested again. Ammonia is down to 2ppm, Nitrite .25 ppm, Nitrates 40 ppm.

I will check one more time in the morning and if parameters are good, then water change and fish..

Wish me good luck guys.

I don't know what am I gonna do with the qt setup. I don't have anything to use it as qt. Not happy. Any suggestions????

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In a pinch a QT tank can be made out of a rubbermaid tote. The problem is you can't see the fish, but it's better than nothing.