Tank cycling additives such as "Cycle"

[runway1]

Is there a significant improvement in cycle time when using a cycling additive like "Cycle"? Any drawbacks?

 

[Jchillin]

"Cycle" does not provide any significant improvement on the biological process. It will delay the normal cycle and provide a temporary "false" cycle. IMO, cycle should never be used when cycling a tank.

 

[quarryshark]

Agree, spend the money on some good LR, will be more beneficial. IMO

 

[runway1]

I have 50# of LR and another 15# of rubble with 25# LS to start the tank. Just wondering if those additives were really effective and worthwhile. I guess not.

Thanks all!

 

[quarryshark]

I tried it in a qt tank a while back. It did nothing.

 

[Petey]

I recently cycled my take using the shrimp method. I had 40lbs of live rock and the tank was not cycling with that becasue the rock was cured. I used the shrimp after about 2 weeks of having the LR in the tank and my levels all spiked and returned to 0 after about 5 days. My tank is now home to a nice pair of Clowns and this weekend they'll be getting more friends!

 

[mojoreef]

Cycling is just the process of building up bacterial populations, just do the shrimp method and allow the process to happen naturally


Mike

 

[swissfish]

why would you need to do the shrimp method if you use cured LR?

 

[malkore]

I used a product like Cycle. It did seem to decrease the ammonia spike, but did nothing for the nitrafying stage of the cycle.
I think the only real product that'll help you cycle is bio-spira, and even then results are mixed, and a lot of it depends on how fresh your package of bio-spira was.

 

[phishead]

The product Cycle is supposed to contain the bacteria that create the nitrogen cycle.
The concept is that you are simply adding the bacteria you want instead of waiting and letting them self propagate.

I have used it several times in my QT, because I feel that it is extremely important to lessen the stress of ammonia on fish when they are new or sick. This is usually difficult to do when there is no bio filtration at all in that tank. I was very happy with how it worked and used it when I started my 75gal SW. Nitrate was present the next day with minimal ammonia after 2 days. I added a damsel in three days! I waited two weeks to add more fish because I was nervous, but the measurements never spiked.

I think that there are several factors to the use of this product, including the age of the product and how the bacteria are preserved, but my experience has only been positive. I will continue to use it to "prime" the filter in my QT and I would use it if I were to start another tank.