How does tetra safe start work

I'm a little bit skeptical of the live bacteria products, but I'm hoping someone could point me in the right direction. Both tanks have been running with the filters for roughly 48 hours, and I added SafeStart to , and introduced two cory cat fish to each tank a few hours later to produce ammonia.

Can anybody give me an idea of what to expect in the coming days? I've read that food can serve as a source of ammonia, but do I need to still do that now that I have a couple fish in each tank? Or will the additional food speed up the process? Also, I have been using both tropical flakes and sinking bottom feeder tablets. Is either one better than the other in terms of being used as an ammonia source? I figured the sinking tablets would be my best bet since they seem to stick around the tank for a lot longer.

One last question: In the 20 long tank I am using an old aquatech filter I realize I could probably do much better , but I forgot to grab the bio-fiber. I am hoping that it doesn't set me back in the cycling process. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I've used TSS a couple of times and love it. It does need fish to work best. It takes about 2 weeks to fully work. Food doesn't add a lot of ammonia. Click to expand Cycling with cories isn't a great idea I'd go with something hardier, like a trio of cherry barbs.

I am really impressed with the TSS instead and will not use the others ever again. From what I have read most avid aquariusts use Prime and TSS, needless to say I am seeing the value of these two products and understand why they work so well.

I am switching from Amquel to Prime in the next few days. On you filter unit you will be fine just running the new cartridges. When you add the Bio-fiber just rince it and open the top of the filter and slide them in, no need to turn off the filter. I used TSS for the first time to start my 10 gallon betta tank.

It worked like a charm! Since you're going to be cycling with fish anyway, I would not overfeed. You won't be able to do any cleaning type maintenance such as water changes if your TSS is to succeed. Instead of the bio fiber, why not put in a pouch of Bio-Max instead? There should be space for it. Or just stick in some new potscrubbers, basically the same thing as the bio fiber, just make sure they're not antibacterial.

Don't worry about not having it for one night, the biomedia won't do anything until it has bacteria on it. I wouldn't add the TSS until you do have your biomedia in place however. Good luck! Do you guys know if adding some stress zyme would affect the TSS at all? Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately I have already added the TSS to the tank, and apparently they don't sell Bio-Fiber, so I'm gonna have to use something else in its place.

One thing I probably should of mentioned though is that I took like a pound of gravel from an established tank, put it in filter media bags and put one in each tank. I have heard some people say that the substrate will usually hold a lot of BB, and others who say its all in the filter media, so I'm not sure how that will affect my situation but I figure it can only help.

In the 35 gallon hex tank I actually saved the old filter media from before I re-did the tank left it in the old tank water in the meantime and it is now back in the tank. I'm hoping that should speed things up. If you have a lens mill store or a fabric store near you go buy some nylon pillow stuffing it's the same stuff an filter floss bio fiber.

I bought a huge roll of Quilt Filler at Walmart They are tougher fish than the Cory's and smaller tetras like Neons and cardinals. Why do you want to use stress zyme when you'll already be adding TSS? Rinse off the media in tank water or condidtioned water so you won't disrupt the BB. How many barbs did you use? I tested the water daily just to see how it was coming along. Love it worked great for me. I'm a complete newbie here and I'm starting a freshwater aquarium. I'm thinking of using tetra safestart as they say that you can add fish a day after.

Just remember with or without fish and with or without a bacterial starter Good luck in your future fishy endeavors and welcome to the forums. I gonna get a 20 gallon tank. I would not cycle a tank with cories, not even using TSS. They're a bit sensitive. What other fish were you thinking of stocking? Neon tetras have different temperature requirements than the other fish on your list.

Also not sure if a 20 is big enough for a BN Pleco , I think they need 29 gallons. Maybe you could start with the guppies, maybe 2 to 4 in a 20 depending on size, and when your tank is cycled you can start adding other fish. Also not sure if a 20 is big enough for a BN Pleco, I think they need 29 gallons.

Glowlight tetras and Black Neon tetras are two that spring to mind because I have them Pleco are awesome and there may be some kinds that would work in your tank. I have a BN that's super small but she's a lot of fun!

They do produce a lot of waste though so will take up a lot of your bioload capacity. I keep my tetras at F. When you choose your Cory species be sure to look up their temperature requirements, too! Some prefer cool water like the neons. You could always change your stocking plan to cooler water species. I'm not sure that the dwarf gourami needs replacing tbh! I've been looking around the site and some of the dwarf species may be OK, including honey gourami.

Other fish that might work include American Flagfish and some species of killifish like Golden Wonder. Well, it depends on the species of dwarf gourami that you choose. You can realistically expect a fully cycled tank at the end of the second week 10 to 14 days after application. Dosage plays a major role in success. However, following the instructions on the back is not something that will help, as they are pretty vague.

Going through hundreds of forum threads and speaking with fishkeepers I know, I did find confirmations of my findings. Going beneath or above that range may spoil it, by killing the microorganisms and rendering the product useless. Trusting your local fish store is okay, but I do prefer getting mine over Chewy. For the record, Chewy is an online store that specializes in pet supplies, so they really know how to ship the bottled bacteria properly and in the right conditions.

Anyway, if you do insist on getting from your local market make sure that they were safely stored and aim to get the most recently shipped ones with the farthest expiration date. Chlorine will kill the not well-established cycling bacteria. Shake the bottle of bacteria hard. This part is really important. Shake the bottle really well before adding the bacteria. Pour in double the recommended dosage.

The more the better. Feed your fish every other day. Many fish can survive more than a week without food , so they will be fine. If and only if the ammonia starts rising for no apparent reason you can do a water change to lower the levels down.

Water facilities in the more developed cities use Chloramine instead of Chlorine for disinfection. Seachem Prime a commonly used dechlorinator , for example, breaks down chloramine to chlorine and ammonia, takes care of the chlorine, and detoxifies the released ammonia.

Ammonium is harmless to bacteria and fish alike, but the detoxifying effect only lasts for 24 to 48 hours. After that, the ammonium turns back into ammonia, which means you now have more of the latter in the cycling aquarium. The more Chloramine your water facility uses, the more the released ammonia after the effect of the dechlorinator expires.

This could consequently harm your bacterial biofilter and fish if the contents turn out to be too high to handle. Continuously using a dechlorinator that turns ammonia into ammonium could actually slow down the nitrogen cycle in your aquarium even further. The nitrifying bacteria would not be interested in the latter and will not be stimulated to multiply further. This can easily turn into a vicious circle and a never-ending supply of Prime for a new, non-cycled fish tank….

Tip: The best way to avoid all of this is by having a separate batch of dechlorinated water to use for water changes during aquarium cycling. The residual ammonia from breaking down the Chloramine would be negligible to the already-established bacterial colony in a mature tank. Anyway, after 14 days of cycling, you can perform a water change the regular way. Turn the UV lights off for the first day or two. Ultraviolet light does affect the bacteria in a negative way.

Seeing cloudy water in a new aquarium at the beginning of its Nitrogen cycling is completely normal and it means that different bacteria are establishing their hierarchy. Understanding aquarium microfauna is, in my opinion, a core component of long-term success in fish keeping.

This is not one of those posts where I discuss the pros and cons of both products and leave the choice to you. High ammonia levels may result in your fish staying at the bottom of the tank seemingly gasping in despair click the link for an in-depth explanation of this behavior in Bettas. Seeing how upon proper use the products kept proving themselves to me and others I spoke to, I can only conclude that. Whether you choose to go natural or use bottled bacteria products for starting a new fish tank , you will have to wait it out a bit.

Since my last reply, instead of water change, i added more water, because it seems like the water is evaporating fast, the water i added was cured with anti chlorine and i let it sir for 48 hours. I use API freshwater liquid test kit. I also tested my tap water, and it has no ammonia. I will start to stock water on my 12th day for change on 14th. And i will test it before doing so. I planted my tank yesterday with stones. And had water change too, i added Aqua care for the chlorine.

My question now is, i only have a 14 gallon tank. I started, this is my third day with no water change since the first day i double dose it with API. And added 1 fish added small endler guppy. Is it a good idea to get 1 panda cory for this foods? My test results are: Ammonia — 1ppm Nitrite — 0. But i admit there is some food left on the substrate, but i have no gravel cleaner, is it worth adding a small panda cory or pygmy cory below, will they eat the food on the substrate?

I would try to remove the food particles manually, if possible. They add to the bioload. Is there a lot of them? Ok, so the filter pad cleaning may have not been a good idea.

The debris in it can attribute to cycling and likely had some bacteria on them. A liquid test kit or the strips? Strips can be inaccurate. Algae is more of a consequence of the high ammonia, rather than the reason. To control it and not let it take over you can add a little more live plants. They will use up the nutrients in the water and will outcompete the algae.

Did you give my article about high Nitrite a read, by the way? Hi, Thanks for your awesome article! I love how clearly you share your knowledge and experience. Added gravel, plants and air stone. Week later added a 2nd, smaller goldfish because he needed a friend… After the second fish, I started reading up more and more to make sure I was giving them the best care.

This got me to a week ago when my new tank arrived and I added black flourite sand, plants and fluval u4 filter. I added the recommended amount of API quick start on the second day of the filter running. That evening last night , is when I read your article and clarified a lot of information.

Will the nerites keep the bacteria going for another weeks? She is also the least destructive out of the two for my plants because, with them being goldfish, they love to uproot and munch on my plants so they need time to grow and get established before that. I also have a larger nerite in the small tank because I get quite a lot of diatoms in that tank, and was considering moving him to the new tank as well.

Would this be alright? For reference, my readings over the last 4 days are: nitrate comes out of the tap at when I tested untreated tap water.

Also no ammonia in our tap water. You dose it once in the beginning and save another double dose for emergencies, such as the ammonia rising after days which should not happen. Nerites will keep some of the bacteria. There will be an adjustment period after you add fish. Also, kudos for doing your research and deciding to add your goldfishes one by one.

Typically, diatoms kind of sort themselves out with time. They may or may not try to snack on the shrimp. My point is — it will be pretty much trial and error for you.

Four days is still early but you have cool readings. They mean the nerites are producing enough waste to start the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Shoot me up another comment if you have more questions or if you just want to keep me and other readers posted with your progress. I did as you suggested, and moved the nerite the new tank as well on the day of your reply.

After 2 more days it was above 1ppm, the day after which it was suddenly at 5ppm. After 1ppm the colours get hard to separate. The day after, I did nothing. The following day the big nerite fell off the glass and had his trapdoor shut. I planned to do that the next day the 3rd of November. When I woke up, I saw one of the smaller nerites had also fallen off the glass and had his trapdoor shut. While I was opening the hood to take all the snails out and put them in a temporary home with clean water and prime, I saw him open his door a little and close it again.

The big one is still totally shut and still, but still no smell of death. The test is still identical to yesterday. Ammonia 0, nitrite between 2. Thanks in advance! Is the pH in the cycling tank dropping abnormally fast? CO2 can lower the pH, which in turn can stall the work of certain bacteria strains, true. So stop the CO2 system for now. I usually recommend using QuickStart in well-planted tanks where the plants can suck up the excess Nitrite quickly. Such plants are usually the ones that grow faster than usual because they need more of the stuff.

Are your plants slow growers? Java Fern is a relatively slow grower for example? Do you have the opportunity to get Tetra SafeStart?

Thank you again for your advice. Yes I do use a bit of co2. The pH did drop slightly after the tank started to cycle, but not very fast. I think it does match up with the co2 use, like you explained.

My plants are mostly moderate and relatively fast growing ones.