[Padres1234]

Without seeding from a different filter, do you think products like tetra safe start, api quick start will speed it up. I can do a fish less cycle without a problem.

I am looking for ways to speed it up without seeding from a different filter. Anyone recommend a product?

 

[discuspaul]

It seems that the bottled nitrifying bacteria products are a hit & miss thing. Some work, at least to some extent (majority of these being found to assist in speeding the cycle up, but not much more), or don't work at all, depending on the product and whether or not it is used early in it's 'shelf life' or not.
So you take your chances. Best you can expect is that your cycle MAY be completed a week or two sooner than if you did a fishless cycle from scratch using household ammonia.
Give it a try with Safe Start that has a real good "best before" date & see how it goes.

 

[Diana]

Nitrospira is the only active ingredient to look for. If it is not on the label do not waste your money.
Dr Tims One and Only is one such product, and Tetra Safe Start.
These are perishable. It is ok to use extra.
Go to any of my posts with the fish less cycle. This will have the optimum water conditions to grow the most bacteria as fast as possible.
Set up the tank for the fish less cycle (correct water parameters) and add as much Nitrospira as you want. Then do the fish less cycle. It can finish in as fast as 1-2 days if you use plenty of Nitrospira.
Unfortunately the bacteria in the bottle may be dead. If there is no sign of NO2 or NO3 within 24-48 hours you might have old or dead bacteria. I would keep doing the fish less cycle for 3-4 days, and if still nothing, return the bottle. Continue the fish less cycle.

 

[Padres1234]

Nitrospira is the only active ingredient to look for. If it is not on the label do not waste your money.
Dr Tims One and Only is one such product, and Tetra Safe Start.
These are perishable. It is ok to use extra.
Go to any of my posts with the fish less cycle. This will have the optimum water conditions to grow the most bacteria as fast as possible.
Set up the tank for the fish less cycle (correct water parameters) and add as much Nitrospira as you want. Then do the fish less cycle. It can finish in as fast as 1-2 days if you use plenty of Nitrospira.
Unfortunately the bacteria in the bottle may be dead. If there is no sign of NO2 or NO3 within 24-48 hours you might have old or dead bacteria. I would keep doing the fish less cycle for 3-4 days, and if still nothing, return the bottle. Continue the fish less cycle.

Do you think Tetra Safe Start us safe to fish-in-cycle? Or is this highly not recommended?

 

[Nordic]

I have not had much different results using safe start as opposed to conventional cycling.
It is a lot of money and the results are hit and miss.

 

[roadmaster]

Fish in cycling requires patience and attention that most fail at in their hurry to toss fish in the tank.
Oddly,small children are very good at it (they follow direction).
Requires very few fish per volume of water,sparse feeding's,and daily monitoring for toxic ammonia.
Have set up dozen's of class room tank' with fish in cycling method and used same fish and or their babies to set up other classroom tanks.
I am not a big fan of the bacteria in a bottle product's to put it nicely.

 

[Freemananana]

I've never used it and my fishless cycling has taken approx. 3 weeks each time I've done it (3 times). I would just skip it. I don't think speeding it up by a week would be worth it, even if it was 100%. I would just follow the fishless cycle procedure. I dose pretty heavily (ammonia wise) when I do mine.

 

[Diana]

I just answered the same question for someone else here:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/21-fish/1043986-fishless-cycle.html

 

[jrygel]

Dr. Tim's One and Only helped my cycle speed up in my first tank. I was anxious to get started. Because it's perishable, I would buy it directly from their website to ensure you get a relatively fresh batch. No telling how long it's been on the shelf if you order from Amazon.

I did the standard fishless cycle in the new tank (with a few pieces of wood coming over from a cycled tank) in about 2 weeks.

-Justin

 

[Diana]

I did the standard fishless cycle in the new tank (with a few pieces of wood coming over from a cycled tank) in about 2 weeks.

The driftwood from the cycled tank brought over a starter culture of the nitrifying organisms, so shortened the cycle by about 30%. Typical time with no starter is closer to 3 weeks.

Of course there are other microorganisms getting established in the tank, too, so allowing time for them to get going, too is good.

 

[Nordic]

Sprinkling some of the top layer of sand or gravel from an established tank, will also help seed the bacteria a bit faster...
One does something similar when you inoculate a large casing for growing mushrooms

 

[wendyjo]

I've had good luck with Safe Start.

 

[Autumncrossing]

I second the tetra safe start. Along with old filter media, plants, decor from the old tank and a bottle of TSS I cycled mine in 3 days or so! Quickest cycle I've had yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[number1sixerfan]

The instant start products aren't magic as claimed... but TSS used with just a bit of seeding from another tank has done wonders for me a few times. And I'm talking minimal seeding. Doing so on a 90g right now and the fish, shrimp and snails appear to be thriving--not a single death or sign of stress. I'll continue to use both for all tanks. I should also mention that this is with good amount of plants (half of which are fast growing stems, floaters and moss bolls that I'll remove later).

After adding TSS I had a bacterial bloom shortly follow which is really annoying but pretty normal for a new tank. Best case scenario is to have a full blown filter that can be swapped, but sometimes that's not an option..

 

[Padres1234]

Would using prime on water changes be beneficial or hurtful? It would be killing any nitrate and ammonia.

Also do you think if I kept dosing with prime I could introduce new fish and have it cycle slowly or will prime completely prevent the cycling?