Help Tank won't Cycle

[printerrob]

I would get a buddy that's in the hobby and use there old tank water when they're doing there water change.

correct me if I'm wrong but just by using the water that really won't do anything because there isn't any bacteria, unless the owner is blowing the rock and sand to get some bacteria floating in the water while they are doing the water change.

 

[Pete polyp]

There should be no reason to feed the tank at all while you have a presence of ammonia. The concept behind feeding a cycling tank is to have an ammonia source.

Adding water from an established tank will not do much either since there is a very very small amount of bacteria in the water column, if any at all.

Your tank has already consumed a very large amount of ammonia, which means the bacteria is there. I agree with doing a water change at this point to remove some of the excess ammonia and speed up the process.

 

[chefjpaul]

Just change 20-30% water and let it go. No need to keep adding ammonia sources as its already high.

Or

You can just let it ride out.

Your almost there, just have patience.

Why old tank water?
Fresh mix is always a better option.
No need adding someone else's problems to your system. Bacteria won't come over anyway.

 

[Pete polyp]

People keep posting while I'm trying a response lol. Yes you are correct. Adding water from another tank really won't help anything.

 

[chefjpaul]

Fast typer Pete!
Thats how i felt.

Lol

 

[Pete polyp]

I agree with the water change. Personally I would do a rather large one (like 50%)

 

[printerrob]

People keep posting while I'm trying a response lol. Yes you are correct. Adding water from another tank really won't help anything.

lol right now i have a sponge filter in my 40 breeder mainly incase the power goes out it will still have filtration and a little water movement with a battery operated air pump but also i could use the sponge filter when i set up another tank just by squeezing the sponge into another tank to seed it with bacteria.
maybe if he knew someone thats using a sponge filter in their system he could ask for a squeeze but like chef said no need to add someone else's problems to your system

 

[Pete polyp]

Yes that's a good way to introduce bacteria into the tank. With this situation the bacteria is there already.... It was just overdosed with ammonia

 

[printerrob]

Yes that's a good way to introduce bacteria into the tank. With this situation the bacteria is there already.... It was just overdosed with ammonia

my ? for that is if you have too much ammonia would it benefit the cycle using one of those "bacteria booster capsules", I've never done it but its something i started wondering about with this post.

 

[chefjpaul]

Do You have some good circulation going in the tank?

 

[chefjpaul]

my ? for that is if you have too much ammonia would it benefit the cycle using one of those "bacteria booster capsules", I've never done it but its something i started wondering about with this post.

These bacteria booster are also unnecessary because the bacteria that they are providing for you are ubiquitous—they are already available everywhere in the environment, so they are readily available to your fish tank. Once they get into the fish tank and have access to that food source, they will begin to multiply. This is what is happening when your tank is cycling.

As far as adding more bacteria booster with each water change, this is only viable as a money making scheme for the manufacturers of the products. First, assuming that the bacteria are actually live in the bottle (and hoping that they are not so far gone as to be replaced with their toxic anaerobic counterparts), your tank can only support so much bacteria in its biological filter. The amount of bacteria that your tank can sustain is governed by several factors, including:

The amount of food (fish waste) available for the bacteria to consume
The amount of solid surface area available for the bacteria to colonize
The amount of oxygen available for the bacteria to consume when processing the fish waste (this is in addition to that needed by the fish and plants [yes, plants need oxygen])
The overall water volume
The ability of the water to dissipate the bacteria's own waste
The flow rate of the water
And the availability of these things in conjunction and consistently over time


So, if your tank has finished cycling, it will have as much of a bacteria colony as it can support, based on the resources provided. Adding more bacteria to the system will only result in a die-off of bacteria within the tank as a whole and a temporarily loss in stability of the biological filter until the system can re-assert itself.

 

[Pete polyp]

These bacteria booster are also unnecessary because the bacteria that they are providing for you are ubiquitous—they are already available everywhere in the environment, so they are readily available to your fish tank. Once they get into the fish tank and have access to that food source, they will begin to multiply. This is what is happening when your tank is cycling.

As far as adding more bacteria booster with each water change, this is only viable as a money making scheme for the manufacturers of the products. First, assuming that the bacteria are actually live in the bottle (and hoping that they are not so far gone as to be replaced with their toxic anaerobic counterparts), your tank can only support so much bacteria in its biological filter. The amount of bacteria that your tank can sustain is governed by several factors, including:

The amount of food (fish waste) available for the bacteria to consume
The amount of solid surface area available for the bacteria to colonize
The amount of oxygen available for the bacteria to consume when processing the fish waste (this is in addition to that needed by the fish and plants [yes, plants need oxygen])
The overall water volume
The ability of the water to dissipate the bacteria's own waste
The flow rate of the water
And the availability of these things in conjunction and consistently over time


So, if your tank has finished cycling, it will have as much of a bacteria colony as it can support, based on the resources provided. Adding more bacteria to the system will only result in a die-off of bacteria within the tank as a whole and a temporarily loss in stability of the biological filter until the system can re-assert itself.

I like this post. Well said and spot on

 

[printerrob]

These bacteria booster are also unnecessary because the bacteria that they are providing for you are ubiquitous—they are already available everywhere in the environment, so they are readily available to your fish tank. Once they get into the fish tank and have access to that food source, they will begin to multiply. This is what is happening when your tank is cycling.

As far as adding more bacteria booster with each water change, this is only viable as a money making scheme for the manufacturers of the products. First, assuming that the bacteria are actually live in the bottle (and hoping that they are not so far gone as to be replaced with their toxic anaerobic counterparts), your tank can only support so much bacteria in its biological filter. The amount of bacteria that your tank can sustain is governed by several factors, including:

The amount of food (fish waste) available for the bacteria to consume
The amount of solid surface area available for the bacteria to colonize
The amount of oxygen available for the bacteria to consume when processing the fish waste (this is in addition to that needed by the fish and plants [yes, plants need oxygen])
The overall water volume
The ability of the water to dissipate the bacteria's own waste
The flow rate of the water
And the availability of these things in conjunction and consistently over time


So, if your tank has finished cycling, it will have as much of a bacteria colony as it can support, based on the resources provided. Adding more bacteria to the system will only result in a die-off of bacteria within the tank as a whole and a temporarily loss in stability of the biological filter until the system can re-assert itself.

thank you for explaining this, like I've said I've never tried it i was just wondering. I also figured most those boosters were just gimmicks.

 

[printerrob]

I like this post. Well said and spot on

I love learning new facts about this wonderful hobby

 

[Pete polyp]

I love learning new facts about this wonderful hobby

Me too. I learn something new almost everyday

 

[chefjpaul]

me too. I learn something new almost everyday

oh yeah! +1

 

[AScarbro14]

I'm gonna get some water ready for a 20 gal water change tomorrow. I'm using rea sea coral pro salt. As for circulation I'm running an mp10 and a mag 7 with glashole 700 gph overflow.

 

[nemoisk]

That's not correct the established tamm water has all the bacteria in there to help you speed up your cycle....I cycle my new tank within a month by uBacter7 and my old water from my established tank....I also added a piece of boiled cook shrimp to feed it during my cycle time.

 

[chefjpaul]

I totally disagree, and don't need anymore confusing issues.

Your tank cycled because of the mb7 / shrimp as an ammonia source. Not old water.

The info given was regarding adding excess bacteria to a system already in the cycling process. Meaning its not necessary.

Btw- the cooked / boiled shrimp probably had no pro / cons for the establishment of bacteria colonies, The mb7 mostly did all the work.

The OP most likely overdose ammonia source with mb7 & raw shrimp. It's going to just take longer is all.

 

[printerrob]

I totally disagree, and don't need anymore confusing issues.

Your tank cycled because of the mb7 / shrimp as an ammonia source. Not old water.

The info given was regarding adding excess bacteria to a system already in the cycling process. Meaning its not necessary.

Btw- the cooked / boiled shrimp probably had no pro / cons for the establishment of bacteria colonies, The mb7 mostly did all the work.

The OP most likely overdose ammonia source with mb7 & raw shrimp. It's going to just take longer is all.

+1
Just like chef and I said in previous post. Taking water from an established tank will do nothing for cycling