hi guys and gals

[beamer281]

Hi Guys and Gals. SO started 1st Saltwater Tank Cycling. Added Live Rock and Sand. Also added Bio Spira. I couldnt find a good answer on this.. Do I added Raw Shrimp also?????

 

[MnFish1]

Hi Guys and Gals. SO started 1st Saltwater Tank Cycling. Added Live Rock and Sand. Also added Bio Spira. I couldnt find a good answer on this.. Do I added Raw Shrimp also?????

IMHO - you should follow the instructions on the bottle of biospira. But - yes - you need to add some 'food' for the bacteria - whether its a little bit of ammonia, or as the website says, 'Fish'.

BIO-Spira® makes your marine aquarium fish-safe instantly.​

With patented nitrifying bacteria, BIO-Spira® accelerates the establishment of the bio-filter in newly set up saltwater aquariums. The live bacteria start working immediately to provide a safe and healthy environment for your fish without the long wait. BIO-Spira can also be used after a water change, when adding new fish or after medicating.

• Live nitrifying bacteria start working immediately to reduce dangerous ammonia and nitrite
• Prevents new tank syndrome
• Patented mix of nitrococcus, nitrosomonas, nitrosospira and nitrospira is proven to work
• Shelf-stable – requires no refrigeration
• 5 mL treats 10 gallons of water

 

[MnFish1]

Hi Guys and Gals. SO started 1st Saltwater Tank Cycling. Added Live Rock and Sand. Also added Bio Spira. I couldnt find a good answer on this.. Do I added Raw Shrimp also?????

PS - I wouldn't add a full tank of fish. Depending on the size of the tank. Though if you look at numerous sites - they say to add whatever fish you want to add. The one caveat - sometimes 'live sand' isn't that 'live' - and might have caused an ammonia spike. I would check this maybe after 24 hours before adding fish. If it does cause an ammonia spike - you needn't worry about adding more

 

[cmaxwell39]

First of all, welcome to R2R. Glad to see you asking questions and wanting to learn.

A raw shrimp decomposing is providing an ammonia source to feed the bacteria that are in the bio-spira and feeding them and allowing them to multiply. You can also use bottled ammonia instead of allowing anything to rot in the tank.

I would at a minimum get test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate so that you can track where you are at in the cycle. If you have any questions on how this all works please ask.

 

[MnFish1]

First of all, welcome to R2R. Glad to see you asking questions and wanting to learn.

A raw shrimp decomposing is providing an ammonia source to feed the bacteria that are in the bio-spira and feeding them and allowing them to multiply. You can also use bottled ammonia instead of allowing anything to rot in the tank.

I would at a minimum get test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate so that you can track where you are at in the cycle. If you have any questions on how this all works please ask.

I disagree with this a little (not the welcome part) - the instructions for biospira are not to feed 'with ammonia' - and its impossible to know at what level the ammonia should be added to (i.e 1ppm, 2, 4, etc). The instructions of Biospira are to add fish. If you are using Dr. Tim's. - yeah - add ammonia to (I think) 2 ppm - and follow the instructions. I do not think its a good idea to assume the instructions for one product will work for another. Example - certain levels of ammonia are toxic to certain bacteria