Beginner's First Tank, Cycling With Bottle Bacteria, Stability, Dr

[boshk]

There are quite a few products on the market assisting new aquarist with their new tanks. This is the best guides I have seen so far.
 
 
1) Seachem Stability
I am using this now on my 125L tank, will post a diary and more importantly how I dosed when and IF it cycled. I am on day 8 so far, waiting for Nitrites to drop.
 
2) Dr Tim's One and Only
I just started this on my 26L tank (freshwater), instructions are VERY ambiguous.
this is a link to the best dosage guide I can find BUT it is different to Dr Tim's official Fishless cycling video. This one involves dosing 'One and Only' everyday!
She puts in double the minimum dose.
 
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pr3Y5dDHsU
 
Dr Tim's official video has him pouring the entire bottle in at once BUT there is an instruction label stating minimum dosage of 10ml (2 capful) per 10 gallon
I am wondering why not just say 'Pour entire bottle in on first day' . I believe there are 7 bottle sizes, smallest is 2oz for UP TO 30 gallons (114L)
He used a 2oz bottle for I'm guessing a 10-15 gallon tank
 
https/www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hL27a8lrME
 
3) Nutafin Cycle
No idea
 
4) ATM Colony
No idea
 
5) Bio-digest
No idea
 
Hope it helps others starting out. I know I spent a lot of time reading forums and watching videoing trying to get an idea how to dose this.
 
I will provide a diary of both the Stability and Dr Tim when and IF my tanks cycle.
I gave up the 'depend on bacteria from the water and air' to appear in tank after 8 days of watching my ammonia stay at 4.
 
The BEST and quickest way is to get established media (gravel, sponges, bi-balls/rings) from your friends OR from your established tank if you are starting a 2nd tank.

 

[Akasha72]

great post!
 
There is too much conflicting advice from these companies. There are many 'bottled bacteria' products on the market and for me, the jury is still out on whether they actually work or if they are just an expensive gimmick designed to fill the manufacturers pockets whilst emptying the pockets of the budding aquarist!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

There is a great deal of misinformation out there regarding these products.  Only two products contain the specific bacteria that have been proven to be present in aquaria and are the ones that deal with the nitrogen cycle.  Those would be Dr Tim's and Tetra's Safe Start.
 
Seachem Stability, Nutrafin Cycle, and the rest, to my knowledge do not even mention what 'bacteria' they are using, and they also recommend using these products after water changes in addition to the process of the adding them every day at the start of a cycle.  I don't trust any product that would force you to use it so frequently.  Dr. Tim's and Tetra both recommend a single dose (can't overdose, so might as well use the whole bottle - who cycles more than one tank at a time when first starting out?) and then waiting for the bacteria to colonize before doing any water changes - about a week.
 
 
I don't trust ANY of these products fully... but if I had to spend my money on one of them, it would be Dr. Tims or Tetra's.   I did buy Tetra's Safe Start years ago, and I saw no perceptible help, but because I was dosing such a large amount of ammonia at first, I believe that IF viable bacteria were present, that the dose (5ppm) might have actually killed them, or harmed them to the point that nothing good came of it.  Both products, recommend VERY small ammonia loads on the bacteria when present.  Only Dr. Tim's (to the best of my knowledge) actually has a fishless cycle procedure with that product - and recommends about 1ppm ammonia dose max.  He also has an interesting - dosage plan with intermittent days to dose and not to dose.  I think he says that the full cycle takes about 2 weeks when completed properly, but then you can add a full bioload of fish at the end.  
 
 
The biggest problem with these products is how they are stored and transported before reaching the retailer or you.  They are fragile and if exposed to excessive heat or cold, can kill the whole lot and you have nothing but an expensive snake oil treatment for your tank.

 

[boshk]

...... Dr. Tim's and Tetra both recommend a single dose (can't overdose, so might as well use the whole bottle - who cycles more than one tank at a time when first starting out?) and then waiting for the b........
...
 

 
hahaha, I am.
 
I started with my 125L with Stability then my mate bought me a One and Only from US and since I also bought a 26L tank for QT/maybe planted tank, I thought I would test Dr Tim, BUT I'm not doing it his way, as in pour the entire bottle in at once.
 
anyway, if anyone is interested:
 
125L with Stability, dosage as per label
day 8: Ammonia 4 to 0 in less than 24hrs, Nitrites around 5....maybe it dropped to 4, Nitrates 60
 
26L with Dr Tim, dosage twice the label amount
day 1 only......dosed 4ppm ammonia

 

[eaglesaquarium]

 

...... Dr. Tim's and Tetra both recommend a single dose (can't overdose, so might as well use the whole bottle - who cycles more than one tank at a time when first starting out?) and then waiting for the b........
...
 

 
hahaha, I am.
 
I started with my 125L with Stability then my mate bought me a One and Only from US and since I also bought a 26L tank for QT/maybe planted tank, I thought I would test Dr Tim, BUT I'm not doing it his way, as in pour the entire bottle in at once.
 
anyway, if anyone is interested:
 
125L with Stability, dosage as per label
day 8: Ammonia 4 to 0 in less than 24hrs, Nitrites around 5....maybe it dropped to 4, Nitrates 60
 
26L with Dr Tim, dosage twice the label amount
day 1 only......dosed 4ppm ammonia
 

 
This flies in the face of what they recommend to have success, that's way more ammonia than they recommend to start.  Just to let you know.   A product can't be blamed for not working when you don't follow their directions.  I don't know that Stability has any directions though.  

 

[boshk]

 

 


...... Dr. Tim's and Tetra both recommend a single dose (can't overdose, so might as well use the whole bottle - who cycles more than one tank at a time when first starting out?) and then waiting for the b........
...
 

 
hahaha, I am.
 
I started with my 125L with Stability then my mate bought me a One and Only from US and since I also bought a 26L tank for QT/maybe planted tank, I thought I would test Dr Tim, BUT I'm not doing it his way, as in pour the entire bottle in at once.
 
anyway, if anyone is interested:
 
125L with Stability, dosage as per label
day 8: Ammonia 4 to 0 in less than 24hrs, Nitrites around 5....maybe it dropped to 4, Nitrates 60
 
26L with Dr Tim, dosage twice the label amount
day 1 only......dosed 4ppm ammonia
 

 
This flies in the face of what they recommend to have success, that's way more ammonia than they recommend to start.  Just to let you know.   A product can't be blamed for not working when you don't follow their directions.  I don't know that Stability has any directions though.  
 


His site recommends 3ppm (max 5). His video goes by his own ammonia solution which is drops/gallon, he says its a 10g tank, so 10 drops, but he never tells you what it would give you in terms of ppm.
 
Yes I know, I'm not following the label or the video exactly, I should have dosed 10ml according to label OR according to video I should have dosed 2oz/60ml because he quotes "its no use saving it, dump the whole bottle in..."..........I did 20ml.
 
If minimum dosage works, at least I still have 40ml left for my main tank which is a 30G tank.... IF Stability fails.

 

[boshk]

Quick update on Dr Tim's.
 
Less than 24hrs after initial dose.
Amm=3 Nitrite=4 Nitrates=10 pH=6.8 temp 28C