Is everything normal here?

[Socrates]

So I'll let y'all know later how my bio-spira experiment goes.

Water before fish:
pH = 7.75
Nitrites < .3
GH = 6
KH = 7
Ammonia (NH3/NH4) = 0

Added:
6 1 inch long Rummynose Tetra
6 alf inch long Neons
3 oz. of Bio-Spira (way more than necessary, but they say you can't over dose it)
4 Caps of Bio-Coat

HERE'S MY QUESTIONS:
1) Only noticable change about 10 minutes after adding fish is a very slight change in the color of the nitrite test but not enough to say it's up to .3 yet. In my paranoid world, I wonder if that is anything to worry about?

2) The Rummynoses are hiding in a corner behind a rock at the base of some plants. They did come out once as a school to let the neons know they were on the wrong side of the tank These were active swimmers in the LFS. Is their shiness normal?

3) The Neons are schooling, but they are doing it very near the bottom of the tank. Again, is that normal?

4) When should I feed these guys?

Thanks for any answers. If this should be in the beginner forum, please move it and accept my appology.


PS. I'll be sure to check the water often and report back on how the bio-spira works out.

 

[Socrates]

Well it's about 8 hours later. The Rummys have come out to play. Everyone has had a meal. Two of my neons are MIA, but there are a million hiding places, so fingers crossed. (I've since come to find out that neons were not the best choice for this type of cycling or for any non-established tank in general, but you ask online, if no one answers, then you have to trust the LFS guy. )

Anyway. No Ammonia or Nitrite spike yet. Crossing fingers again.

Man those Rummy noses are happy in there by the way. They remind of the turtles in Nemo, riding the current for giggles.

 

[Bol]

Here would be my answers.

1) Heh, I would seriously doubt you'd get a noticeable change in nitrites, in a tank that large with so few fish, in ten minutes.

Although, me, I'd be curious about how you got non-zero nitrites in a tank that had nothing in it.

2) In my limited experience, odd fish behavior right after putting them in a tank is normal.

3) Nothing to worry about, in my opinion. Not yet, anyway.

4) Start your normal feeding routine the day you put the fish in.

 

[Socrates]

Thanks for the reply.

The Nitrite thing... well I'm pretty sure I'm just being paraniog and seing orange tint in the yellow that just isn't there.

Last night the Rummys came out to play. But the Neons looked like they were all going to die... hiding separately, floating backwards in the current, etc. I'm going to guess my high pH almost had them for lunch.

This morning, the Neons were back in a school curiously swimming to and fro checking things out looking extremely well settled in and calm/happy. The Rummys are still schooling around the tank and they seem to like to literally play. No one is spending all their time at the bottom anymore or hiding in anyone place for too long.

Maybe someone can tell me if this behavios sounds normal or if it sounds like stress (I told you I'm paranoid right?):
The Rummys "surf" the current along the front glass of the tank, and they like to race back and forth weaving in and out of the plants along the back wall. Everyone looks OK to me. Both the Neons and Rummys seem to be utterly baffled by their own reflections.

All the numbers were still rock steady this morning, so I'll check it again when I get home. There is supposed to be a 1PPM Ammonia spike at some point according to the Bio-Spira web site.

 

[crimsontsavo]

When I look at your tank I feel calm.
You did a nice job aquascaping it.

 

[crazie.eddie]

I understand it's a 50/50 chance using bacteria starters, such as bio-spira, cycle, stress zyme, etc. This is becuase the life cycle of the bacteria in the containers. Bacteria can survive with O2 and a food source. Most of these bottles have chemicals that let the bacteria thrive in an almost suspended state, feeding very little on the food and O2. The food and O2 will eventually run out. Unfortunately, there is no expiration dates on these bottles. So unless you know you have purchased a freshly stocked bottle, then you may be just using a bottle of dead bacteria.

 

[Socrates]

Crazy Eddie.

I have done quite a bit of reading of other peoples experiences with these.

I would say it's like 50-50. But the 50-50 comes down to which product you use.

From what I've gathered Bio-Spira is the only one that is really a bacteria in a bottle. The rest are just enzymes or gimmicks.

Once you narrow it down to just the Bio-Spira, and you read aenough accounts, it gets down to more like 9 out of 10 succeed. And in every account that I've read where it failed, it was either used wrong or purchased from a questionable source.

Mine is working great.

I bought it cold from a LFS with a very good reputation to maintain.

 

[crazie.eddie]

Bio-Spira is actual bacteria in a bottle, it still needs O2 and food to survive. Once the bottle gets too old, the bacteria will die. LFSs are supposed to remove the older bottles of these bacteria starters from their shelves. Unfortunately, some do not. The problem I think too is that these bottles do not contain expiration dates, so one never knows how old the bottle is.

 

[Socrates]

Well day three and not one change in chemistry.

Marineland.com talks about up to a 2ppm Ammonia spike being normal, but I haven't seen one. Of Course I used a lot of Bio-Spira, and not so many fish for the amount of water...

 

[Bol]

Socrates, I'd just be patient. As with most things dealing with aquariums, Your Mileage May Vary. Give it a few more days before becoming concerned, I think.

Also,

Unfortunately, there is no expiration dates on these bottles.

That, in my understanding, is mostly because Marineland Labs has been unable to determine a practical "shelf life". They originally said six months, but lately have found evidence that under certain conditions, the product could last longer and retain its effectiveness.

 

[crazie.eddie]

I stopped using the bacteria starters since I never knew if it was doing any good. Since I already have an established tank, I just used the bacteria from there when I setup my 10, 20, and 37 gallon. At least I saved money.

I guess the only way one could see if these items were good off the shelf is to observe the contents under a microscope.

 

[Socrates]

Oh I'm not concerned. I'm quite happy. Just reporting back on the Bio-Spira "method", since it's still sort of novel and relatively controversial from what I can gather.

 

[Pugwinkle]

Oh I'm not concerned. I'm quite happy. Just reporting back on the Bio-Spira "method", since it's still sort of novel and relatively controversial from what I can gather.

Socrates, I'm interested in knowing how your cycling worked?