Nutrafin Cycle

[nehpets81]

I've been absorbing as much cycling info as possible and purchased most of the necessary testing equip so I decided to test the tapwater (after treating it for Chrloroamine) and got the following figures:

Ph >7.6
Ammonia: 0.25ppm
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15ppm

Does that seem like a lot of nitrate for tap water? Maybe I need to refine by test tube shake technique?

Anyway, onto the main question - I don't have any access to mature filter media but I have noticed that supplied with my tank is some "Nutrafin Cycle" which states it adds a powerful team of beneficial bacteria (their words, not mine!) so... when I start my cycle should I add some of this stuff to the water??

 

[KittyKat]

I have seen everything from 0ppm to 50ppm and higher from tap water.

Cycle "aids" don't work, from what I have seen, and can sometimes even cause problems. If you are fishless cycling, I would not use it.. if you are fish-in cycling, I would dump in all the aids I could and hope that there might be some vague bit of truth in what they say (for the sake of the fish).

 

[Stephanie87]

I used a cycle aid called Stress-Zyme, and all of my fish died So i've decided not to use any more chemicals!!!
I managed to get hold of some mature filter media today from one of the members of this forum, so im hoping that will do the trick this time.
Take a look at this list, everyone seems to be really helpful!
My link
x

 

[Skins]

I have seen everything from 0ppm to 50ppm and higher from tap water.

Cycle "aids" don't work, from what I have seen, and can sometimes even cause problems. If you are fishless cycling, I would not use it.. if you are fish-in cycling, I would dump in all the aids I could and hope that there might be some vague bit of truth in what they say (for the sake of the fish).

Agree,
I have a bottle home here which has never been opened, never needed it because i cycled my filter the fishless method.

 

[nehpets81]

I have seen everything from 0ppm to 50ppm and higher from tap water.

Cycle "aids" don't work, from what I have seen, and can sometimes even cause problems. If you are fishless cycling, I would not use it.. if you are fish-in cycling, I would dump in all the aids I could and hope that there might be some vague bit of truth in what they say (for the sake of the fish).

Agree,
I have a bottle home here which has never been opened, never needed it because i cycled my filter the fishless method.

But if it worked, wouldn't it would give the fishless cycle a jump start?

 

[Skins]

I have seen everything from 0ppm to 50ppm and higher from tap water.

Cycle "aids" don't work, from what I have seen, and can sometimes even cause problems. If you are fishless cycling, I would not use it.. if you are fish-in cycling, I would dump in all the aids I could and hope that there might be some vague bit of truth in what they say (for the sake of the fish).

Agree,
I have a bottle home here which has never been opened, never needed it because i cycled my filter the fishless method.

But if it worked, wouldn't it would give the fishless cycle a jump start?

If any of these so called bacterias in a bottles worked then i would imagine fishless cycling would be dead in the water.
I will be honest with you i have read a few threads where people say they have had success using these products, but then you will see a lot more threads telling us the opposite.

Keith.

 

[KittyKat]

I have seen everything from 0ppm to 50ppm and higher from tap water.

Cycle "aids" don't work, from what I have seen, and can sometimes even cause problems. If you are fishless cycling, I would not use it.. if you are fish-in cycling, I would dump in all the aids I could and hope that there might be some vague bit of truth in what they say (for the sake of the fish).

Agree,
I have a bottle home here which has never been opened, never needed it because i cycled my filter the fishless method.

But if it worked, wouldn't it would give the fishless cycle a jump start?

A "jump start" wouldn't be much help if it's screwed up all the readings and you're getting false positives or false negatives.

 

[Aqua Tom]

If you have some cycle in a bottle, then by all means chuck it in the tank, it cant do any harm.

15ppm nitrate for tapwater is not that high. Mine is 40ppm.

 

[backtotropical]

Please let me quote my post on a recent thread regarding the same product;-

Cycle claims to contain the bacteria required to cycle your filter, however according to research by Dr Timothy Hovanec, it doesn't do exactly what it says on the tin.

However, it does contain similar bacteria which, although they aren't the correct species for your filter, were found to encourage the growth of the correct species. I can try to find his article if you want to see it, but from memory it's quite hard reading if you're not a scientist.

Whilst many people on here will tell you that Cycle is useless, this appears not to be the case. Whilst I wouldn't expect it to do as much as it claims it does, it will have a beneficial effect on your cycle to some degree, so pour it into the tank rather than down the sink.

However, would I recommend buying it?, absolutely not. A piece of mature filter media from an established tank is 100 times better.

Regards

BTT

 

[nehpets81]

Thanks everyone - all very helpful. I think considering I have some of this stuff already I might as well add a bit to the tank to start off, it sounds like it may encourage my filter bacteria.

With regards to the false negatives - I think I see what you mean and I guess it might screw with the readings to start with but as I will only using this stuff at the start of the fishless cycle, after a week or so would any negative readings be due to established filter bacteria or would some of this "bottle bacteria" still be affecting ammonia/nitrite levels?

 

[KittyKat]

With regards to the false negatives - I think I see what you mean and I guess it might screw with the readings to start with but as I will only using this stuff at the start of the fishless cycle, after a week or so would any negative readings be due to established filter bacteria or would some of this "bottle bacteria" still be affecting ammonia/nitrite levels?

For example, I was recently helping someone on here whose nitrite never rose above 0ppm throughout 11-12 weeks of cycling, and who had random bouts of ammonia spikes for the first 8 weeks or so, after using nitrafin cycle at the start. In the end, it took from week 9 to the end to sort out the mess and even then, ammonia never fell to 0ppm after 12h in the qualifying period. It could have been something else, it could have been the cycle aid.. we still don't know.. but in my general experience, it is much simpler to just do a cycle with just ammonia and test kits, especially if it is the first time one does one.

 

[Skins]

Thanks everyone - all very helpful. I think considering I have some of this stuff already I might as well add a bit to the tank to start off, it sounds like it may encourage my filter bacteria.

With regards to the false negatives - I think I see what you mean and I guess it might screw with the readings to start with but as I will only using this stuff at the start of the fishless cycle, after a week or so would any negative readings be due to established filter bacteria or would some of this "bottle bacteria" still be affecting ammonia/nitrite levels?

It will be interesting to see how your fishless cycle progresses with the introduction of the natrafin cycle. When you start your cycle keep us all up to date how things develop. I personally would like to see the outcome, weather its faster, slower, no difference.......

Keep us all posted, Keith.

 

[KittyKat]

Thanks everyone - all very helpful. I think considering I have some of this stuff already I might as well add a bit to the tank to start off, it sounds like it may encourage my filter bacteria.

With regards to the false negatives - I think I see what you mean and I guess it might screw with the readings to start with but as I will only using this stuff at the start of the fishless cycle, after a week or so would any negative readings be due to established filter bacteria or would some of this "bottle bacteria" still be affecting ammonia/nitrite levels?

It will be interesting to see how your fishless cycle progresses with the introduction of the natrafin cycle. When you start your cycle keep us all up to date how things develop. I personally would like to see the outcome, weather its faster, slower, no difference.......

I would also be very interested about the outcome if you use the cycle aid.

 

[nehpets81]

Haha - getting cold feet now after hearing about that... but, for the sake of scientific interest I think I will still try it and risk delaying things - Worst case scenario I take all the water out and start again, right?
Could it be possible that these bacteria compete against the bacteria needed for the filter? It is mentioned above they could encourage them so maybe not (just thinking out loud now - metaphorically speeking!)

 

[Skins]

Haha - getting cold feet now after hearing about that... but, for the sake of scientific interest I think I will still try it and risk delaying things - Worst case scenario I take all the water out and start again, right?
Could it be possible that these bacteria compete against the bacteria needed for the filter? It is mentioned above they could encourage them so maybe not (just thinking out loud now - metaphorically speeking!)

At the end of the day its down to you what route you take. I can't imagine it would effect your cycle to the point where you have to start again. The main issues i personally have with these products is when the new fishkeeper is advised to add one of these products to there new tank water, and then after a certain ammount of days(NOT WEEKS)you can add fish.

Keith.