Please Help With Cycle Issue, Need To Know What To Do!
- Thread starter bsud
- Start date
One other thing I can get TSS at LFS and half the price without ordering. I was thinking it looks to do the same thing as one and only. Why not me just do water change now to get my current ammonia of 4ppm down to about 2ppm, let it run with new declor water for 24hrs then dump bottle of TSS in and then wait until ammonia drops to .25ppm (cause that much is in my tap water) then dose it back to about 1ppm until I get 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites within 12-24hrs. Will this not work?
The difference is that we know exactly what bacteria are in One and Only and there is research available that validates their claims. I've used it myself with success. On the other hand Tetra are not being open about what their Safe Start product contains, although we know it had similar origins to One & Only, so we can't tell if it is effective or not.
In either case the TSS instructions are different to One and Only, whichever one you use be sure to follow the product instructions precisely - otherwise it's your fault if it doesn't work
It's best to use the instructions on the websites as the bottles don't tell you enough.
In either case the TSS instructions are different to One and Only, whichever one you use be sure to follow the product instructions precisely - otherwise it's your fault if it doesn't work
It's best to use the instructions on the websites as the bottles don't tell you enough.And see I believe it was my fault this time with TSS because the ammonia was 4ppm when I dumped it in and I think it just killed off the bacteria.daizeUK said:The difference is that we know exactly what bacteria are in One and Only and there is research available that validates their claims. I've used it myself with success. On the other hand Tetra are not being open about what their Safe Start product contains, although we know it had similar origins to One & Only, so we can't tell if it is effective or not.
In either case the TSS instructions are different to One and Only, whichever one you use be sure to follow the product instructions precisely - otherwise it's your fault if it doesn't work
Did another WC to try and get ammonia down low enough for me to dump another bottle of bacteria in wether that be one and only or TSS but it still isn't dropping. That makes three wcs now without a drop. This is so confusing because my tap only has .25ppm in it. So why is it not dropping? And also I'm only putting two drops of declhor in each gallon of water per instructions on bottle so I'm not overdosing on that if it matters.
Hard to say.
Maybe you accidentally overdosed the original ammonia dose and the test kit can't read any higher?
Maybe there's a fault with the test kit... wouldn't be the first time
Maybe you're having difficulty telling the difference when the colour changes? I found it helpful to take photos of the test tubes (with the test card upright behind them) then view the photos side by side on your computer. Sometimes this helped me to spot a fall in ammonia when my memory couldn't tell any difference.
Maybe you accidentally overdosed the original ammonia dose and the test kit can't read any higher?
Maybe there's a fault with the test kit... wouldn't be the first time
Maybe you're having difficulty telling the difference when the colour changes? I found it helpful to take photos of the test tubes (with the test card upright behind them) then view the photos side by side on your computer. Sometimes this helped me to spot a fall in ammonia when my memory couldn't tell any difference.
TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
I agree that tetra is woefully deficient in providing clear easy to find instructions and detains about their product. this does not make it easy easier for folks new to the hobby as well as many old pros to understand. I can find a huge pile of info easily on Dr. Tim's site. This is just one reason I prefer his product.
But when I analyze the instructions and info for One and Only and Safe Start, it is clear Tetra has altered things a lot. They say 4 ppm of ammonia kills theirs, One an Only works as long as Ammonia-N is under 5 ppm (6.4 and the API kit). You can use dechlor with One and Only w/o issues and are told not to overdose detoxifiers since they will slow but not halt things. Safe Start wants you not to use anything for days after.
The only reason I ever suggest using Safe Start is when Dr. Tim's is not available. it should be the next best alternative but has many more "conditions". Even when one uses the starter products which may help but wont last long term in a tank, I tell people the same thing. Follow the manufacturers directions to the letter over those cycling article. The reason is that seeding changes the paradigm.
It was very easy for me to put together the cycling article and directions here based on no seeding and no live plants. In all cases things should progress the same way with only the time frame being variable. However, start to add seeding and.or plants and the numbers and time frames in the article become useless. Because there are some many different ways one can change the whole process once some amount of seeding and.or planting is involved, it is almost impossible to lay out the expected levels and time frames one might see with any real precision.
And all the above deals with the process and products and there are still the sort of things daize mentioned as well. If you are reporting incorrect or incomplete information, then it becomes difficult for anybody to figure out what may be going on. What if the test kit is bad or the dropper defective let alone that you may have done something a bit wrong? What if the Safe Start were mishandled along the way and is not any good?
But when I analyze the instructions and info for One and Only and Safe Start, it is clear Tetra has altered things a lot. They say 4 ppm of ammonia kills theirs, One an Only works as long as Ammonia-N is under 5 ppm (6.4 and the API kit). You can use dechlor with One and Only w/o issues and are told not to overdose detoxifiers since they will slow but not halt things. Safe Start wants you not to use anything for days after.
The only reason I ever suggest using Safe Start is when Dr. Tim's is not available. it should be the next best alternative but has many more "conditions". Even when one uses the starter products which may help but wont last long term in a tank, I tell people the same thing. Follow the manufacturers directions to the letter over those cycling article. The reason is that seeding changes the paradigm.
It was very easy for me to put together the cycling article and directions here based on no seeding and no live plants. In all cases things should progress the same way with only the time frame being variable. However, start to add seeding and.or plants and the numbers and time frames in the article become useless. Because there are some many different ways one can change the whole process once some amount of seeding and.or planting is involved, it is almost impossible to lay out the expected levels and time frames one might see with any real precision.
And all the above deals with the process and products and there are still the sort of things daize mentioned as well. If you are reporting incorrect or incomplete information, then it becomes difficult for anybody to figure out what may be going on. What if the test kit is bad or the dropper defective let alone that you may have done something a bit wrong? What if the Safe Start were mishandled along the way and is not any good?
OK here is where I'm at, I did one more big WC and I now have my ammonia down to 1.5-2ppm. Now should I just. put a bottle of bacteria starter in after a day or two and then just wait and test everyday for nitrites to show up? Im not sure I can get any media. So I need something to kick start the bacteria. Oh and I totally understand what you're saying. I really beginning to think that since it took so much water change to lower ammonia that I may have way overdosed it to begin with and it was just hard to tell what I was reading on the chart. So now its down to a good level now should I just start with adding nothing more than bacteria kick starter then test everyday for nitrites to show up? I appreciate all you alls help!!
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