Thoughts on Hagen Cycle

[Pufferpack]

I have used this product from Hagen to cycle every tank I have so far, I love it. The directions claim 24hr cycle time, and any fish that have been added to tanks cycled with this product have shown no ill effects (that I have been able to observe), including my Dwarf Puffer pack who went through 4 different tanks in a span of 2 weeks (including a 1 gal Beta tank). I do regular tests and have had no problems so far.
I swear by this stuff, especially when you have to relocate a fish in an emergency, just wondering if anyone else has used this produce and your thoughts on it.

Hagen "Cycle"

 

[DizzyDezzy]

I used it when I set up my two tanks, and it didn't really do much. I lost 2 guppies and 3 fry in a nitrite spike, even when using 'cycle'
maybe the bottle I got wasn't fresh or something

 

[Harmonic]

I don't trust cycling agents, too unpredictable.

 

[Fishsmurf]

I'm with Harmonics.

But Bio-Spira does seem to be getting some good reports, but the juries still out on that as well. I think thats another wait & see.....

 

[cichlidmaster]

Personally, I don't use it or believe in it.....but then I don't think melafix is good for anything either!!

CM

Hope this doesn't get to many peeps stirred up!!!! JMO!!!!!!

 

[Dragonslair]

I have written on this particular product on many occassions. I know that this is not liable/slander because it has come from one of Hagan's many scientists from around the world.
My question to Hagan was, does Cycle have any effect on raw tapwater and new setups. Their answer were really two fold. The first was that yes there were living bacteria in the bottle,but they were encapsulated in a coating which makes them totally dormant and only in certain conditions would the cycst dissolve and the bacteria would activate. Otherwise the bacteria would die in a plastic bottle that was airtight! The next was the bacteria would only multiply in these conditions and it would take at least 2 weeks for enough bacteria to multiply to do the job they were meant for.
The conditions needed were the environment had to be contaminated with ammonia, which would dissolve the cycst and have nitrates/phosphates for the bacteria to feed. AND for those mathematicians amongst you. If each bacteria divided every 2 minutes and one capful contained 500 million bacteria and you would need to have a googeol amount to do anything significant-how much time would you need to make that amount of bacteria?
About 2 weeks

 

[EddieW]

Was that a googol (cough cough) or a megatron or a gigabit or a nanomole .........

 

[LesGerber]

I have tried that stuff and never had any luck. The stuff I use now is called Strss Zyme and it helps cut the time you have to wait for Nitrites to convert to Nitrates. With that said I still had to wait 3 weeks or so before my tank was cycled. I dont think there is anything that will instantly cycle a tank......Way to much biology to have to deal with to get results that fast....JMHO


Les

 

[frazzle1211]

(cough cough)
ask terkwin (or whatever his name was, he'll know)

 

[Pufferpack]

Thanks for all the input folks.

The next tank I cycle (yes...i'm not done yet) I'll try to log all readings and timeline and post my results...just for everyones curosity.

Don.

 

[Dragonslair]

I don't know Eddie, (cough-haarsnel)

 

[Angel Lady]

Personally, I don't use it or believe in it.....but then I don't think melafix is good for anything either!!

CM

Hope this doesn't get to many peeps stirred up!!!! JMO!!!!!!

i dont think melafix is any good either all it done for me was finish killing of one of the most pretty bettas i have ever seen it was fine until i put it in there about five minutes after i put it the tank the fish died

 

[DizzyDezzy]

I was sceptical about melafix, but it really does work for most things it's recommnded for. It never mentions, for example, that it treats finrot, just that it helps prevent finrot appearing on a damaged fin. It speeds up healing and fin re-growth, I doubt it was what killed your fishie

 

[mrV]

Quotation from http/www.petdiscounters.com/aquarium/che...a/ha_cycle.html

"It releases massive amounts of beneficial bacterial strains into the aquarium"

Personally it's really hard to me to believe that all those beneficial bacteria are still alive in that small bottle. How many weeks or month the bottle have been on the shelf in store? What the bacteria eat in that bottle?

I have tried one time to start aquarium with bacteria (Bactozym, Tetra), but it didn't work and I do not recommend to put any fish into the tank without good cycling first. But if you have alot of money to waste...