Using a cycling product???

[stasey]

Does anyone have anyone have any knowledge about a product called Cycle by Nutrafin???

 

[canarsie11]

There is no shortcuts to cycling.

Dont know about that product, but I have used Bio Spira. It help cycle along, but no shortcut

 

[Matty]

My LFS told me that the use of a cycling product (like a bacteria growth stimulator) will allow me to add fish 3 days after purchasing a new tank

 

[ldytmropr]

I used Cycle in my tank. Still took the same amount of time, but I was able to cycle successfully with out losing ANY fish!! Amazing. I would recommed that stuff.

 

[appleblossom]

I use cycle with newly established tanks and after adding new fish to bump start bacteria growth to cope with the extra bio load...no idea if it works, but it makes me feel better

 

[FishDan]

Personally, I have found that stuff doesn't usually work. I don't know how it's supposed to work. Bio-Spira is supposed to work because it contains actual live bacteria (it needs to be refigerated and used fairly rapidly). Cycle and like products just have "stuff" in a bottle. I tried it on one tank, it didn't make any difference in my tank.

\Dan

 

[Becca]

I got mixed results.

I setup a 75-Gallon for cycling and about a week into the fishless cycle with only ammonia spikes, I added StressZyme. The next day I had a Nitrite spike, and within a day or so, I had a Nitrate spike. It rapidly cut my fishless cycle down. I've heard several people say theirs took 30+ days, mine took less than 2 weeks. (See the thread that contains my progress notes here)

After my 75 had cycled and I added my fish to it, I tried cycling a 30-Gallon with StressZyme from the beginning, using a fishless cycle with no established decorations or filter media (the same conditions I had with my 75). I didn't get the same results, I got my ammonia spike, but instead of seeing it drop and have nitrites the next day, it took about a week for the ammonia to die down. Nitrites were cut down to 0 in about 2-3 days. The whole cycle process for the 30-Gallon seemed to take about 2 weeks.

All in all, I'd say the product I used, StressZyme, helped speed up the process, but I still had to wait quite a bit. If you're looking to Fishless Cycle, my best recommendation to you would be to get some established filter media from your LFS or a buddy in leiu of a cycling product.

 

[loachy]

There is no shortcuts to cycling.

I thought that a fishless cycle is quicker than a......fishmore cycle?

Adding the ammonia by hand gives you that quick ammonia spike and assuming you have plants kick starts them into changing nitrates.