mychl717

I was reading the following article http://www.bioconlabs.com/autoheterobac.html and according to the author...

Fritz-Zyme #7 has a cell count of 30 million bacteria per ounce, 50% of which is Nitrosomonas and 50% Nitrobacter. To obtain the same ammonia conversion rate, a competitive product composed of heterotrophic "nitrifiers" would require the addition of 15 trillion bacteria. This would probably require several gallons of another product. No quantity of heterotrophic "nitrifiers" would reduce the generated nitrites.

Here is the site for the product... http://www.fritzpet.com/fritzzyme7_main.html

Anyone ever used it to speed up their cycling? It seems to me that it actually has the right bacteria to help develop a solid cycle...

Thanks

mychl717

OK, so I went and ordered some of this, I got a 32 oz bottle, and it arrived yesterday.

My tank cycle seemed to be stuck on the nitrite's, the PPM was going down sooooo slowly that I had actually but a Nitra-Zorb pouch in my filter (Rena XP2, Nitra-Zorb absorbs nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia from the water). That's probably why I got stuck...

So I did a water change, and cleaned the filter. Before hooking the water lines back up, I dumped 8oz of the Fritz-Zyme#7 onto the media wheels that I have.

It was odorless, and colored a pinkish red. After replacing the water and turning everything back on, I put another 8oz into the tank... Instructions say 4oz per 10Gallons, so my 46G tank got a little more than 16oz...

Nitrates were down to .25 this morning... I'll post the results from tonight.

Thanks

Faye Rod

I am following your topic closely - I am also stuck on nitrite readings - 1.0 at the end of the day and .25 after a 25% water change. It would be nice to have something that would speed this up. Everyone talks about Bio-Spira but I read on another site that the bacteria is hard to keep alive and it isn't always reliable. So I've gone with the water changes.....and we're doing those every day (or twice a day) since ammonia appeared 3 weeks ago. A lot of work!

mychl717

Well, I had a little spike in Nitrites last night, was up to about .75ppm.

This morning however it's down to just below .25ppm.

I'll keep you posted, but my first thought is that it is helping...

Thanks

Butterfly

In the normal cycle, as beneficial bacteria builds the Nitrites will go down and then turn to Nitrates.
Do you have fish in the tank to feed the BB? or are you using something else?
Carol

mychl717

I'm using fish to cycle my tank... I actually thought the cycle was coming to a close since I had gone through the NH4 spike, Nitrites had spiked and were on their way down and Nitrates were on the rise.

I suspect that my frequent water changes and my continual additions to the bioload prevented the cycle from completing. Nitrites had been between .25 and .5 for a while. I started using a Nitra-Zorb pouch to help my fish, and I think that prevented the cycle from competing also...

I thought that using the Fritz-Zyme would add enough of the Nitrobacter to bring Nitrites to 0.

So I did have a small spike after removing the Nitra-Zorb and adding 16oz of the FZ7, but this morning things looked to be coming down.

I'll do another test once the kid is in bed....

mychl717

OK, so now I'm not so sure it helped at all... I'm still getting nitrite readings, the solution is not blue, but is less purple than the .25 reading on the chart....

I think this is probably where I would be if I hadn't added the FZ7....

Oh well, chalk it up to experience...