Kashim

I've been using Cycle ever since I got my tank and the plan was to use it all up and then stop. Well, I'm starting to run out of Cycle now and I just found out the bacteria it uses is not self sustaining. I read that my cycle will crash and start over once I stop using Cycle. So what am I supposed to do now? I don't want to keep buying Cycle for as long as I own my tank and I'm worried if I stop using it then all my fish will die. I only have a single 55 gallon tank with 7 guppies, 7 cherry barbs, 6 cories and 5 ghost shrimp, so moving my stock to another tank while I cycle again is not an option. Is there anything I can do to stop using that Cycle stuff without hurting my fish?

mrsmuffin

Is there anywhere in your area that sells Tetra Safe Start?

Alessa

Yes, Cycle contains the wrong type of bacteria, and will die off as soon as you stop using it.
Unfortunately, I dont think in Canada they allow the selling of Tetra Safe Start. (which is the only type of real bacteria available) and which you only need to use once.

Unless you have a friend traveling to the US who is willing to buy it and bring it over to you, there is not much you can do... (maybe ship it?).

If you cannot get it by any chance, what you need to do is get an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Master test kit and do daily 50% water changes until your tank cycles, which is ammonia rising and falling to 0, nitrite rising and falling to 0 and nitrates 5 and up.

Kashim

I'm not sure, but I'll check tomorrow. I usually go to PetSmart or Wal-Mart for my supplies. Both places sell Tetra brand products, but I'm not sure if they sell that exact item. Is the bacteria found in that product self sustaining and is it safe to add even with all the Cycle I already added to my tank? I don't want to end up with bacteria in my tank that compete with each other.

[edit] Just a thought, but assuming the good (self sustaining) kind of bacteria that build up over time and the bacteria that comes from Cycle don't compete with each other, wouldn't the good kind of bacteria build up in the filter and substrate naturally over time? If that's true, wouldn't that make it okay to stop using Cycle? Yeah I know, I'm probably dreaming.

I just did some quick searches on Google about Tetra Safe Start and Alessa is right, I can't get that in Canada. Is there anything else I can do or am I screwed? I _REALLY_ don't want to do 50% water changes daily for the next 3+ weeks. Don't have the time or the patience for it.

Jeff M

All you need to do is get some filter material from an established tank and add that to your filter. I usually keep extra sponges cycled for these occasions. If you belong to a local club , someone should be able to help you out if you don't have another tank you can rob some filter material from. Where in Canada are you from?

Jeff

jdhef

There is a product called "Dr Tim's One and Only" that is supposed to work like Tetra Safe Start. I don't know about it's availability in Canada.

I posted a thread last night asking if anyone had any experience with it, and so far no one does. I'm thinking of giving it a try anyway.

Red1313

aquariumplants.com carries tetra safe start. They don't say that they won't ship it into canada so you could try and see if you can get it off there.

mitch

I have used dr tim's and works well. it took one week
to get thinks under control. I paid $27.00

welshalien

I've ordered Safe Start from Paradise Pet Shop. They ship internationally:

http://www.paradisepetshop.net/en/tetra-safestart.html

Kelly

eaglescout316

Assuming that, yes. But it's a bad assumption. Since Cycle and "the other kind" are eating the same food, they compete quite a bit.

What i don't understand is how Cycle isn't self-sustaining. It eats ammonia. Barring the unlikely that they're somehow eunuch bacteria, they should be capable of reproduction. I mean, if these things can't grow a colony in a fish tank, then how is that company growing them to throw them in the bottle?

jdhef

I may be mistaken, but I believe the bacteria in Cycle is a terrestrial bacteria, not an aquatic bacteria. That is why it eventually dies off in the water.

COBettaCouple

Basically Cycle's bacteria will kill the type of bacteria that you want to build colonies of, so the process of 50% daily water changes will pretty quickly take care of Cycle's bacteria and the rest will just die out without more Cycle.

Then the process of cycling the tank really begins. I'd HIGHLY recommend a water conditioner called Prime .. 1-2 drops per gallon treats the water and it helps protect your fish from the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Combined with the daily 50% water changes, the fish will be minimally affected.

Test the water right before doing the daily water change for the most accurate readings.

clinton1621

You may be able to get a product made by Seachem in Canada... its called Stability, you only have to use it for a week and it is relatively cheap (like 5 to 8 dollars). This isnt as good as Tetras Safe Start, but it does work, and its not the lousy terrestrial bacteria that are in Cycle. I have personally used this to set up fish tanks that had fish introduced immediately, and also to re - cycle (no pun intended lol) after using antibiotics... and I never had any fish die, the tank was comletely cycled in a week as well. I think the only problem with this would be with doing a fishless cycle, as the bacteria need a heavy waste load to reproduce in the 7 days of treatment.

Kashim

Thanks for the suggestion. I ended up going to my local PetSmart and asking about the Safe Start and of course they don't carry it. But the clerk there recommended Stability also and that's what I ended up getting.