Eskielvr

Monday night I performed about a 95% water change. I took the water level as far down as I could without removing Spartacus. I then added Stress Coat to remove the chlorine and help build back his slime coat. Then I waited for the temperature to drop some (got it a little warmer than usual), and after it came back to around 80-81 degrees, I added the Bio Spira.

I took some readings today and they are:
ammonia .25-.50 PPM (it was a little hard to tell)
nitrite .25 ppm
nitrate 5.0 ppm

So, it is starting to cycle. I added some Stress Zyme and Easy Balance to try and help speed things along, too.

My question is, would it be safe to do a partial water change without interferring with the Bio Spira? Or should it cycle fast enough that I don't need to do a water change just yet?

LZ Floyd

It's my understanding that a water change should be avoided during the first 7 days after adding Bio-S. Some here have done mid-week water changes, though, and it hasn't impacted badly on the cycle. IIRC, the last person I saw posting about having done this was Natalie.

Interesting numbers, though. Have you tested the tap water to see what comes out?

Mike

Eskielvr

I've tested it before, and everything was zero after coming from the tap. I think it said it's normal to see some readings within the first day or so after using the Bio Spira. Apparently the Bio Spira is doing something since I'm getting readings.

Spartacus seems to be doing ok. His fin rot hasn't progressed any, so I guess I'll wait a bit longer. If worse comes to worse, I could always move him to the vase until the cycle finishes. (Which hopefully won't be too much longer).

Shastam

I missed the beginning problem but this sounds like what happend when I set up a new goldfish tank. We could not get the water levels to balance. In our case it turned out that our local water company uses not only chlorines, but ammonia to fliter our water, so our tap water is just loaded! Even though I let my water stand for 48 hours before using it, and adding stress coat, I have to add something like ammoLock. it removes the ammonia, and I stopped having such bad problems.

Shastam

Oh, I forgot to mention, that every few days while the ammonia or nitrite levels are high its ok to do small water changes to bring things down, just not huge ones. The bio filter won't be disturbed by something like a 10% change. Thats what I've done, and it stabalized in a couple weeks.

chickadee

No that is normal with Bio-spira and it is part of the stuff establisjishing itself it will not hurt your fish . Do not do water changes for the first 7 days. then do you regular one wiht care.

Sorry about the spelling my vision is not what it should be now.

Rose

Eskielvr

Ok, great I feel better now. I didn't hurt anything adding the Stress Zyme and Easy balance did I?

Timesdragonfly

I don't know if you hurt anything or not by adding the stress zyme, but I wouldn't add anything or take anything out -- including the fish! The new bacteria needs the waste produced buy the fish in order to get established!. Just let the bio spira do it's job. Don't mess with it unless you fish starts showing signs of stress!