ahiggins

Hello, I have a 10 gal tank with three cherry barbs and three plants.

Five days ago my levels were:

nitrate: 0ppm
nitrite: .25 PPM
ammonia: .25-.50 ppm

Now they are:

Nitrate: 5 ppm
Nitrite: .50 ppm
Ammonia: .25-.50 ppm

I have done two small water changes and am using cycle and prime. I ordered Safestart online and it should come in a few days. When I get it, I am going to do another water change 50% (with prime) and add the safestart.

My questions are: There is a nitrate presence, so is my tank cycling? Or is it still really bad because of the other levels and it's not really cycling yet? I know cycle is not very good but its all I have right now ..

Thanks,

amanda

Lucy

Hi Wendy, your tank is cycling, but the product Cycle is the wrong kind of bacteria and will die off quickly and never let your tank cycle properly.

You're better off using prime and daily water changes.

JakeTeque

Why is it the wrong kind of bacteria? My local fish store told me Cycle was better for cycling than prime.... Oh the world of fish.

Lucy

The bacteria in Cycle is terrestrial bacteria and not self sustaining. You have to keep adding it or you'll lose your cycle. The bacteria that grows during the natural cycling process is self sustaining and will consume the ammonia produced by your fish or left over food.

Prime is a dechlorinator/conditioner it also helps detoxify the ammonia when cycling with fish.

ahiggins

response to Lucy -

so when i add safestart my cycle will start all over again? from the beginning?

thanks,

Amanda

capekate

Prime is a water conditioner only and not used to help cycle the tank.

Lucy

If the product you ordered is Tetra SafeStart, I don't have personal experience with it, but there are several members here who've had good luck with it in cycling their tanks, some who have not.

If you've been adding Cycle, it might be a good idea to do some water changes before using SafeStart.

I know this question has been answered somehwere on the forum, you might want to do a search and see what you come up with.

jdhef

Safe Start is really just a bottle full of the benificial bacteria that would form naturally in you tank once it cycled. So by adding Safe Start there is no lag time for the bacteria to multiply and grow until there is enough to convert ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates, since enough bacteria is added when you pour it into the tank.

So to answer your question, no you would not be starting your cycle again from the beginning.

sirdarksol

Isn't it wonderful?
Here's a couple of scary truths about fish stores:
1)You don't need to know anything about caring for fish to work at a fish store. Some stores require you to know a lot, but not all.
2)Fish stores make more money in the short run if you fail, because you keep coming back to buy more fish, so, in short-sight, they have no vested interest in giving you correct information. This means that less scrupulous employees/managers will purposefully give out bad info.

That being said, if you find a good fish store, they can be a treasure trove of knowledge. You just have to identify the right store.