if you're found out about fishless cycling AFTER you got your fish...

This site has helped me so much - THANKS! If you got your fish before you found out about the risks during cycling, there is hope. I was changing the water in my 55 gallon tank every day and literally waking up at night worrying over the 7 tiger barbs I had bought at Petco. They looked fine, but the ammonia level was somewhere between 0 and .25. (How can you tell if you should worry when there is such a wide range? I use API.) I had put in Cycle and then read on this site about its poor performance. So I found a great fish store that sells Bio Spira and added that. It was such a relief to talk to people who knew something about fish! Now I can get a good night's sleep!
We love the tiger barbs!

 

The BioSpira should remove any need to worry.
If you are unsure if there is any ammonia, you should do a partial water change to keep the fish happy.

Welcome to Fishlore.

 

HI to ya way up dare in Alaska...glad you joined the forum, and sounds like your doing fine. Post some pics or videos if you can.

 

WELCOME TO FISHLORE, seadreamer! If in Anch. the Reef is the place! You found it already though if you got bio-spira....they can give good advice, and have a fairly good selection of fish.....I have had some problems with disease from them, so try to set up a 10 gal hospital tank to put new fish in for a couple of weeks......before adding to your tank...

There is a good fish store out in Wasilla, at PetZoo, good selection of fish, more than in Anchorage...then in Fairbanks it's Fishtopia, and it is a huge store! I go to all of them, and if you let them know you are traveling a long distance they usually give special care in packing!

Hope you enjoy the forum, and post often! It is fun to know there is a fellow Alaskan here..

 

re;susitna flower

I knew I had found an Alaskan as soon as I saw your screen name. We just moved to the city for our jobs last year, but our house is out by Montana Creek. The people at the Reef said that their fish are quarantined before they get them so I was hopeful. Haven't bought anything from them yet -- got the tiger barbs at the new Petco. People are not helpful there. I can't really set up another tank anytime soon. Would I be risking too much to add only a few fish at a time without it? I still feel uncertain about the test for ammonia. I use API and the color has always been a bit lighter than .25, but not bright yellow. Do you think that is alright since I added Bio-Spira 24 hrs. ago, or should I change some of the water again. Thanks for the welcome and for your help!

 

when u add biospira, you shouldnt change the water for a week. it will remove the bacteria. don't worry about what the tests say, the bacteria needs time to establish itself. I'm almost 100% sure on this

somebody correct me if I'm wrong

 

Sorry, lilsoccakid, but I think you're wrong. (you asked us to let you know )
When you've got fish in the tank, your number one concern should be ammonia and nitrite amounts. While it may take a week for the bacteria to establish themselves, it can take a day or less for ammonia to kill a fish.
Some of the bacteria should latch itself onto the filter media almost immediately. Likewise, it should attach to gravel and decor. From there, it will begin growing. Doing a water change might slow its establishment, but not doing one could hurt or kill the fish.

Granted, the point should be moot, as the BioSpira should take care of the ammonia/nitrites within the first day. That's the point.

 

sorry, I thought I heard you should dump it in, add fish and ur good to go


my apologies

 

I've had the bio spira in for 24 hrs. now, but I really don't see any difference in the color of the API test. It has always looked not quite as dark as the .25, but not the bright yellow of 0. I don't have any nitrite. The fish look great -- no signs of stress, eating well, swimming all over the tank and always coming right up to me for food and "conversation".

 

I've never used Bio-Spira, but I thought I read somewhere on this forum that your supposed to wait a week after adding it to do a water change.

Maybe some else can weigh in on this too.

 

You are supposed to wait a week (that is what I have seen very many experienced people that have used bio-spira many times say), you will have a small bit of an ammonia spike, but 0.25ppm is nothing. Your fish will be fine. Doing a water change can ruin the biospira, causing you to have to cycle from scratch.
Hope this helped.

Brianna

 

Hi!

Well done! I think if you added 1 more regular tiger barb, 6 green tiger barbs and6 albino tiger's you would have a really cool tank of tigers! I think tiger barbs are best kept in a species aquarium/aggresive community, as even in big numbers they are still a bit nippy. Have fun with your little dudes!

 

Thanks all! I didn't change the water because the guys look so happy and the ammonia is lower than .25 (still wonder if anyone gets the BRIGHT yellow that the card shows for 0?) I think we may have the most watched over t.barbs in Alaska.

 

Hi!

Tigers are very hardy - they should pull though with ease!

 

sorry, I thought I heard you should dump it in, add fish and ur good to go


my apologies

No reason to apologize. What you said is right. Theoretically, there should be no need to do an immediate water change, as the bacteria should go to work immediately.

However, there is the possibility that you get a bad batch, or that, for whatever reason, it doesn't work as quickly as it should be, and you don't want to let your fish flounder (sorry for the pun) through this.