So I've had this tank with fish in it since may 14thish and I've been using the products mentioned since day 1. Tank still isnt cycled yet. So I want to try a new product to see if it speeds things up. It's been 5 days since ive used any bottled bacteria. I just want to know if it's okay to use Brightwell Aquatics Microbacter Start XLF even though I've used other products. And trying to see if I have to wait any amount of time before I use it.
Yeah if in a few weeks I'm still not cycled then I'm going to try tetras version. I've had no luck with what I've used. I stopped using fritzyme because it raised my ammonia to much. And it would lower over time. And api quick start did nothing but cost me to much money. I used quick start for about a month straight every single day using the proper amount.
Ammonia ranges between. 25ppm amd 1ppm. Nitrites are always 0ppm and nitrates are always around 5ppm and 10ppm. And ph is 6.6 ppm
It's cool I get it. And thank you that is kinda what I was thinking. I will get the bottle in a few days. So I will probably start using it on Thursday that would be over a week since I last dosed anything. Also what is breaking the start mean. Can adding a different bacteria product slow my cycle down if ive already used something else.
Okay thank you. So it is changing the ammonia not much of it but some. I've been getting nitrate readings daily. Of 5-10ppm. Should I not use it on that tank.If potentially could if you add more to a new cycle because you would basically be restarting it. But that's only if the bacteria is alive and starting to transform the amonia.
Thank you. Turns out something came up with the order so it's going to wait longer.
I hate to contradict but this simply isn't true. Adding bottled bacteria isn't going to restart a cycle. Even adding several different brands of bottled bacteria one right after the other shouldn't cause a problem. Probably wouldn't help but shouldn't hurt either. Adding a different bottled bacteria isn't going to kill off the bacteria that is already in the tank.If potentially could if you add more to a new cycle because you would basically be restarting it. But that's only if the bacteria is alive and starting to transform the amonia.
Thank you. I'm glad it wont affect it. And I know it takes time but it's been over a month and I'm worried about losing fish now I haven't lost any to ammonia or anything idk why because when I first started testing my water I didnt know about the whole cycling thing and I had ammonia levels over 8ppm. And non of the fish liked it but non died. I did 3-4 water changes a week. But now I do 7-11 a week based on how it's looking. And that's what I figured that I have the bacteria but not enough yet. It's why I'm trying so hard because I really want to get more shrimp but I have to get the cycle done with. The ones I have are very happy and healthy. Matter in fact using bacter ae and shrimp fit my shrimp are almost always out eating. They hide for 24 hours after they molt then right back at it. I've even seen them playing. I have an airstone in the corner and they and the fish swim into it and it pushes them up and based on the angle they go in they can get to different parts of the tank faster. Especially the shrimp love to do it. I watched my biggest orange shrimp swim into the airstone it pushed him up and out and he used it to get to the middle sponge Filter to the one on the right then he landed on a plant and started eating. all my shrimp do that to get around. I'm thinking about adding 1 more stone so we can give them a path to do that in the front of the tank too. Plus it would be cool to see from a different angle lol