Ok ready for my lashings!

I went everywhere today looking for bio-spira and of course, as most said, all on backorder or never carrying it...so I got something called "cycle"..I also did a 50% water change on my 75 gallon tank that was never cycled (as until I joined here, I had not a clue what it was) and yesss I'm waving the "I thought I knew about fish" hand!..So any opinions on the "cycle"? Tell me it was better than nothing because I was so scared about the ammonia from just putting my kids in a new tank without it being cycled!

 

I've heard that Cycle promotes the wrong kind of bacteria, so it doesn't work properly, and can make your tank dependent on the product to continually supply the bacteria it creates...but I'm not speaking from experience, just repeating what I've been told.

 

I'm just a newbie to fish as well and I don't know where you are but most stores in Canada carry cycle and promote using it. That's all I know from looking around as I set up my tank.

 

I had been told that at my LPS believe it or not, but where NO ONE locally carried the bio-spira and my ammonia was high enough that ordering online and waiting mite have been too late, I was hoping the one time use and continued water changes for a few weeks will be ok..thanks a bunch for your help !!

 

ps..love the vids luna!! beautiful ladies!

 

Thanks...and a suggestion. If you can't get bio-spira, then you CAN use Prime as a water conditioner. It blocks some of the ammonia in the water as well as the chlorine and chloramine, which is why it won't play well with bio-spira (which needs the ammonia or it starves to death), but could help keep the ammonia level down in your tank as you cycle it. That's what I'm going through with my little girl at the moment - daily water changes and Prime as my water conditioner. Not ideal, but it's working.

 

well I already used the cycle, so daily water changes of 25% with bio on order, I'm hoping will cheer me up...and my fish of course, but thru all this, they haven't shown stress or anything..at least not on the outside..I'm sure their hearts are broken and are mending as we type! Sad part is, my oscars haven't ever had or been in a cycled tank..I always just put them in a new tank and kept getting bigger ones ..poor guys!!!!!

 

Hate to say this...but I'm sure it has been said before...the most expensive thing at the beginning of this hobby...doesn't cost you anything out of pocket....it's called patience and work...I learned the hard way that spending all kinds of $ on fast fixes only gets you broke....and VERY frustrated...and yes (get ready people !) this includes Bio-Spira...the patience part is self-explanitory...4 to 6 weeks to cycle your tank and not adding too many fish before the tank is cycled...the work part...well...you have a 75 gallon...get ready to clean and do water changes at LEAST twice a week...more if you added to many fish at the start.

YES...it will drive you nuts to have only a few fish for a month or so in your tank...you will be Joansing BIG time to get more !

YES....all the work you have to put in will start to grit on your nerves...wondering why the heck nothing seems to be working for you ! (God...I only have 4 or 5 crumby fish in here...**** !)...LOL

But then...all of a sudden one day...everything levels off....all my tests are perfect...I must be dreaming ! LOL...and you start adding some fish (not too many) every couple of weeks....WOW...tank is starting to look really cool !!!!

And what's this ! I'm only cleaning/doing water changes.... once a week ! And all my water tests are coming out perfect ! Am I dreaming ! is there something wrong with my test kit ! LOL

Bottom line...quick fixes don't get you no-where...like my dear old Mother taught me...everything good...is worth waiting and working for.

Good Luck...and remember..patience + hard work = YEARS of enjoyment !!!!


Ouch...I fell off my soap-box !

 

Unfortunately, mine wasn't a quick fix mine was total uneducated!! I'm learning from the knowledge here including yours...which I thank you for!! but again, I have the fish and am trying to rectify what ive done...

Heres a pillow for your next fall

 

Well, said, well said.......my geemah used to tell me "with patience comes wisdom"

 

Unfortunately, mine wasn't a quick fix mine was total uneducated!! I'm learning from the knowledge here including yours...which I thank you for!! but again, I have the fish and am trying to rectify what ive done...

Heres a pillow for your next fall

Not to worry...you'll get through it..lots of water changes...and you will be fine !

Oh...and thank you for the pillow...it helped...LOL

 

I just checked out your 30 gallon.....#1...get those Gold Fish out of there ! They will pollute your tank....way tooooooo much waste for that tank at the moment...you will be doing water changes every day if you leave them in there....and later down the road...your Angels may get too big and you will have to move them out....and what type of sharks do you have ? A great many will grow to 5+ inches

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news my dear.....but would rather tell you now...then later down the road..when things turn sour.

 

Dont be sorry by any means..I'm a beginner with knowledge but not fish lol..goldfish are gone!! so I guess I should rearrange the list..and I found out from here that my shark is a bala, very small for now, but learned he will grow so I'm in the process of getting another 30 gal...addiction is a bad thing with fish ...not sure the other shark..they both were rescues cause a bud didnt want them and knew I had two tanks...

 

Ohhhhhhhhh...my dear....addiction IS NOT A BAD THING....LOL...you are definitely heading in the right direction !!!!! Don't be shy to ask anything here...you may get some varying opinions....but you will always get what is best for the fishies in the end !

 

thank you bunches!

 

but you will always get what is best for the fishies in the end !

That just don't sound right in the end you will get...ahhhhh...nope....that don't sound good either...I think ya get the point...LOL

Oh...and your MORE than welcome my dear !

 

dont mention the "E" word..I scared my fish enuf!!

 

lol. nice.