So, restarted cycle?

mikedf13

Member
So, About a week and a half ago, I started cycling my tank with Tetra Safestart (not plus). I added 3 platy's (all male - kind of a mistake because, being an amateur, I mis-read the sex of the fish). They seem to be doing well - eating fine (chowed down on some Zuchinni this afternoon).

Reading the guide here on TSS, people generally agreed not to do a water change for two weeks (the rough estimate of when the cycle with TSS was done). Just feed your few fish. Wednesday, a few things happened - my filter, only a week old, and only having the ceramic ring bio-media in for a day [[its a aqueon quietflow 20 hob - I bought the aqueon 20 kit and upgraded the filter to the 20]] - said it needed a filter change. So, I pulled the canister out and it was black. I thought I had thorouly rinsed the media, but I may have missed the mesh bag I put it in... Then I checked the Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels in the tank - all said 0ppm. Which generally means, no cycle. Doing some research, I am pretty sure I crashed the cycle, as I know it happens...I had tested with strips [[not as accurate as the API Freshwater Masterkit]] a few days before and nitrite did show a small amount - like 0.25ppm - probably was higher. Not sure.

Anyways, I went and purchased a new bottle of TSS and added it to the tank but this time I went with TSS+ as it is more complicated. I am assuming that this restarts the two-week clock. Any advice from TSS+ users?

My fish do seem to be acting fine

Thanks for any help.

Michael
 

Dunk2

Member
Welcome to FL!

When you’re doing a fish-in cycle, you can’t wait 2 weeks to do a water change. You’ll need to test your water parameters daily and do water changes often enough to keep ammonia and nitrites at safe levels for your fish.

You said you upgraded your tank but not the filter. What size tank did you get?
 

BuroKori

Member
Be careful when cleaning filter media, use aqurium water and dont keep filter media out of water for more than a few seconds. This will help to avoid killing the bacteria on the filter. Check some videos to see how to do this. Though this should not be done very often, like every 3 months or more. Also because there are fish in the tank, water changes are needed to keep ammonia and nitrite levels low for the fish to survive.
 
  • Thread Starter

mikedf13

Member
I know, but the TSS post above and other posts say not no do a water change for two weeks when using the product. So now, I am even more confused. I have emailed Tetra to absolutly make sure thats what the QA here on this site recommened. I understand a normal fish-in cycle. And, I only changed my filter because the light was flashing telling me I needed to do so. I do believe I know what wrong with the filter.
 

Dunk2

Member
mikedf13 said:
I know, but the TSS post above and other posts say not no do a water change for two weeks when using the product. So now, I am even more confused. I have emailed Tetra to absolutly make sure thats what the QA here on this site recommened. I understand a normal fish-in cycle. And, I only changed my filter because the light was flashing telling me I needed to do so. I do believe I know what wrong with the filter.
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If you have fish in your tank, you are doing a “normal” fish-in cycle.
 
  • Thread Starter

mikedf13

Member
never mind...ill wait for the tetra people to get back to me. Their advice for cycling with their product is no water changes for two weeks.
 

Dunk2

Member
mikedf13 said:
never mind...ill wait for the tetra people to get back to me. Their advice for cycling with their product is no water changes for two weeks.
Click to expand...
Just trying to share my experience with TSS. I’ve used it for fish-in cycles and experienced “normal” elevated or unsafe ammonia levels. The only way I know to detect elevated ammonia is by testing and the only way to deal with elevated ammonia is with water changes.
 
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mikedf13

Member
i didnt know you used it before...sorry, my apologies
don't know why im testy tonight. may be just worried about my fish
 

Dunk2

Member
mikedf13 said:
i didnt know you used it before...sorry, my apologies
don't know why im testy tonight. may be just worried about my fish
Click to expand...
No need to apologize.

For whatever it’s worth, I’d recommend that you get the API Master Test kit. Test daily and if your results are fish safe, no need for a water change. If they’re not, do a water change.

If you don’t already know this, you may not see any nitrites since you’re using TSS. I didn’t.
 
  • Thread Starter

mikedf13

Member

TucanSam

Member
I'd disagree. The few times I've used tss, I've left it untouched for the two weeks and it has worked for me. Not perfectly, but it works.

I'd keep an eye on your levels and if they start climbing close to 1ppm I'd give up on the tss and just do a normal fish in cycle. You'll eventually get there anyway doing what you are. But with the light stock you have, I doubt things will get bad very fast.

If you had any bacteria, removing or replacing the filter media removed a lot of it. Replacing cartridges is kind of a waste. What I do is fill a bucket or bowl with water, take the cartridge out and rinse it in the tank water. Until the cartridge starts falling apart, there's no point to replace it.

As long as it stays wet you won't likely lose your entire colonies either. But there's really no point where you'd just leave it outside of the water for any reason anyway, right?

Patience is key. Just keep an eye on things and you should be fine.

The real silly thing with bottled bacteria is everyone has different experiences with it. For some it just never works at all for instance. It's the nature of the product, it seems.
 

Dunk2

Member
TucanSam said:
I'd disagree. The few times I've used tss, I've left it untouched for the two weeks and it has worked for me. Not perfectly, but it works.

I'd keep an eye on your levels and if they start climbing close to 1ppm I'd give up on the tss and just do a normal fish in cycle. You'll eventually get there anyway doing what you are. But with the light stock you have, I doubt things will get bad very fast.

If you had any bacteria, removing or replacing the filter media removed a lot of it. Replacing cartridges is kind of a waste. What I do is fill a bucket or bowl with water, take the cartridge out and rinse it in the tank water. Until the cartridge starts falling apart, there's no point to replace it.

As long as it stays wet you won't likely lose your entire colonies either. But there's really no point where you'd just leave it outside of the water for any reason anyway, right?

Patience is key. Just keep an eye on things and you should be fine.

The real silly thing with bottled bacteria is everyone has different experiences with it. For some it just never works at all for instance. It's the nature of the product, it seems.
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You disagree with my experience with TSS but agree that everyone has different experiences with bottled bacteria?
 

TucanSam

Member
Dunk2 said:
You disagree with my experience with TSS but agree that everyone has different experiences with bottled bacteria?
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Yes, because from my viewpoint your experience is different to mine, so I disagree on the correct course of action. I have experience with it working in a different way, so I can't agree with your way of doing things since, for me, that's not how it worked.

Your experience is valid, and so is mine. They don't have to be in agreement to both be correct, and I can disagree with you without you being wrong.
 
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