Took Bad Advice

Hey everyone. I’ve got a couple questions. I started my first tank about 3-4 weeks ago. I’ve got some friends (one of which is a breeder) who told me to just use beneficial bacteria and I can throw fish in the next day. Well, I didn’t quite do that. I let the tank run for 2 weeks. Then started testing the water with test strips and I thought my numbers looked good (not fully understanding the cycle process). After being repeatedly sold with 100% confindence that I was good to go, I bought 6 red eye tetras. Few more test strips and I bought 4 more based on what I read about school size and their behavior. They were much happier. Didn’t trust the test strips and bought the API master kit. Ammonia as 0.25, with no nitrates. Next day ammonia 0.25, Nitrites 0.50, no nitrates. Pretty positive at this point my tank is not cycled I watched some videos and ended up doing a 30% water change. Now I’m getting all different advice.... put rock salt in, change water every other day, do nothing and let it cycle, feed the fish everyday, feed them every 3 days. So, honestly I don’t know what to do at this point. I don’t want the fish to die or be completely miserable. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Welcome to fishlore.

You may want to read through This. Once you do I will be happy to answer any and all questions you may have.

 

1st don't use rock salt at all.
2nd do a 90% water change to remove as much dissolved salt from the water as possible.
3rd treat your tank as if your doing a fish in cycle and add TSS and don't do a water change for 2 weeks as directed or get cycled media from a friend so you can instantly cycle your filter.

 

Here’s what I did during my fish-in cycling :

1- 50% WC every 3 days, IF ammonia and nitrites are 0
2- 50% WC immediately IF ammonia and nitrites are more than 0 (I had to do it every day for 3-4 consecutive days during the nitrite peak)
3- Always add dechlorinator and beneficial bacteria (Cycle or other) with every WC
4- Feed fish once a day only, trying to feed just enough so as little as possible falls on the ground

That’s it !

It took me 26 days to cycle.

Good luck

 

Thanks for the replies! I did not add any salt to the tank just to be clear. My local store clerk told me not to change the water as it would be taking good bacteria out. I have only been feeding once a day. I pretreat the water in 5 gallon buckets before adding it to the tank (sounds like maybe I can just treat the tank itself after putting it in?). The amount of completely different answers that are out there has been the biggest challenge so far. I will continue with water changes when necessary, as well as treating the tank when needed. I really appreciate it.

 

Your friend is a fish breeder you say, ask them to loan or give you some established media from one of their tanks. Crisis averted. Make sure you keep it submerged during transit.

 

Thanks for the replies! I did not add any salt to the tank just to be clear. My local store clerk told me not to change the water as it would be taking good bacteria out. I have only been feeding once a day. I pretreat the water in 5 gallon buckets before adding it to the tank (sounds like maybe I can just treat the tank itself after putting it in?). The amount of completely different answers that are out there has been the biggest challenge so far. I will continue with water changes when necessary, as well as treating the tank when needed. I really appreciate it.

If I were you I would continue adding the water conditioner to the water in the bucket before pouring it in the tank. You don't want to take a chance at exposing your bacteria to chlorine or chloramines.

You are right. The overload of conflicting information can be pretty confusing. One thing to remember. The bacteria we are growing isn't free floating in the water so doing water changes as often as necessary will not be removing bacteria. Doing so may slow the cycling process down by a few days but water changes are necessary to keep the ammonia and nitrites, when they spike, down to safer levels.

 

Also, just something I would have appreciated hearing, don't freak out if you suddenly see your water clouding up. That just means the bacteria is starting to bloom and eventually the "good" bacteria will build up and the cloudiness will start to go away. You just have to be patient and keep up with appropriate water changes. Good luck!

 

Also, just something I would have appreciated hearing, don't freak out if you suddenly see your water clouding up. That just means the bacteria is starting to bloom and eventually the "good" bacteria will build up and the cloudiness will start to go away. You just have to be patient and keep up with appropriate water changes. Good luck!

Ha. Yep, that was yesterday. Wondering exactly that and came across the answer a short time later.

 

I’ve got some friends (one of which is a breeder) who told me to just use beneficial bacteria and I can throw fish in the next day.

Some people think I'm a heretic, but your experience is common and one of the reasons I don't use bottled bacteria. It's sold as an "instant" cycle. Just dump it in, and you're cycled! I don't believe it works, and I know it doesn't work as advertised.

Didn’t trust the test strips and bought the API master kit. Ammonia as 0.25, with no nitrates. Next day ammonia 0.25, Nitrites 0.50, no nitrates. Pretty positive at this point my tank is not cycled I watched some videos and ended up doing a 30% water change. Now I’m getting all different advice.... put rock salt in, change water every other day, do nothing and let it cycle, feed the fish everyday, feed them every 3 days. So, honestly I don’t know what to do at this point. I don’t want the fish to die or be completely miserable. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

There are many different ways to cycle a tank and keep fish. The process of cycling is different depending on whether you use bottled bacteria or not. If you use bottled bacteria, your test readings won't make sense, and you're instructed not to do water changes for a period of time. In my opinion, being aggressive with water changes is the single best thing you can do to run a cycle or keep an aquarium. I'm not comfortable with dumping in a bottle of stuff and praying.

I've always cycled letting nature take its course. If you add some live plants, they have a small amount of the necessary bacteria for a seed colony. It still takes some time, but you'll be cycled in three to four weeks. I test every day during cycling, and do water changes to keep combined levels of ammonia and nitrite at 1 ppm or below. You'll be able to see the exact stage of the cycle by the test readings. With ammonia and nitrites at 1 ppm or below, your fish will be fine, and there will still be enough ammonia to grow the cycle.

If you use bottled bacteria, that method won't work.

 

Some people think I'm a heretic, but your experience is common and one of the reasons I don't use bottled bacteria. It's sold as an "instant" cycle. Just dump it in, and you're cycled! I don't believe it works, and I know it doesn't work as advertised.



There are many different ways to cycle a tank and keep fish. The process of cycling is different depending on whether you use bottled bacteria or not. If you use bottled bacteria, your test readings won't make sense, and you're instructed not to do water changes for a period of time. In my opinion, being aggressive with water changes is the single best thing you can do to run a cycle or keep an aquarium. I'm not comfortable with dumping in a bottle of stuff and praying.

I've always cycled letting nature take its course. If you add some live plants, they have a small amount of the necessary bacteria for a seed colony. It still takes some time, but you'll be cycled in three to four weeks. I test every day during cycling, and do water changes to keep combined levels of ammonia and nitrite at 1 ppm or below. You'll be able to see the exact stage of the cycle by the test readings. With ammonia and nitrites at 1 ppm or below, your fish will be fine, and there will still be enough ammonia to grow the cycle.

If you use bottled bacteria, that method won't work.

Of you theoretically put beneficial bacteria on the media wouldn't the tank cycle much quicker?

 

In the middle of setting up a new tank now. The bacteria you need basically live 2 places - your substrate and your filter. As I'm bringing things online I ran the sponge filters in an established tank for 1-2 weeks and moved them over and I'm using a scoop or so of bacteria loaded substrate from my main tank to add to what I put in the new tank. Next will be routine water testing and planting until things stabilize. Having a 'buddy' or LFS owner willing to help you seed your tank is huge if you can; other hobbyists in the area may even be willing to help. When I set up my Q tank I did this and it took like 3 days to calm down versus the month+ when I initially set up.

 

In the middle of setting up a new tank now. The bacteria you need basically live 2 places - your substrate and your filter. As I'm bringing things online I ran the sponge filters in an established tank for 1-2 weeks and moved them over and I'm using a scoop or so of bacteria loaded substrate from my main tank to add to what I put in the new tank. Next will be routine water testing and planting until things stabilize. Having a 'buddy' or LFS owner willing to help you seed your tank is huge if you can; other hobbyists in the area may even be willing to help. When I set up my Q tank I did this and it took like 3 days to calm down versus the month+ when I initially set up.


This rather depends on the pH. If the tank is at pH 7.0, this is absolutely true. If the tank is at pH 8.0, this could be way into the danger zone. I don't mean to throw even more confusion into the mix here, but the only time you can make a blanket statement like ammonia of x ppm is fine is if x = 0.0. For any other positive value the safety of that amount of total ammonia depends on the temperature and the pH. At a pH of 8.2 and temp of 24C, total ammonia of 0.26 ppm is the dividing line between "safe" and "possibly toxic to fish".

Well, came home and ammonia was at .50 ppm. Didn’t see any nitrites, minimal if any. Still no nitrates. That’s the highest I’ve seen my ammonia so I immediately did a 30% water change (treated water in 5 gallon buckets before filling back up).

Altwitch.... I know you didn’t mean to add fuel.... but my Ph is at 8.2. Another thing I don’t quite understand how important it potentially is. I’ve treated my water every time I’ve added any. I didn’t think that was a concern at the moment and planned on driftwood and plants to try to regulate that aspect after cycling. How do I bring that down? I know the fish I want in this tank like a slight acidity but had no idea it may be a crucial aspect of their survival.

 

Don’t chase PH. Better to be stable than to try and lower it and have it go up and down. Go ahead and add the plants now if you can. They will be beneficial. I did a fish in cycle and my PH is 8.2 as well. I just tested daily and if my ammonia or nitrite were over 0.5 I did a water change. I also dosed my tank with prime every 2 days to help bind the ammonia and nitrite so they didn’t harm my fish.

Also want to add...many farm grown fish do well in water they wouldn’t do well in the wild. I have panda cories who are supposed to prefer cool water and they are much happier when I keep my tank warmer. I also have a pair of German blue rams who supposedly don’t do well in high PH and they are doing very well. I ordered my fish from a supplier who breeds their own fish and keeps them at a high PH.

 

8.2 is quite high, do you have buffers in there or is it naturally that high... Test your tap. The problem with high pH is the toxicity of ammonia in a system that isn't processing ammonia becomes an even greater threat. Is borrowing media from your friend an option, it would save you and your fish months of cycling headaches.

 

Altwitch.... I know you didn’t mean to add fuel.... but my Ph is at 8.2. Another thing I don’t quite understand how important it potentially is. I’ve treated my water every time I’ve added any. I didn’t think that was a concern at the moment and planned on driftwood and plants to try to regulate that aspect after cycling. How do I bring that down? I know the fish I want in this tank like a slight acidity but had no idea it may be a crucial aspect of their survival.

There was some kind of messed up moderation there. The pH comment was actually mine.

Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) is what most test kits measure. This is the combination of free ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4). The ammonium is essentially harmless. It's the free ammonia that's a problem. The amount of each in the TAN is dependent on temperature and pH. As temperature and pH drop, the balance shifts toward ammonium. As temperature and pH rise, it shifts toward free ammonia. As the pH rises above 8.0 you basically have zero wiggle room as far as ammonia goes. At a pH of 8.2 or higher at typical tropical fish temperatures ANY measurable TAN is bad news.

This link is to an article about ammonia and pH. It includes a chart that indicates where the danger point begins at various temperatures and levels of pH.

You might want to speed up the addition of that driftwood. It typically will help gently lower the pH. Almond leaves will also release tannin into the water and help bring the pH down. You can just drop one in your tank. They're very popular with shrimp keepers so they are available online and probably in some pet stores. The heavier guns would be adding peat moss to the filter. This will release a lot of tannin and likely turn your water to something that looks more like tea. Some fish, like discus, really love the peaty water.

 

I know everyone is trying to help you but I think you may be getting information overload. Just keep the ammonia level down below one and if you don't already have it get a bottle of Prime. It will detox those low amounts of ammonia but it will still be there to feed your bacteria.

Water changes to keep the ammonia down and Prime will keep your little guys safe during the cycling process.

Keep in mind a stable PH is much more important than a specific number. Just go with what your tap water gives you and it should stay stable.

 

There was some kind of messed up moderation there. The pH comment was actually mine.

Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) is what most test kits measure. This is the combination of free ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4). The ammonium is essentially harmless. It's the free ammonia that's a problem. The amount of each in the TAN is dependent on temperature and pH. As temperature and pH drop, the balance shifts toward ammonium. As temperature and pH rise, it shifts toward free ammonia. As the pH rises above 8.0 you basically have zero wiggle room as far as ammonia goes. At a pH of 8.2 or higher at typical tropical fish temperatures ANY measurable TAN is bad news.

This link is to an article about ammonia and pH. It includes a chart that indicates where the danger point begins at various temperatures and levels of pH.

You might want to speed up the addition of that driftwood. It typically will help gently lower the pH. Almond leaves will also release tannin into the water and help bring the pH down. You can just drop one in your tank. They're very popular with shrimp keepers so they are available online and probably in some pet stores. The heavier guns would be adding peat moss to the filter. This will release a lot of tannin and likely turn your water to something that looks more like tea. Some fish, like discus, really love the peaty water.

I thought something seems weird about that post. Couldn’t be sure who said it. Ok, I’ll put the driftwood in tomorrow night. It’s been soaking since earlier this afternoon. Haven’t had a chance to boil it yet, but I’m guessing for Ph reasons you’ll tell me to forget about boiling for now? I’ll also research other ways to drop the ph before I get home tomorrow. I appreciate it. I feel like an being in this situation especially given the time I spent looking into it. Thank you.

I know everyone is trying to help you but I think you may be getting information overload. Just keep the ammonia level down below one and if you don't already have it get a bottle of Prime. It will detox those low amounts of ammonia but it will still be there to feed your bacteria.

Water changes to keep the ammonia down and Prime will keep your little guys safe during the cycling process.

Keep in mind a stable PH is much more important than a specific number. Just go with what your tap water gives you and it should stay stable.

Yeah, I understand. At least I finally feel I’m in the right place getting the right information. Ammonia will definitely be the priority. But I’m not lazy, if I can do both and be better off for it, I will do that. I do have prime and have been using it. Major change in behavior after the water change tonight. Thank you.

 

What's the pH of your tap water? If it's lower than 8.2 a water change might help, though if it's much lower I'd suggest doing a series of very small changes rather than a big one. You really don't want big swings in the pH in a short amount of time.

 

I’ll have to test my tap water tonight to see what it’s at. I’m guessing it’s pretty high cause I haven’t had a reading below 8.2 yet and I don’t think anything else would be causing it. With regards to my breeder buddy .... I’m starting to think he half-asses everything and I don’t want to trust what he’d give me. Another friend said he was watching his fish recently and doing water changes daily and the fish kept dying, saying the water kept becoming

 

It's definitely a complex hobby but luckily there's so many resources available the biggest favor you can do for yourself is make plans and research species profiles and ask questions in forums like this for others experiences and input until you're confident in your own experience. Impulse purchases will usually wind ya up in a panic sooner or later down the road. It's a learning experience though.

 

. It’s me again..... after water change and treating the water it appears my ammonia is already back to .50ppm. I took the sample before feeding them tonight. I’m sure it’s gone up at least a tick. I’m going to do another 30% water change.... unless somebody stops me really soon and says it’s the wrong move..... Maybe that’s normal for the cycling process? After I took the sample and waited for the results I fed them and they were ravenous to say the least. I didn't over feed them but they could’ve eaten forever it seems.

 

If you have no nitrites and the ammonia is holding steady at .5 you may want to just add enough Prime for the full volume of the tank. It will detox that amount but it will still be available for the bacteria.

Personally I would prefer to see the ammonia at zero but that isn't always possible.

 

Thanks for the quick response. I was just testing the nitrites now. How do I know if it’s holding steady? Test every hour? I would’ve assumed the ammonia levels to drop after the water change last night. If I’m not mistaken, you’re the person who sent me the link for the cycle yesterday? I’m still confused as to when it’s safe to dose with prime and when a water change is more beneficial?

 

I think doing a water change when you're in doubt is exactly the right thing to do, in my opinion. You want to get to the underlying problem, but it's usually a good idea to do a water change first then try to figure out what happened.

When I started in the hobby I overfed. Most people I know who keep fish also overfed in the beginning. I'm not saying you're overfeeding, I have no idea. But the ammonia is coming from somewhere. Maybe cut feeding in half for a few days to see if that has an effect.

Edit:

The original post contained the following statement. I read it and said to myself that's the stupidest thing I've ever seen anyone post on here. I'll own it. I won't delete it.

"Maybe don't feed them for a couple of days and see if that has an effect on your test readings."

Duh.

 

No nitrites

I think doing a water change when you're in doubt is exactly the right thing to do, in my opinion. You want to get to the underlying problem, but it's usually a good idea to do a water change first then try to figure out what happened.

When I started in the hobby I overfed. Most people I know who keep fish also overfed in the beginning. I'm not saying you're overfeeding, I have no idea. But the ammonia is coming from somewhere. Maybe don't feed them for a couple of days and see if that has an effect on your test readings.

Honestly, I think I’m probably not feeding them enough. Obviously I’ve been confused in many areas here early on but I did a fair amount of research. As much as I could weed through. Being nervous at first I only fed every other day cause I wasn’t sure what was really happening in the tank. I’m now feeding once a day as recommended here. I feed them with small pinches, if it’s desteoyed, I do a little more and so on. But not for more than 2-3 minutes. Haven’t had an instance where they are satiated and very few flakes have reached the sand. I’ve removed those with a baster.

 

No nitrites

That's good. That means we are just adding prime to detox the .5ppm ammonia. If you were seeing nitrites too we would add the ppm of ammonia to the ppm of nitrites. If the total was one or above I would recommend a water change and then Prime.

Since we are just seeing .5ppm ammonia Prime will detox that small amount so no water change has to be done tonight.

No, if I were you I wouldn't run the ammonia test again until tomorrow. The Prime will be in there working to protect your fish until then.

 

I think doing a water change when you're in doubt is exactly the right thing to do, in my opinion. You want to get to the underlying problem, but it's usually a good idea to do a water change first then try to figure out what happened.

When I started in the hobby I overfed. Most people I know who keep fish also overfed in the beginning. I'm not saying you're overfeeding, I have no idea. But the ammonia is coming from somewhere. Maybe don't feed them for a couple of days and see if that has an effect on your test readings.

Although, it’s definitely still possible that I may be over feeding them. I couldn’t seem to find anywhere online that dealt directly with actually quantity as opposed to a process so to speak

I think doing a water change when you're in doubt is exactly the right thing to do, in my opinion. You want to get to the underlying problem, but it's usually a good idea to do a water change first then try to figure out what happened.

When I started in the hobby I overfed. Most people I know who keep fish also overfed in the beginning. I'm not saying you're overfeeding, I have no idea. But the ammonia is coming from somewhere. Maybe cut feeding in half for a few days to see if that has an effect.

Edit:

The original post contained the following statement. I read it and said to myself that's the stupidest thing I've ever seen anyone post on here. I'll own it. I won't delete it.

"Maybe don't feed them for a couple of days and see if that has an effect on your test readings."

Duh.

Ha

That's good. That means we are just adding prime to detox the .5ppm ammonia. If you were seeing nitrites too we would add the ppm of ammonia to the ppm of nitrites. If the total was one or above I would recommend a water change and then Prime.

Since we are just seeing .5ppm ammonia Prime will detox that small amount so no water change has to be done tonight.

No, if I were you I wouldn't run the ammonia test again until tomorrow. The Prime will be in there working to protect your fish until then.

I’m seriously lucky to have found this forum. Thank you. I would probably just be slamming all of the advice I’ve gotten thus far into one big mess at this point. My stress level is slowly dissipating.

 

I’m seriously lucky to have found this forum. Thank you. I would probably just be slamming all of the advice I’ve gotten thus far into one big mess at this point. My stress level is slowly dissipating.

I am happy we are helping to de-stress you. We want to do everything we can for our water pets but sometimes "less is best" and less stress is the best.

 

Although, it’s definitely still possible that I may be over feeding them. I couldn’t seem to find anywhere online that dealt directly with actually quantity as opposed to a process so to speak

They really don't need much. Once per day, a few flakes or pellets each. You can start feeding them more when your tank is stable but right now I'd just do a bare minimum, observe them while they eat and make sure everyone gets a bite but keep it light... they'll be fine.

 

Hey guys. So, for what seems like the 3rd night in a row I’ve got .50 ammonia, zero Nitrites, zero Nitrates. Seems the Ph has come down a touch though at about 7.8 so I got that going for me. Which is nice.

I just want to be sure this is still normal. Fish seem totally fine and stalking me for food. 2 days ago I dosed with Prime. Last night I did a 30% water change as well as treated it with prime. Tonight, I’m thinking dose with prime again? What seems strange to me is that the numbers literally have not moved in 3 days. Being a logical person that just seems unlikely. Then again I still don’t know enough. Does the unchanging parameters seem a bit off to anyone else? Thanks.

 

Hey guys. So, for what seems like the 3rd night in a row I’ve got .50 ammonia, zero Nitrites, zero Nitrates. Seems the Ph has come down a touch though at about 7.8 so I got that going for me. Which is nice.

I just want to be sure this is still normal. Fish seem totally fine and stalking me for food. 2 days ago I dosed with Prime. Last night I did a 30% water change as well as treated it with prime. Tonight, I’m thinking dose with prime again? What seems strange to me is that the numbers literally have not moved in 3 days. Being a logical person that just seems unlikely. Then again I still don’t know enough. Does the unchanging parameters seem a bit off to anyone else? Thanks.

I would just continue doing what you are doing. No two cycles will be exactly the same so it is difficult to say what is off. Prime is protecting your little guys and the water changes should be keeping the numbers in check.

I would be tempted to do at least one much bigger water change to see if you can get that ammonia down lower. I am thinking at least a 60% water change. Not totally necessary but the lower the ammonia the better it will be in the long run for your fish.

 

Well, now I’m upset. I could only count 9/10. Happens as these guys are ninjas sometimes. Unfortunately I just found him. I assume it’s from what they’ve been through but I don’t know. Obviously I’m concerned for the rest of the group.

I would just continue doing what you are doing. No two cycles will be exactly the same so it is difficult to say what is off. Prime is protecting your little guys and the water changes should be keeping the numbers in check.

I would be tempted to do at least one much bigger water change to see if you can get that ammonia down lower. I am thinking at least a 60% water change. Not totally necessary but the lower the ammonia the better it will be in the long run for your fish.

Just to be clear, for 55 gallons I’d use a cap full of prime, correct? Making sure I’m understanding the directions clearly. Should I do the water change now? I’ve already dosed with Prime. I assume that’s not an issue.

 

Whip, I feel you buddy. Started this about a year ago and learn more every day, have had frustrations, shortcomings and trials, but the result justifies the learning curve. There are commercial products to manage pH but I honestly just use water cut vinegar and slowly inject into tank to bring pH down. Others may disagree but I find this to be the most efficient way to manage pH when I need to. One thing to note is that with pH stability is almost more crucial than target number so anything you do definitely do very slowly over time.

One other factor depending on your local tap water qualities to consider would be rain water. I looked into it thinking it might have been pure and was disappointed by the result; may be different in your zip code.

Hope some of that helps and hang in there man; I never like losing fish as it makes me feel like I've failed but some of that is honestly unavoidable.

 

Well, now I’m upset. I could only count 9/10. Happens as these guys are ninjas sometimes. Unfortunately I just found him. I assume it’s from what they’ve been through but I don’t know. Obviously I’m concerned for the rest of the group.

Well shoot. I hate to hear that but sadly it does sometimes happen no matter what we do.

Just to be clear, for 55 gallons I’d use a cap full of prime, correct? Making sure I’m understanding the directions clearly. Should I do the water change now? I’ve already dosed with Prime. I assume that’s not an issue.

I would. the fact that you just added Prime shouldn't make any difference. Just add another cap full after the water change. I don't use the cap to measure mine but I am thinking one cap full is 5 mls. Correct me if I'm wrong but I am I am thinking the recommended dose is 5ml for 50 gallons give or take a little bit. To be safe I usually add a little bit more than recommended..

Since I use buckets to do my water changes I just treat 4 gallons at a time. I add 1/2ml for each 4 gallons.

 

Yeah. That’s the recommended dose. I’ve also been doing 5 gallon buckets for the water changes. Says 1ml per ring, so I’ve done that per bucket. Probably a tad too much but didn’t think that would be an issue. I was worried they may be so hungry as to possibly take one of their own out but there doesn’t seem to be any marks at all. I’m draining the water now. I know it comes with the endeavor but I’m pretty bummed.

 

Just to be clear, for 55 gallons I’d use a cap full of prime, correct? Making sure I’m understanding the directions clearly. Should I do the water change now? I’ve already dosed with Prime. I assume that’s not an issue.

I use an eyedropper. I'm pretty sure my math is correct, but double check it. Dosing of Prime is 1 ml per 10G. A regular eyedropper is 1 ml, about 20 drops. I do one eyedropper of Prime for every 10G, and it's worked great. You could take an eyedropper and check it with the bottle cap.

It's good that you're focusing on water changes. Using Prime or something similar with frequent testing and water changes will help you protect your fish.

 

The nice thing about Prime is you would really have to try hard to OD with it. It says right on the bottle that you can do up to 5x the regular dose if necessary. It's better to have a bit too much than not enough.

 

Of you theoretically put beneficial bacteria on the media wouldn't the tank cycle much quicker?

Yes. Adding bottled bacteria can and does shorten cycling times if it's done properly.

I use an eyedropper. I'm pretty sure my math is correct, but double check it. Dosing of Prime is 1 ml per 10G. A regular eyedropper is 1 ml, about 20 drops. I do one eyedropper of Prime for every 10G, and it's worked great. You could take an eyedropper and check it with the bottle cap.

It's good that you're focusing on water changes. Using Prime or something similar with frequent testing and water changes will help you protect your fish.

Eyedroppers come in various sizes so aren't reliable measuring devices. Individual drops from different measuring devices can vary in size. Medical Syringes or even baby medicine dosing syringes with ml/cc gradations on them are better to use, especially when desired amounts are very small and need to be dosed exactly.

 

Eyedroppers come in various sizes so aren't reliable measuring devices. Individual drops from different measuring devices can vary in size..

Actually, eyedroppers are very reliable measuring devices.

That's why I said to double check the dosage with an eyedropper, and also referred to a "regular eyedropper." Let me rephrase that for you, as a "standard eyedropper."

From WebMD.

"A standard eyedropper dispenses 0.05 ml per drop, meaning there are 20 drops in 1 milliliter of medication. Let's do the math: a 5 ml bottle has 100 doses and a 10 ml bottle has 200 doses."

I have checked the drops per ml. It's spot on.

Of course, if you try to use a turkey baster instead, you will probably get a different dose. LOL!