Tss+ Cycle Has Begun

So I got my tank ready and it ran for 24hrs and I added the TSS+ a little over 2 hours ago like the directions said. I now have a few guppies. They are all so pretty. They are males. I will make sure to keep you all updated. Here is a pic of them.

 

Do you have a water test kit? You will show some ammonia readings no doubt but don't dose your tank with Seachem Prime. That will kill the TSS bacteria. I remember reading that the ammonia will be a little stressful but not lethal. There is a post somewhere on this site that is from a Tetra representative that spells it all out. I think the bottle tells you not to do any water changes for a couple of weeks.

 

Congratulations! They are pretty! Enjoy doing nothing but lightly feeding for 14 days!

 

Do you have a water test kit? You will show some ammonia readings no doubt but don't dose your tank with Seachem Prime. That will kill the TSS bacteria. I remember reading that the ammonia will be a little stressful but not lethal. There is a post somewhere on this site that is from a Tetra representative that spells it all out. I think the bottle tells you not to do any water changes for a couple of weeks.

2 weeks to be exact. Then I can start adding fish slowly one by one.

Congratulations! They are pretty! Enjoy doing nothing but lightly feeding for 14 days!

Yep. Exept I have a question. Is it normal for one guppy just to stay by itself? It stays towards the bottom a little. It (I don't want to say rarely) sometimes goes with the others.

 

I can't comment on the guppy behavior but we did have good luck with the TSS+. I cycled my daughters 29 gallon with it and 8 danios. All survived and never showed any signs of stress. We set up the tank and used Prime for the water. Let the filter run 48 hours no fish, then added the TSS+ and danios. I have the API test kit but didn't test anything for 2 weeks. We did no water changes during the two weeks either.

After 2 weeks, water tests showed 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nitrate. I was a little worried at that point that it was not cycled/cycling but figured it would have ammonia showing up if it wasn't. We started weekly water changes and tests started to show nitrates at about 6 weeks. Now we're running about 5-10 nitrates with weekly water changes and always test 0,0 on ammonia and nitrite.

On an off topic note, the danios are still happy and breed often. We now have a 5.5 gallon fry grow out tank with 18 fry that are about 5 weeks old. We're getting ready to add another 29 or 37 gallon bare tank with sponge filter to let them grow up in. We used TSS+ on the 5.5 gallon fry tank as well with no problems.

 

I can't comment on the guppy behavior but we did have good luck with the TSS+. I cycled my daughters 29 gallon with it and 8 danios. All survived and never showed any signs of stress. We set up the tank and used Prime for the water. Let the filter run 48 hours no fish, then added the TSS+ and danios. I have the API test kit but didn't test anything for 2 weeks. We did no water changes during the two weeks either.

After 2 weeks, water tests showed 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 0 nitrate. I was a little worried at that point that it was not cycled/cycling but figured it would have ammonia showing up if it wasn't. We started weekly water changes and tests started to show nitrates at about 6 weeks. Now we're running about 5-10 nitrates with weekly water changes and always test 0,0 on ammonia and nitrite.

On an off topic note, the danios are still happy and breed often. We now have a 5.5 gallon fry grow out tank with 18 fry that are about 5 weeks old. We're getting ready to add another 29 or 37 gallon bare tank with sponge filter to let them grow up in. We used TSS+ on the 5.5 gallon fry tank as well with no problems.

Thanks that helps me feel a lot better. Especially because my tank is 29 gallons. Is 1 pinch of food good for light feeding?

Congratulations! They are pretty! Enjoy doing nothing but lightly feeding for 14 days!

One pinch of food good????

 

One pinch of food good????

I'd recommend starting with very small pinches and only give them what they can eat in a minute or two. I always watch to make sure we don't have food floating to the bottom.

Several small pinches spread out over the minute or two is better than one big pinch. Too much at once and a lot of it is down in the substrate and plants before they can eat it.

 

I'd recommend starting with very small pinches and only give them what they can eat in a minute or two. I always watch to make sure we don't have food floating to the bottom.

Several small pinches spread out over the minute or two is better than one big pinch. Too much at once and a lot of it is down in the substrate and plants before they can eat it.

Will my guppies eat this?

 

Yes, and yes.

Some guppies hover at the top, some like the bottom. Even fish from the same litter do this.

The flake food is fine. Over time, add some variety including frozen brine shrimp, frozen or freeze dried blood works, another brand of flake. Even slow sinking micro pellets.

 

Yes, and yes.

Some guppies hover at the top, some like the bottom. Even fish from the same litter do this.

The flake food is fine. Over time, add some variety including frozen brine shrimp, frozen or freeze dried blood works, another brand of flake. Even slow sinking micro pellets.

I will and so I just give them a pinch of this correct?

 

Yes. A small pinch and watch em eat.

They will learn quickly to go to the bottom after feeding to pick up scraps.

 

That should be okay for food. They may not eat for a day or two as they acclimate- don’t be surprised. Guppies are not schooling fish, so some may hang together & some may not. In my experience what you want to watch for is a change in behavior- the one which is always social now hiding, I would encourage early lights out for the fish tonight if you aren’t on a timer. Let them settle in. Enjoy!

 

That should be okay for food. They may not eat for a day or two as they acclimate- don’t be surprised. Guppies are not schooling fish, so some may hang together & some may not. In my experience what you want to watch for is a change in behavior- the one which is always social now hiding, I would encourage early lights out for the fish tonight if you aren’t on a timer. Let them settle in. Enjoy!

Ok thanks so much!!

Yes. A small pinch and watch em eat.

They will learn quickly to go to the bottom after feeding to pick up scraps.

Thanks.

They enjoyed their dinner! The one I was talking about likes the bottom like you said Mom2some.

Since this is a TSS+ cycle I can add plants correct? I was told I could in a previous post but I just want to make sure.

 

Yes.

They are beautiful and beneficial.

 

Yes.

They are beautiful and beneficial.

They won't affect the cycle in a negative way?? Mom2some

 

Absolutely not!

I try to put plants in before the cycle. But plants eat nitrates, produce oxygen, provide cover/hiding places, and make the tank look better.

No downside except decaying leaves that can litter the tank.

 

They won't affect the cycle in a negative way?? Mom2some

My suggestion do some research and find low matince plant like java fern or java moss. Start out with a plant that won’t need extra fertilizer and added co2. If your just starting don’t overdo it so you don’t get stressed. I personally just did my first planted tank a few weeks ago. I started with java moss. But I went that route because I did research and realized I wasn’t ready to do fertilizer and all the extra stuff for plants . My 2 cents

 

They won't affect the cycle in a negative way??

I'm not sure. I've never kept live plants (but have used TSS several times). From what I understand, plants will consume ammonia from the water. (They apparently prefer ammonia over nitrates...who'd a guessed). So depending on how many plants you have and what the ammonia production in your tank is, it could be possible that the plants would use up some (or all) of the ammonia, therefor starving out some (or all) of the TSS bacteria.

So in theory, if you had enough plants to consume all of the ammonia being produced, you would never cycle a tank because there is not any left over ammonia for the bacteria. In fact there is a method called the Walstad method where you have a heavily planted, lightly stocked tank and no filter. You just rely on the plants to remove the ammonia from the water.

But with that said, it is most likely fine. You will probably have more ammonia than plants to absorb it all. And if you added the plants after you completed cycling, any ammonia the plants are consuming will led to a reduction in the size of your bacteria colony, since the size of the colony is dictated by the amount of available food (i.e. ammonia). So basically your tank will reach an equilibrium.

 

I don’t have a firm answer. I would assume putting some plants in is fine. You are not going to end up with a “heavily planted” tank.

 

So far I have fed my guppies once. Do I feed them twice a day?

 

While TSS cycling I would say no. After you are cycled = Your choice. I feed my fish once a day most of the time. I am more concerned about excess food becoming an ammonia source than my fish starving. Their stomach is apparently the size of their eye.

 

While TSS cycling I would say no. After you are cycled = Your choice. I feed my fish once a day most of the time. I am more concerned about excess food becoming an ammonia source than my fish starving. Their stomach is apparently the size of their eye.

Ok thanks! I'll keep feeding them once a day. I know you have to lightly feed. I saw something about feeding guppies twice a day and it made me think.

 

So far I have fed my guppies once. Do I feed them twice a day?

Once a day is my rule of thumb and only what they can eat in a minute

 

Lost a guppy today. I think their is some finnipping going on. I have no where to put these fish I have no plants or tank decor. I might use the rest of my money to get some tall plants and plant them. The guppy that died was acting weird when I got him. Now my favorite guppy is acting the same. No longer swimming aroind the tank and staying away from everyone at the top of the tank. I also think my other two guppies are not playing. They swim with eachother and I don't see nipping but I have seen it 2 times. What do I do? Are males aggressive towards one another? Makes no sense.

A little over two days since I started the cycle. Lost 2 fish but just bought the proper medication thanks to fellow members suggesting what I should get. The other 2 guppies seem happy and healthy. Possibly getting some live plants in the upcoming week. I'll keep you all posted.

 

Welp everyone. My cycle might not make it due to one sick guppy giving a disease or something to the others. I am down to one last guppy (my least favorite). He is most likley going to die. If he somehow does not die I will increase the cycle time by one extra week since I have one fish. To be honest I am never keeping guppies again. I have to figure out something completley new for the 29 gallon like what fish to get in it because I just don't think my original stocking list is not gonna fit me like it did at the time. If the last guppy dies should I drain the tank and retry or keep going with a few new fish to continue the cycle? TSS should be fine because its not the problem the guppies are. This one guppy that practically killed all the others off has caused way more work than there should be. Feel free to put down some fish names I could get below.

 

Well my last guppy died but it was not because my TSS cycle failed. It is because one guppy infected the rest. Got my water tested and it was completley fine. Which means TSS works. I followed the directions and got the proper result. I recommend TSS to anyone who wants to get their fish as asoon as possible. It's very worth it. No one has failed this cycle and you won't either. If you follow the directions. Their is also steps provived by tetra themselves on this forum.

 

So sorry for your loss

 

So sorry for your loss

It happens. I got some more guppys. They should do ok.