biospira after I added ammonia?
- Thread starter MrBungle
- Start date
ok I did an almost full water change, about 90%. Filled the tank back up with treated water and tested the ammonia. It was at .50ppm, even after I added Prime which should neutralize ammonia. So I got the Biospira and it's been 24 hours and its still .50ppm. I was reading that if I add enough ammonia to get to 5ppm it should be 0 24 hours later and thats how I find out if it worked. Is this somewhat correct?
The whole point of Bio Spira is to have a functional bacteria colony within 24 hrs. It is more than likely that it would take longer than 24 hrs for it to fall to 0, but it should start to dissipate to a level where fish can live with little stress. If the ammonia levels do not fall, the Bio Spira didn't work and you are sticking fish in a cycling tank.
If I am not mistaken, he/she hasn't added BioSpira to the tank bacause of the high NH3. Without a proper water change (and w/o any nitrifying bacteria), NH3 will takes weeks to dissipate.
I don't believe any fish are added as he is doing a fishless cycle.
BioSpira should (and will) work. Just don't add to tank with high NH3. But once added, BioSpira (bacteria) will need a source of NH3 to grow.
Rohn
I don't believe any fish are added as he is doing a fishless cycle.
BioSpira should (and will) work. Just don't add to tank with high NH3. But once added, BioSpira (bacteria) will need a source of NH3 to grow.
Rohn
Did you read this post Rohn?
*crazysmil
From this post I gathered he/she already put the biospira in after a 90% WC.
So YES after 24 hrs you should see the ammonia levels dissipate if you put the biospira in. You do not need to add any more ammonia if there were trace amounts in the tank already.
The whole idea of using BioSpira is to achieve a cycle as soon as you add it. SO in theory he/she already did a fishless cycle and can safely add fish.
I hope this clears up any confusion.
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Oh an there have been cases where the biospira HASN'T worked due to poor shipping. So there is a chance it may not work. It would suck to lose all your fish if you didn't know this.
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This is trivial discussion. If you read carefully only Prime was added and not BioSpira. MrBungle bought the BioSpira and is contemplating adding and was asking us for advice.
My first question was how does NH3 dissipate so fast in 24hrs. The properties of NH3 is different from Cl2 or Chloramine. It is the pressence of Cl in the compound that makes this possible ... dissipation.
Rohn
My first question was how does NH3 dissipate so fast in 24hrs. The properties of NH3 is different from Cl2 or Chloramine. It is the pressence of Cl in the compound that makes this possible ... dissipation.
Rohn
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ok heres the deal. I started a fishless cycle because I thought it would be impossible to find biospira. I found it and wanted to use it. I asked about it here then did the 90% water change and ammonia level was non-existent. I added biospira and a couple days later all my levels were still at 0. So I got 2 bolivian rams and now my ammonia is going up and nitrites are too. My water is cloudy and apparently I am experiencing a bacterial bloom. I'm guessing the biospira didnt work.
#1 Don't listen to rohn. He is looking for an argument, not to help.
#2 Bacterial blooms are good, not bad.
#3 Patience. This will all pass, look for spikes, and replace water as needed. The only chemical you need to add at this point is a dechlor. Let it take its cycle, it will go away with time. Always treat your water before you add it.
#4 Bio Spira probably worked, it just depends on the bio load you put on your tank as you added the fish. If your bacteria bloom wasn't enough to cover the fish, then you would see cloudiness. It's all part of the natural process, it will go away.
#5 Don't WC the crap out of your tank, it will just prolong the tank cycle. If you see a spike then WC, anything less keep up with the reg WC's.
#6 You’re doing a good job, keep up with the updates!
#2 Bacterial blooms are good, not bad.
#3 Patience. This will all pass, look for spikes, and replace water as needed. The only chemical you need to add at this point is a dechlor. Let it take its cycle, it will go away with time. Always treat your water before you add it.
#4 Bio Spira probably worked, it just depends on the bio load you put on your tank as you added the fish. If your bacteria bloom wasn't enough to cover the fish, then you would see cloudiness. It's all part of the natural process, it will go away.
#5 Don't WC the crap out of your tank, it will just prolong the tank cycle. If you see a spike then WC, anything less keep up with the reg WC's.
#6 You’re doing a good job, keep up with the updates!
Just remember with fish, keep the ammonia and nitrite levels below .5ppm if at all possible. You could also do a 2nd dose of Bio-Spira if you feel you need. Won't hurt, and may help. It's possible you could also have had a bad packet on the first one. Other than that, just keep up with the PWC's. Sometimes with Bio-Spira it can take a few days to a week to work effectively. You are doing good so far.
Oh, and one other thing, when you test your water, do not test it right after a PWC. When you do a PWC, wait about 1.5-2 hours. That way you know the whole tank parameters have leveled out and you don't have areas where parameters are higher than in another part of the tank.
Oh, and one other thing, when you test your water, do not test it right after a PWC. When you do a PWC, wait about 1.5-2 hours. That way you know the whole tank parameters have leveled out and you don't have areas where parameters are higher than in another part of the tank.
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