Hi guys,
I found the thread "reassure me" where the cycling problem was brought up. I did not want to hijack the thread just to share my experience with bottled stuff.
My first tank (29g) I tried to cycle with "Cycle". I do not know whether it worked because I did not have test kits at the time and I added fish only in two weeks after establishing the tank. I bought it on the whim and used it 2-3 times which resulted in awful cloudiness of the water for several weeks. Nobody died though. Well, this tank is pretty stable right now and has no problems with water quality.
Real test started when I've got 10 g tank for QTing. 2 sick gouramis upped the ammonia very quickly. I monitored the water constantly and the "Cycle" did not work at all (there were some meds though).
Well the gouramis died and I had the tank empty for a while. Then I got Synodontis eupterus (2.5") who raised ammonia and nitrites to heaven. I did frantic water changes for 3 days, adding the "Cycle" constantly - almost no effect: I come home, measure water and do frantic water change again.
I needed bigger tank so I went crazy and bought Jack Dempsey Cichlid (4").
He is absolutely great!!! He upped my parameters even more (please do not yell at me - without him I would not get my next tank). I added StressZyme and magically everything got stabilized. I measure the params twice daily (drop kits) - nothing in the water. I do daily water changes nevertheless because I feel bad that I got them so crowded... Today, I've got 57g and no later than on Sun I'm planning to release my Syn and Jack in there - I have cultured gravel and the stuff "StressZyme" that is working. So, my point is that this StressZyme actually saved my fish (first) and me.
I found the thread "reassure me" where the cycling problem was brought up. I did not want to hijack the thread just to share my experience with bottled stuff.
My first tank (29g) I tried to cycle with "Cycle". I do not know whether it worked because I did not have test kits at the time and I added fish only in two weeks after establishing the tank. I bought it on the whim and used it 2-3 times which resulted in awful cloudiness of the water for several weeks. Nobody died though. Well, this tank is pretty stable right now and has no problems with water quality.
Real test started when I've got 10 g tank for QTing. 2 sick gouramis upped the ammonia very quickly. I monitored the water constantly and the "Cycle" did not work at all (there were some meds though).
Well the gouramis died and I had the tank empty for a while. Then I got Synodontis eupterus (2.5") who raised ammonia and nitrites to heaven. I did frantic water changes for 3 days, adding the "Cycle" constantly - almost no effect: I come home, measure water and do frantic water change again.
I needed bigger tank so I went crazy and bought Jack Dempsey Cichlid (4").
He is absolutely great!!! He upped my parameters even more (please do not yell at me - without him I would not get my next tank). I added StressZyme and magically everything got stabilized. I measure the params twice daily (drop kits) - nothing in the water. I do daily water changes nevertheless because I feel bad that I got them so crowded... Today, I've got 57g and no later than on Sun I'm planning to release my Syn and Jack in there - I have cultured gravel and the stuff "StressZyme" that is working. So, my point is that this StressZyme actually saved my fish (first) and me.
