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Starting Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 9/29/2008 3:41:31 PM
Posts: 115,
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| I think that is a great idea. I would suggest once you got the kit up, try getting fish tank manufactures to put them in with the tank kit, so when a beginner buys a tank they will have the kit as well. For the price you are asking, you are getting a lot of information and conditioners. I wish there was something like this when I first started fish keeping 10 years ago.
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/22/2008 5:35:01 AM
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Most new and some not so new spend more time brewing coffee than thay do testing their tanks . Your kit idea is great,make hte kits up and sell them.By the # of posts on here som new to the hobby you could do well.
Shakespere says...to be or not to be?Fish hobbiests say....To buy or not to buy! 
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New Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/5/2008 9:11:26 PM
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| OK, my question, as simple as it may seem, is how to keep the bacteria alive? Some of the so-called instant agers don't work so well...I thought the best bacteria supplements had to be refrigerated. If it worked, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat!
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Moderator
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 9:42:33 AM
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| That used to be the case, and Marineland Bio-Spira was really the only game in town. Over the past few years the mfrs have developed two technologies, both of which work. 1) Liquid live bacteria -- there are a number of these that work fine, and do not need to be refrigerated. They do, however, need to be protected from excess heat and I'm not sure how careful distributors are in getting the stuff to your lfs. Some of them need to be refrigerated after you open the bottle. I've tested a number of these, and they all work. "Work" being defined as adding the full tank of fish the day the bacteria starter was added, and having zero ammonia, zero nitrite and some nitrates the next day. That tells me that the Nitrogen Cycle is working. 2) Dry bacteria, with yeast and enzymes -- I've also tested a number of these products, and they also work, albeit not instantly as the liquid products do. With the dry products I treated with one dose, gave a second dose the day after, and added all the fish the second day. Zero ammonia, a little nitrite and nitrates starting to build. Nitrogen Cycle going. My bottom line is that using any of the "brand name" products for kick-starting the Nitrogen Cycle is infinitely better than not using anything. If you have the simple, inexpensive test strips you can clearly tell whether the tank is cycled enough to add all of the fish you would like.
*************************** Be warned -- everyone at college has a weird roommate. If you don't have a weird roomate -- then you're the weird roommate.
Conan O'Brien, Stuyvesant High School.
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New Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/5/2008 9:11:26 PM
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| David, is there one you prefer or can recommend? I have a friend that works at Petsmart, and she's always looking for new products to recommend to her customers. I started with an old tank from Craigslist and took 75% of the water (boy did my Jeep smell!!) and started all my other tanks using that one as a base. I do use Cycle in my tanks, but I didn't know it would actually do the entire job. I really appreciate learning new things here.
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Moderator
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 9:42:33 AM
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Sorry, but I can't recommend one brand over another. Why don't you ask them at Petco what they recommend, and if they use or have tested any of them. I hope you understand why I can't get into taking sides for one brand or another.
***************************Be warned -- everyone at college has a weird roommate. If you don't have a weird roomate -- then you're the weird roommate.
Conan O'Brien, Stuyvesant High School.
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 Posted 8/18/2008 7:13:37 AM |
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