QUICK START EXPERIMENT!

Alright, I have done this before.... not with the large bioload that I will be experimenting with this time (last time, 20gal tank and pair of German Blue Rams).... but had great results..... So I wanted to open a thread to show you guys Day by Day results on Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia Levels using API's Quick Start cycle method.

Just to give you guys a little run-down on my situation because normally I always cycle my tank with feeders doing a 3 week cycle before adding my selected fish to a tank... (Cruel to the feeders, dont write hate messages on this thread cause of it, they will be deleted, just PM me) Anyway, My tank had a big problem, (check " HELP STINK TANK" thread) it currently is stocked with approx. 10 demasoni, 12 Rusty mallawi cichlids, as well as 9 L. Brevis Tanganyika Shell dwelling cichlids. (Again, no hate posts, PM me if you want to talk about mixing lakes) its a 55gal standard glass tank... I have two Aqueon HOB filters, there largest model, and second to largest model, and a 300 watt heater keeping tank steady 80 Degrees.

AFter doing nearly 100% water change, and changing all filter media/cartridges, then adding the appropriate amount of API Quick Start straight to the tank water..... I waited 4 hours and ran a test on the water.

DAY #1 Results

0.0 Nitrate
0.0 Nitrite
0.0 Ammonia

DAY #2 Results

0.0 Nitrate
0.0-0.25ppm Nitrite
0.25-0.50ppm Ammonia

DAY #3 Results

0.0 Nitrate
0.25-0.55 Nitrite
0.75-1.0 Ammonia

DAY #4 Results

2.0 NItrate
0.55 Nitrite
0.5 Ammonia

DAY #5 Results

2.0 Nitrate
0.55-0.75 Nitrite
0.5 Ammonia

8.7 PH (done to see if it effects PH at all) First time I did the experiment I thought it had effected PH, but this is the first time actually testing the theory.


I will continue to report 1x daily on this thread.... I will just add to this first post so people dont have to look thru peoples comments to find results for day 2, 3, etc etc.

Alright, after 6 days of bad results I decided to 100% flush the tank..... because of a very bad order coming from the filter cartridges they had to be changed as well..... So, back to the drawing board... This time I am using TETRA Brand so.... starting over again

DAY #1 Tetra Brand Results

0.0 Nitrate
0.0 Nitrite
0.0 Ammonia

Day #2 Tetra brand Results

0.0 Nitrate
0.0 Nitrite
0.0 Ammonia

I'll be interested to see your results.

I've tried a couple of other brands in the past that supposedly do the same thing, but had no luck with them.

Dr. Tim's One and Only is another that I've wondered about.

Good luck! I hope you get the smell and the cycle taken care of without any problems.

Ive used the Seachem Stability before to help cycle my tank but I did not record the numbers during the process. Looking forward to seeing the results of this experiment.

ive used seachem and the tetra brand. fish were acting all kinds of funny until the addition (uncycled tanks) within id like to say 2 days they looked back to normal.

Update, Edited first post to include day #2 results.... they dont look good at all!!!! but, this was similar to what I got with the first experiment, day2 and 3 scared the bajesus out of me.... I think the reading werent as high though, but that was with allot smaller fish, allot less bioload..... I will be doing a water 30% water change and vacume day 4.

Fish all look super healthy though, happy and eating well... colors are great on them as well.

sand that and running sponge filters in my tank for a cpl weeks was all i did to get the cycle going (fish went in after it was setup like two days in) so i know they can handle it . didnt have a lot of choices at the time.

Day 3 results are in...... If i remember correctly I shouldve start seeing Nitrate by now..... Ok, Time for a emergency water Change!!! Ammonia is gettin out of control and worst of all, the dead fish smell is back with a vengence!!!!

if things dont drastically change for the better tomorrow you might be seeing some fish up for sale..... this tank may have to be completly gut, dryed out, and started again with correct cycling before adding the fish I want.... this is gettin crazy.

if anything just toss the fish into a tub and get a filter loaned to you by a local pet store or hobbyist.. im sure someone will help you out. id hate to see you throw away something u came all the way down here for...

What dechlorinator are you using? I remember reading that using Prime will give you an inaccurate ammonia reading.

i normally use some cheap deachlorinator that just removes chlorine not the other stuff, like nitrate, nitrite, etc etc.... I got some prime for emergency spike in ammonia... used some yesterday after the test, but that was the first time.

Ok, I am really not liking how this is going..... But it was nice to see ammonia dropped a llittle... that was due to the Water change i am sure of it.... The nitrite keeps increasing, which is deadly to fish... but we are seeing some nitrate as of the last two days.....

All in all, i would not recommend this product unless you plan on doing large water changes, and keep prime on hand for emergency.... you definetly have to keep a constant eye on it as well.....

Because i have already started this experiement, and it was terrible so far, I decided to do another 100% water change because the dead fish smell came back with a vegence... This time i am using Tetra brand, but I am not changing the filters so of course the results will be in tetras favor big time..... anyway, I will continue to update. keep posted.

So switching brands, running new experiement.... lol.... API sucks! dont use it! Lets try tetra! lol.... see first post for details.

tetras more expensive but imo looks better just dont get old stuff. check the dates and get the most recent shipment.

Well I got it yesterday... dumped the whole bottle in the tank.... it said whole bottle was good up to a 75gal.... anyway, readings are 0 across the board still and its day 2..... lets hope I start seeing some nitrate earlier this time... cause API didnt show me enough and nitrite was still increasing after 5 days.