# nutrafin cycle works?



## okoolo (Nov 1, 2009)

visited a small LFS in Windsor today...
the owner has a single HOB on every single tank and apparently every week he cleans them in tap water and uses nutrafin cycle to speed up cycling afterwards.. I was a little sceptical but he swears by it ... 

so do those cycling boosters actually work?
it would make my rule of always having 2 filters per tank unnecessary


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## Antoine Doinel (Dec 20, 2010)

Some of these products do apparently work, but I don't think any of them actually cycle your tank. I believe the bottled bacteria just consume any available ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates in your tank rather than convert ammonia > nitrites > nitrates.

I see it like this. Would you rather choose some mystery bacteria in a bottle, or the bacteria that evolution has perfected for this specific purpose?


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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

Take your time and do it right.
Unless you like risking flushing your $$ down the hole.


Ive cycled fresh water tanks in under 2 weeks and up to 6 weeks,Saltwater is i hole new ball game.


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## okoolo (Nov 1, 2009)

that would be pretty convenient though in case of a nitrate spike.. a stop gap measure if you will..


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

okoolo said:


> that would be pretty convenient though in case of a nitrate spike.. a stop gap measure if you will..


In case of spike you can do WC and use Prime and some salt.

Do you ever wonder how long these bacteria can last in a air tight bottle of Nutrafin cycle? and how long have these bottles been sitting on the shelf in the lfs?

Don't waste your money on these so called "cycle". The best bacteria to cycle a new tank is the fresh bacteria from a running filter lol


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## mousey (Mar 28, 2011)

I have used Seachem Stability to cycle several tanks With fish in them with good effect- they are done in a week. I also use a bit whenever I do a filter clean at the same time I do a tank clean and have never seen any ammonia spike etc.
Another forum I belong to has a member doing a test with Tetra Safestart. She overloaded a ten gallon tank with not so hardy fish and had the tank cycled through in the first week as the bottle purports. No fish losses either.
I have spoken to Seachem people and they say the product is designed to show no spikes of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.
After the first week you can stop adding the bacteria in the bottle and the nitrates slowly begin to show up in the tank.
The bacteria is in a suspended state and will not start to grow until it is in ideal situation which is water and a food source.
As long as it is in the bottle it is inert.
The only problem I have had with it is when the bottle has been opened for some time and the air has gotten to it.
The cycle seems to stall at the nitrite stage so if cycling a new tank use a new bottle. It is odorless too.If it has any odor it means it has gone off.


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## okoolo (Nov 1, 2009)

thanks, this helps to clarify things a bit more


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

mousey said:


> I have used Seachem Stability to cycle several tanks With fish in them with good effect- they are done in a week. I also use a bit whenever I do a filter clean at the same time I do a tank clean and have never seen any ammonia spike etc.
> Another forum I belong to has a member doing a test with Tetra Safestart. She overloaded a ten gallon tank with not so hardy fish and had the tank cycled through in the first week as the bottle purports. No fish losses either.
> I have spoken to Seachem people and they say the product is designed to show no spikes of ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.
> After the first week you can stop adding the bacteria in the bottle and the nitrates slowly begin to show up in the tank.
> ...


If you have more than 1 tank you can actually use the bacteria from that established tank and cycle a new tank within 3 hours with a full fish load.
I have heard that Seachem Stability is better than the other brands but I don't use these cycle products and save money for more fishy. I have in my sump many extra AC500/110 sponges and different size sponges too ready for the next new tank and this is my cycle materials and these bacteria are free.
My first 5 tanks was cycled using live fishy but back than in 1969 to 1975 we did not know anything better but after I have learn the seeding method for me there is no other method to cycle a tank faster and better. From that 5 tanks now I have 31 mostly large tanks running and 5 years ago I use this seeding method to cycle my 10,000+gal pond with 25 AC110/500 sponges and next day I introduce 10 large kois and within a week it was fully stocked.
Now if you can tell me that I can cycle a tank in less than 3 hours from a so called cycle products then I will buy it lol.


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## PanzerFodder (Oct 15, 2010)

dl88dl told me how to do this a few months back, and it bloody works well 
in fact it makes it too easy to start a new tank!, and now I am in danger of getting MTS 


Cheer's...PanzerFodder...


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

PanzerFodder said:


> dl88dl told me how to do this a few months back, and it bloody works well
> in fact it makes it too easy to start a new tank!, and now I am in danger of getting MTS
> 
> Cheer's...PanzerFodder...


I am glad to hear that it worked for you and with all those new frys you are going to need more tanks

BTW, the MTS sickness is not all that bad lol you get to enjoy more fishy


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## PanzerFodder (Oct 15, 2010)

dl88dl said:


> BTW, the MTS sickness is not all that bad lol you get to enjoy more fishy


I know, but now I'm worried about how I will pay the hydro bill   .

Cheer's...PanzerFodder...


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## Oliver (Apr 2, 2011)

Mister dl88dl I to would like to learn this "seeding method" I'm the guy with that "AQUAFREAKENSTEINTANK" I want to get up and running and I have a severe case of MTS. I don't even have that the original tank set up and I have already aquired a 75gallon a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon. HaHaHa . . . I even have a glass fishbowl I was thinking of hatching Brine Shrimp in. Does this sound KARAZY!


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## sunshine (Feb 18, 2011)

Hi 
I use the bacteria supplement products(dont have a favorite). I think im using the tetra version at the moment and use some filter material, gravel and/or plants from an established tank. I will use the bacteria supplement first day, then 2-3 more times, a day or 2 a part and havent had any new tank syndrome since doing it this way. Granted I also stock low and slow. About 1 guppy per 5 gallons then only and 1-2 every few days. For up to a 30 gallon tank. Within 2 weeks Im comfortable fully stocking the tank, and doing normal water changes. This is much faster then normal cycling. seems to be less stress on the fish. And the supplement isnt expensive and Im using less then the directions state. 
Sunshine


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

Oliver said:


> Mister dl88dl I to would like to learn this "seeding method" I'm the guy with that "AQUAFREAKENSTEINTANK" I want to get up and running and I have a severe case of MTS. I don't even have that the original tank set up and I have already aquired a 75gallon a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon. HaHaHa . . . I even have a glass fishbowl I was thinking of hatching Brine Shrimp in. Does this sound KARAZY!


It does not sound KARAZY to me lol but you already have a passion for this fish hobby I sent you a PM.


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## mousey (Mar 28, 2011)

My problem is that I don't have enough bacteria in the media I transfer to the new tank for it to instantly cycle. I always have a bit but not enough that I don't have a week or so of water changes to do.


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