Fishless Cycle Question. Anyone try Biozyme?

by **zum14** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:42 pm

Trying a fishless cycle for the first time, everything is new so i was wondering if anyone has tried Biozyme for seeding, my connection for a used tank filter seems to have fallen through, so i was wondering if this stuff works to help speed the process a bit or if the high levels of ammonia just kill em off and add to the ammonia levels. Tried contacting biozyme and there inbox is full so who knows whats up there. I have been all over the internet checking processes for fishless cycling, some have said that bio spira seems to be the best but it is unavailable in canada, or at least its not in my town. I also don't trust my lfs for filter squeezings. Its tough being patient with no fish in the tank waiting for that nitrite test tube to change color. Anyway just looking for opinions. Oh and there was also one other guy that suggested lowering the ammonia and dosing the tank with stress coat and cycle, says it does the trick as well but im a little leery of it as i have never heard any other articles on this. Thanks.

by **fihsboy** » Sun Jan 11, 2009 6:52 pm

anything that is (waste) in your tank will work. Do you have any saltwater friends? you could empty there protein skimmer in your tank and that would spike the hell out of your system. You could buy some feeder fish and throw them in there.....You could throw food in there. You could urinate in there.......you could buy cycle.......you could throw a dead frog in there.......you could basically do ANYTHING to cause waste in your tank. As long as you introduce a bio load to your tank.....bacteria WILL grow. You could just add some fish food to your tank....works as good as anything else. buy a bottle of cylce......it works too. still takes a little time to get it up and running. Aquariums are all about relaxing and enjoying them.......relax and let it run its course so you dont kill any fish.

by **zum14** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:02 pm

thanks for the reply, do not worry about me jumpin the gun, its still very interesting watching it go through its cycle,testing the water and seeing its progress, and trying to explain why the tank is cloudy to my wife, but i was just looking for opinions on the biozyme and other seeders and if anyone has had any experience with them working or if there just a waste of money. I think its probably safe to say you feel they are a waste of money and would rather go for a simpler method?

by **Bigfish0016124** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 2:51 am

Haha i would definately go with the peeing in the tank i don't know if that has ever been done before. good luck!

by **fihsboy** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:11 pm

haha. I would say they are a waste. A little food will do the same thing. if your tank is already established.....a fish dies..and you have to do a waterchange..THATS when I would use cycle or biozyme. The amounts of beneficial bacteria is insanely large.....so it would hold the load of the wastes introduced in yoursystem. I would just throw some more food in there. Im in saltwater.......so its a little different....throw some live rock and live sand. Bam bio filter. cycle done.

by **morbus6373** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:54 am

hahahaha
thats way unfair fihsboy!!
though, i totly agree with peeing!!!
Its what the fish do in there. . . . you would just be a really big fish :)

i think those comercial seeding things are useless. well . . . . rather, not much help. i'm sure they have bacteria in there, but i doubt using it will save you any time or do much good. I say that while considering what a biofilter grows on its own. And with that in mind, a bottle of bacteria spores can do what garden fertiliser can!!!!!!!! (thats what i use on my tanks and ponds) Try 2:3:2...............

by **tomargir** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:41 am

If you want to treat the hobby with a professional attitude you should cycle with pure ammonia. Anything else will by definition introduce unnecessary and sometimes unwanted agents in your tank. I have never seen a professional aquarist cycling his tank with rotten food from the household garbage.

Now as far as bioprimers are concerned. You can try them. They work. Ammonia will not kill the bacteria. Ammonia is what they need to develop.

But keep in mind that if you overdo it (say you reach over 5ppm concentrations), the waste production of your fishstock will not be enough to sustain the huge numbers of bacteria developped during the cycling process and they will start dying (the bacteria first).

Now about the other thing with Stress Coat. I don't know exactly the synthesis of this product (i use it for 15 years). I know that is has declorinating agents and Aloe Vera extracts. I don't think that it will be as effective (if any at all) as bioprimers.

Personally, i use bioprimers when it comes to cycling tanks that need to be ready soon. In my own tanks, i only use pure ammonia and don't even seed. But they take round 2 months to cycle. With bioprimers you can cycle in a month or even less.

Fishless Cycle Question. Anyone try Biozyme?

7 posts