Reminder, cycling?

>
> Hi there.
> Getting tank water from a pet shop is really a bad idea.
> If the idea in getting it was that you would be cycling your tank with
> it, it didn't.
> The nitrifying bacteria are stuck like to every surface inside the
> tank, filter, gravel, plants, decor...everything *except* the water.
> It used to be thought that the bacteria also were in the water column
> just floating about. They aren't.
> It was also once thought that adding the mulm from old dirty gravel is
> good, or squeezing out a dirty filter pad into a newly set up tank
> would cycle it too. All bunk. You're just adding crud, that's all. No
> benificial bacteria.
>
> Since you're getting back into the hobby, there have been some
> "bacteria starters" that have become common and are pushed by
> employees. Cycle, Stress Zyme, BioZyme, etc...all do *not* have the
> correct start up bacteria in them.
> They have a later stage bacteria that shows up (depending on the
> brand) wither middle or end stage cycling.
> The first stage bacteria in the cycling process are nitrospira
> bacteria. As far as I know, the only product so far with this
> nitrospira bacteria is BioSpira, made by Marineland.
> I have personally used many of the products listed above myself.
> None except BioSpira worked.
> I'm a long time hobbyists and let me tell you the terror I had the
> first time I used BioSpira on a large tank.
> I had used it before on a few smaller tanks, but nothing like a fully
> stocked 75g.
> My 75g was fully cycled in 24 hours of being set up, filled with new
> water, new gravel, new plants (plastic then), and all fish transfered
> (angelfish and female bettas, assorted bottom feeders) the same day.
> It was like it never happened. There was no crash, the ammonia spike,
> nothing.
> Then, a few years later I changed the gravel completely and used Bio
> Spira again.
> Again, nothing was noticed.....and that's fantastic!
> Of course all normal water changes, and proper maintenance was being
> done.
> So if you choose to use a bacteria starter, find BioSpira or forget
> about it.
> The product needs to be kept refrigerated (Not frozen! It kills the
> bacteria and makes the product useless).
> It can't be left at room temp either, or it'll die.
> I once had a problem with spoiled BioSpira I got at a pet shop. It
> turned out the employee stocking it put it out on the shef next to the
> other starter products and it had been there over night.
> When he found it was supposed to be refrigerated, he just stuck it in
> there and thought it would be fine. = / Duh. It wasn't.
> It was all chunky and brown looking, instead of looking like cloudy
> water.
> If you have any friends with healthy fish tanks, you can seed the tank
> with a stocking full of their gravel and hang it in the tank.
> You can also do a fishless cycling wich uses household ammonia. If you
> do this one, make sure you get *plain* ammonia (usually a generic
> brand) without any scents or additives.
> Cycling *with* fish, the usual of the past, isn't necessary anymore as
> there are better ways to cycle a tank.
> Fish do suffer effects when used for cycling. The degree varies of
> course and some hobbyists would think their fish appear to have no ill
> effects from it. However, usually they have scarred gill tissue from
> ammonia burns. Not something the average hobbyist is going to see.
> Welcome back too!