Additives - Cycle and Waste Control

[Faith_at_Large]

I think that this may have been covered before, but try doing a search for either product on this site and the results are limitless and rarely relevant (due to the words not the search engine).

I have been using both Cycle and Waste Control in my tanks on a weekly basis. Both products came with the aquarium cleaning bucket I bought. Are either or both of these products really useful, or just a way to get me to spend more money?

If they are helping my fish, I do not mind the expense, but I am not clear of what they are supposed to help with at this stage as both of my tanks are completely cycled with their own bacteria and I have back-mounted filters for each tank and do regular water changes every two weeks, or more often as needed. My pre-filter at home is also changed weekly.

Any advice would be appreciated as I am starting to get low on both products.

[NeonJulie]

Never heard of Waste Control, but I know almost for a fact that Cycle is near-useless, so this other product is likely also the typical 'snake oil.' Cycle doesn't contain any of the right type of bacteria, if there's any alive in it anyway after sitting on a shelf, room temperature, for who knows how long. I've heard it can unnecessarily increase NitrAtes as well. Regardless, I've never seen anyone recommend it for anything, especially weekly water change maintenance.

[cocoa_pleco]

I have lots of waste control, and never bother using it. I think its useless

[Chrona]

The jury is still out on Cycle. I used it for a friend's fishless cycle, and it did absolutely squat. Added Biospira and the tank was cycled 40 hours later. Some people have had good success with it though. I'm still skeptical though, for the reasons Julie stated.

Dunno about Waste Control.

[cocoa_pleco]

im just wondering if its bio-spira thats in waste control? Or is it chemicals that are man made

[Chrona]

im just wondering if its bio-spira thats in waste control? Or is it chemicals that are man made

I think waste control contains the bacteria that breaks down solid waste into ammonia. Biospira contains the nitrifying bacteria.

[Faith_at_Large]

It sounds like I can stop buying more of both items. I will continue to use them up. I will keep using my Aqua-Plus and reserve my Aquarium salt for occassional use.

[gm72]

Great idea.

[Rue]

Bio-Spira is a new product.

Waste Control has been around a long time.

I use Cycle and Waste Control...dunno if they work...but I've had better tank conditions since I started using both products...which was around in 2000...so that's 7 years worth...

[modster]

i have heard a lot of good things about bio-spira. The only thing is they are hard to find :-(

[Drumachine09]

i have heard a lot of good things about bio-spira. The only thing is they are hard to find :-(

Not to mention expensive.

[modster]

Not to mention expensive.
well... $30 bucks to cycle a 90g tank in 24 hours. I think it worth the price.

[GoldLenny]

Have to agree with Modster. Fishless cycling is cheaper but takes a lot of time. If you have plenty of time, then that's the way to go but to me, time is money. You can get Bio-Spira at [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] or you can go to [Only Registered Users Can See Links.] and use the "Find A Retailer" box on the left. I hear there is a similar product called Bactinettes in the UK now.

If you have access to a healthy tank, then you can use some of the gravel and filter media from that tank to instantly cycle a new tank for a small bioload but Bio-Spira will cycle a tank for a full bioload of juvenile fish.

Cycling with fish is the inhumane thing to do now that we have better options.

[frizzlefish]

Cycling with fish is the inhumane thing to do now that we have better options.

Exactly! I wish more people would learn this when starting out. I know it helped me incredibly, especially with a little person at home who loves his fishies- and can count them.

[cocoa_pleco]

fishless cycling with no additives is the best. Sure you can blow 30$ on the fancy speeder-uppers, but the cycle is a 1 time thing, so why not just wait a week or 2 instead of wasting the 30$ on speeder uppers which you could have put to a few fish