Cycle complete in 3.5 days!

**A340** · 06-20-2007, 04:42 AM

As many of you know, I often recommend the use of Seachem's Stability when cycling (either with or without fish) a new tank. I've used this on several tanks over the last few years and have had nothing but success with it.

I've done fishless cycles with it and it usually takes about 7-9 days to complete, cycles with fish usually takes about 6-7 days with no loss of fish.

I just set up another 10g on the weekend and just wanted to share the experience with you.

Saturday night, I set the tank up with new gravel, new filter and a couple of decorations (my first tank with a little castle). I added 1 capfull of Stability and and added a small bag of ceramic rings from the AC110 filter on my 29g for an added boost of bacteria. Sunday I added 1/2 a capfull of Stability into the water. Monday, another 1/2 a capfull. Tuesday morning, the Nitrites and Ammonia were off the charts. Tuesday night, they're at 0! I just added another 1/2 a capfull of Stability and retest tomorrow just to make sure.

Anyway, as you can see, Seachem's Stability is a great product and this is exactly why I speak so highly of it. If anyone has a small tank sitting around, you should try it out just for the heck of it ...

On a side note, I'm open for suggestions on what to stock in my 10g. Black gravel, two ceramic ruins of a clock tower and an alter with a couple of small, fake plants. I'm thinking something colourful, fancy guppies perhaps?

**zackish** · 06-20-2007, 05:38 AM

just a quick question, where can I get those ceramic rings and where do I place them in my filter?

**A340** · 06-20-2007, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by zackish

just a quick question, where can I get those ceramic rings and where do I place them in my filter?

You should be able to get them at any petstore, Fluval and Aqua Clear make them (and I'm sure there are others as well). I don't really think that it's too critical where you put them, but most people put them as the last stage on their filters (depending on the type). For example, I have an AC110 HOB which has the (from bottom to top) sponge, carbon and ceramic rings.

**cocoa_pleco** · 06-20-2007, 03:03 PM

place them anywhere. all my filters have those and/or bio balls. they do major bio filtration

**Lady Hobbs** · 06-20-2007, 04:27 PM

Good information. Thanks for the heads-up. I may try this my next cycle.

Others think it works well too.
http://www.aquahobby.com/products/e_stability.php

**sunjwd** · 06-20-2007, 07:19 PM

aliz340, was this a fishy or ammonia cycle?
If ammonia, how much did you add?

**Chrona** · 06-21-2007, 03:14 AM

Not really a valid demonstration of Stability imo. You used ceramic rings from an established tank, and that holds a tremendous amount of bacteria (of both types) already, so it doesn't take long for them to multiply. I'm willing to bet that if you started with fresh everything, you would notice little to no difference, as I doubt Stability is any different from Cycle.

**A340** · 06-21-2007, 04:46 AM

Another quick test today and the results were the same as yesterday, the tank is all cycled.

Originally Posted by sunjwd

aliz340, was this a fishy or ammonia cycle?
If ammonia, how much did you add?

This was a fishless cycle and I didn't add any ammonnia. All I used was the Stability and as a bit of a cheat (to speed things up) I just added some ceramic rings from my one filter into the new filter.

Originally Posted by Chrona

Not really a valid demonstration of Stability imo. You used ceramic rings from an established tank, and that holds a tremendous amount of bacteria (of both types) already, so it doesn't take long for them to multiply. I'm willing to bet that if you started with fresh everything, you would notice little to no difference, as I doubt Stability is any different from Cycle.

Oh ye of little faith

. As I stated, I did add the ceramic rings as a bacteria boost just to see how fast I could get it going. However, having used Stability before with fish and fishless cycles, the process does take longer but it works like a charm (see my post above).

I've never used cycle, so I can't compare it. How ever, I do have an friend in Vancouver who sets up and maintains aquariums for businesses and households and he uses Stability exclusivly (thats how I found out about it), he says it's just as good as Bio Spira, if not better (his words, not mine).

Still no suggestions on what to stock in the tank?

**cocoa_pleco** · 06-21-2007, 04:50 AM

i have a product thats called special blend. it has live bacteria, and cycles the tank really fast. the only bad thing is it smells like 200 people eating beans, laxatives, and brussel sprouts and sticking them in a elevator. not a pretty smell. when i use it, the room smells like a portapoty

**A340** · 06-21-2007, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by cocoa_pleco

i have a product thats called special blend. it has live bacteria, and cycles the tank really fast. the only bad thing is it smells like 200 people eating beans, laxatives, and brussel sprouts and sticking them in a elevator. not a pretty smell. when i use it, the room smells like a portapoty

Good excuse to hit your local East Indian restaraunt and order a nice big curry before hand ....