API Quick Start

[Rudles]

Just for the heck of it I checked True Value and they had API Quick Start however it expired last month. Should I go ahead and give it a try anyway?

 

05-25 0900
Ammonia 0 ppm 
Nitrite 0.5 ppm 
Nitrate 80 ppm
pH 7.2

05-27 1010
Ammonia 0 ppm 
Nitrite 1.0 ppm
Nitrate 80 ppm
pH 7.6

05-29 1345
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 2.0 ppm
Nitrate 80 ppm 
pH 7.6

[Fish Folk]

Interesting write up by API with pretty charts and graphs, etc. here.

I don't know . . . I'd probably not use it given that it's past it's time. You might just be adding a ton of ammonia to the system if everything in there is dead.

FritZyme 7 is a good option. I also like Dr. Tim's biological starter.

But many aquarists just don't buy the hype of liquid bio starters.

I think that it would be a really fascinating thing for a fish store to do to add a tub in their large system with tons of sponge filters -- different sizes, etc -- that they sell as a store. Any time a customer wants to set up a new tank, offer to let them buy a _new_ sponge off the shelf, and then exchange it for a _primed_ one in the tub. That way, a customer could drive home, throw in the primed sponge, and be good to go on day one of buying a fish tank. I suppose the same could be offered with any number of common filters -- HOBs, box filters, canisters, etc. Just a random thought. I've seen so, so many folks wrestling to get started right. I think stores could help. Of course, customers who don't know (or refuse to learn) about the nitrogen cycle could just buy the new filters and learnt hard way...

[Rudles]

45 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

Interesting write up by API with pretty charts and graphs, etc. here.

I don't know . . . I'd probably not use it given that it's past it's time. You might just be adding a ton of ammonia to the system if everything in there is dead.

FritZyme 7 is a good option. I also like Dr. Tim's biological starter.

But many aquarists just don't buy the hype of liquid bio starters.

I think that it would be a really fascinating thing for a fish store to do to add a tub in their large system with tons of sponge filters -- different sizes, etc -- that they sell as a store. Any time a customer wants to set up a new tank, offer to let them buy a _new_ sponge off the shelf, and then exchange it for a _primed_ one in the tub. That way, a customer could drive home, throw in the primed sponge, and be good to go on day one of buying a fish tank. I suppose the same could be offered with any number of common filters -- HOBs, box filters, canisters, etc. Just a random thought. I've seen so, so many folks wrestling to get started right. I think stores could help. Of course, customers who don't know (or refuse to learn) about the nitrogen cycle could just buy the new filters and learnt hard way...

I live on a remote island in Southeast Alaska. There is no LFS here. That's why I decided to try this. All I can do is order online and hope for the best. 

[Fish Folk]

18 minutes ago, Rudles said:

I live on a remote island in Southeast Alaska. There is no LFS here. That's why I decided to try this. All I can do is order online and hope for the best. 

Oh wow! That's pretty amazing. Then by all means give it a try. Worse case scenario, you'll just see a huge ammonia spike until your living bio starts to work through it. Best case scenario, it's good to go.

I know it's waaaaay out in the north pacific going the other direction, but my son is obsessed with getting to Attu someday during peak migration to see rare birds. 

 

[Rudles]

2 hours ago, Fish Folk said:

Oh wow! That's pretty amazing. Then by all means give it a try. Worse case scenario, you'll just see a huge ammonia spike until your living bio starts to work through it. Best case scenario, it's good to go.

I know it's waaaaay out in the north pacific going the other direction, but my son is obsessed with getting to Attu someday during peak migration to see rare birds. 

I live in Wrangell two miles from the Stikine River delta. The Stikine River is the fastest free flowing navigable river in North America and the delta is the second largest stopover of migratory birds on the North American flyway.

 

[Fish Folk]

22 minutes ago, Rudles said:

 

Wow! He'd absolutely love to see that someday. 

[Rudles]

I'm going to finish my planting today. I'm still trying to cycle my tank. Should I clean the algae off of at least the front?

[Patrick_G]

Yeah, I’d say it’s time to clean the glass! 😀

Some Otocinclus would really go to town on that! 

[lefty o]

ill summarize this, you have zero ammonia, a ton of plants, and are growing algae by the bunch, drop some fish in that box of water.

[Rudles]

My Nitrite and Nitrate are still too high. All I have currently is one Angelfish and one Bronze Corydora with eight Siamese algae eaters in the mail.

I live on a remote island in Southeast Alaska and there is no LFS here. 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Rudles