Using stability+prime in new tank with ammonia

[nwin]

I began with a 29 gal tank and added water to fill it up (along with my gravel and some decorations, an HOB filter, and a heater). I then added Prime to dechlorinate. I started cycling using the fishless cycle by dosing straight ammonia up to 5ppm using the API master test kit. I overdosed the ammonia by a bit (about 8ppm), so I did a water change to bring it back down to 5ppm. I then added some more prime to dechlorinate the new water. About ten days went by and I saw no change in the ammonia levels, so I decided to try your product, Stability. I followed the directions for dosing a new tank and am on day 3. The ammonia has subsided a bit and I also have some anacharis in there to help lower the ammonia. Ammonia was roughly 3-4ppm today, so I added a few drops to bring it back up to 4ppm.

My question, is will this work to help cycle the tank since I have straight ammonia in there and am using Stability? Since Stability claims it has denitrifiers in there, will I ever see nitrite levels rise? On cycling a normal tank without stability, I know that you add ammonia until ammonia starts to drop and nitrItes start to rise...then you scale back on the ammonia additions so you are only at about 3ppm. Eventually, ammonia and nitrItes will zero out and nitrAtes will spike, making you do a water change. The end result is 0 ammonia and nitrItes and nitrAtes under about 20-40ppm...Once this happens, the tank is cycled.

So...what will happen when using stability in my situation? Do I need to start over and clean the tank out starting with JUST dechlorinated water (by using Prime) and then start dosing for a new tank with Stability? Or am I ok with this method where I already have ammonia and some anacharis floating in the tank?

Thanks for your help in this.

[Tech Support EH]

Thank you for your questions, nwin, and also for using our products! There is no need in your case to clean the tank and start over with only dechlorinated water, and then starting the Stability regimen over again. Stability is simply meant to expedite the cycling process; it will ultimately happen on its own, but adding the proper nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria will expedite the process by rapidly establishing the biofilter.

It is very difficult to put an exact time on how long it will take for your tank to cycle, as every tank is different. Some people may be able to cycle a tank in only a few days, while it takes others several weeks. I can assure you that Stability will provide the appropriate bacteria needed to fully cycle your tank. In some cases you may never see the entire cycle occur, you may only see a rise and fall in ammonia, and then a rise in nitrates. When you are able to get a reading for nitrates, then you can deduce that the tank has fully cycled.

If you already have a good biological media in your filters on which the bacteria in Stability can colonize and proliferate, then this should help to expedite the process. It's especially important to have one with internal and external surface area to house both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Here is a link to Matrix (our biological media), if you would like to read about it:

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Matrix.html

We hope this helps and that you have a wonderful day!

[nwin]

Tomorrow will be the last day for me to add Stability to the tank, since it says continue the dosage for 7 days.

Right now the readings are roughly 4.0ppm ammonia and 0 nitrites. Nitrates are slightly above 0ppm but way below 5.0ppm. Tank temp is about 84F.

I really haven't added any ammonia, save for maybe about 10 drops in the second day of the cycle to bring it from 4.0ppm to 5.0ppm...it's still going down VERY slowly.

Since I've completed the direction for Stability, should I stop after tomorrow with Stability and let the tank go do it's own thing?

[Tech Support MS]

It would be better to continue dosing the aquarium with Stability. While the tank will eventually cycle on its own Stability will help speed it up. While we recommend using the product for 7 days this time can vary depending on the aquarium. It will only be beneficial to continue using Stability until the tank is finished cycling. It seems that you are on the right track and that it should not take much longer to complete the cycle.