Stability - Helps Cycle Faster?

Was in my local fish store and they showed me this chemical called Stability. She said that it helps your tank cycle faster and that they use it on all of their new tanks helping them cycle in 10 days to two weeks.

I don't know though. Anyone heard about this stuff? I kind of was trying to avoid putting chemicals into my tank, but I want to do what is best for it. I have a really high salinity reading at 1.027.

Thanks.

 

I have used it. not to cycle a tank though. the best chemical I have found for cycling a tank is called "turbo start". I used stability when my tank crashed. It somehow stimulates the nitrifying bacteria into eating more ammonia. (don't ask how because i'm not sure) it is a great product though and will help with mishaps like this tho.

 

IMO the best thing you can do to your tank is to let it cycle naturally which may take up to 3 months. I am not a fan of adding anything to "speed things up".

In this hobby patience is a virtue and the rewards are many for those with patience.

As for the salinity, just take out some salt water from the tank and replace with fresh (RO/DI) water until you reach the point which you want.

Good luck with the tank!

 

Iv eused stability in both of my new tanks. Really does seem to help. I know everyone has their opinion but if it works dont fix it.

 

+2 ;D

 

I've used Stability but not to cycle so to speak. We had a massive ice storm here last winter and went several days with no power, and no power even at the gas stations to fill up generators.
Anyway I purchased a small tank, moved some sand and LR to it after the first day to my mother in laws which had power and relocated all my fish, luckily i was only running a FOWLR setup at that time

My 58g tank after nearly 5 days with no power had gotten down to around 55 degrees along with the rest of my house and took about 2 days to restabilize, I had all kinds of hell getting everything settled and getting rid of ammonioa in the tank before I could bring my livestock home so I tried out stability and it did a good job of giving my tank kind of a kick in the rear and helping eat out some ammonia

I know some people preach that the natural way is the best way and I 100% agree, but sometimes life tosses us a curveball and we have to adapt to keep up, besides you can only keep a pair of tangs and a pair of clowns in a 20g tank for so long before they die anyway.

There is also a simular product called Prime I beleive it's made by seachem but since I'm not at home I cant tell you for sure but I know it's called Prime, basically the exact same thing and I've used both with the same results.

In short, Good product but if you are setting up a new system, allow it to go through a natural cycle, do not rush putting in livestock as it will have a bad ending, maybe not right away but eventually it will come back to bite you.

 

+3 :

 

If this product "Removes" ammonia then DO NOT use it for the purpose of speeding up a cycle.

It will do the exact opposite. For the ammonia eaters to form they must have - Ammonia. If you keep the ammonia in check then those ammonia eaters will never thrive and you will have a long and tiring battle on your hands.


Nitrosomonas -

Are the bacteria the turn Ammonia into Nitrites. In an ammonia free environment they will not be present. Then, one day you will think you have cycled and you will add expensive fish. They will produce ammonia and you will have no system in place to convert it to nitrites. Shame on you PJ. You will be a fish murderer.

To make matters worse - because you never introduced Nitrites, you will have no Nitrobacter.

Nitrobacter is the bacteria that converts Harmful nitrite's into less problematic nitrates.

...and so on, and so on etc...

 

stability doesnt remove ammonioa though, all it is is an enzyme that is like a steroid shot for the bacteria in the tank, problem with it is also if you have bad bacteria and good bacteria it gives them both a boost so it can come back to bite you in the rear

 

Stability is bacteria in a bottle basically. Ive used it 100times or more on frag tanks starting up and quarantine tanks. Ive also used "cycle" made by hagen. If you use cycle combined with stability, it will cycle a tank in 2 weeks. BUT I DO NOT RECCOMMEND THIS FOR THE FIRST NEWBIE! The cycle is a learning experience, it teaches you a lot about your tank.