# Getting Rid of Ammonia



## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

So i know that having patience and letting the good ole natural cycle run it's course is the best way to get rid of ammonia but I have a theoretical question. I know from watching many videos and reading many reviews on this product, bio spira does work. It supposedly is live nitrifying bacteria. This helps speed up your cycle and according the API's "quick start" (essentially bio spira), you can add fish immediately. I know this is not recommended but it has been proven to work. several users have used API quick start and added fish immediately and managed to have them survive. Bio spira does not claim to allow you to add the fish immediately but does say you can add them that same week. If you read the labels on the two products, they are almost identical. It gives you a suggested amount to introduce into your tank depending on how many gallons you have. Well theoretically, if you have a high amount of ammonia, could you not just add extra bio spira or quick start and have that bacteria you are introducing take care of your ammonia? Is there such thing as too much bacteria? For instance, I ordered the live sand activator from Indo Pacific Sea Farms. It came with a lot of life to it but sadly with the death of some of these microhermits, worms, and pods, my ammonia levels went pretty high. Now I have nothing but time, but couldn't I essentially add a high ammount of the bacteria contents in bio spira and have the nitrogen cycle complete in a few more days. Essentially isn't that what this product is supposed to do? Anyone have any professional insight on this? As for the facts, I did add a small bottle of API's quick start to my tank and tested the water every day since then. That was 3 days ago. I still have 4.0ppm of ammonia. I know it sounds like I am answering my own question in a way but I want others to comment on this. I am new to salt water and just trying to get more experienced insight on this. All I know for sure is that the ammonia is still there.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes. Most bacteria-in-a-bottle products are based on Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, but they don't work very well. Nitrospira based products, however, really do work as advertised. However... your current ammonia level is too high, and would only kill those bottled bacteria.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Get your ammonia back under 2.0 with a large water change, and you can be cycled and good to go in about 4-5 days using a good Nitrospira-based product.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Know ahead of time that your water tests will give you weird results that won't make sense unless you understand that Nitrospira eliminates ammonia, nitrate, and nitrate all at the same time.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

This is typical of beginners starting out in saltwater aquaria keeping. Why the rush to start adding fish? Let your tank cycle completely as nature intended. I'm a firm believer in not rushing in completing a cycle. There is no such thing as a quick cycle - certainly not within days. A typical cycle last anywheres from 6 - 12 weeks depending on the quaility of live rock. STOP RUSHING and let the tank cycle on its own. You'll be glad you did.


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## weedkiller (Nov 18, 2012)

Ice said:


> This is typical of beginners starting out in saltwater aquaria keeping. Why the rush to start adding fish? Let your tank cycle completely as nature intended. I'm a firm believer in not rushing in completing a cycle. There is no such thing as a quick cycle - certainly not within days. A typical cycle last anywheres from 6 - 12 weeks depending on the quaility of live rock. STOP RUSHING and let the tank cycle on its own. You'll be glad you did.


+1:withstup:


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## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

Ice said:


> This is typical of beginners starting out in saltwater aquaria keeping. Why the rush to start adding fish? Let your tank cycle completely as nature intended. I'm a firm believer in not rushing in completing a cycle. There is no such thing as a quick cycle - certainly not within days. A typical cycle last anywheres from 6 - 12 weeks depending on the quaility of live rock. STOP RUSHING and let the tank cycle on its own. You'll be glad you did.


As stated, I have patience. No one is "rushing" anything. Thanks for your "beliefs" though. It's a question, that's all.


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## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

"As nature intended". . . I don't think nature intended for fish to end up in aquariums. I'm a firm believer of that. But I, as many others do, put my desire, to own a piece of nature in my own home, before the needs of nature itself. Shame on me.


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## Ice (Sep 25, 2006)

Manny said:


> "As nature intended". . . I don't think nature intended for fish to end up in aquariums. I'm a firm believer of that. But I, as many others do, put my desire, to own a piece of nature in my own home, before the needs of nature itself. Shame on me.


That response makes no sense what I was trying to say. Fish keeping is a hobby that goes back as far as the ancient Chinese. All I'm saying is let your tank cycle naturally (thus my meaning of "as nature intended") WITHOUT adding additives and chemicals to speed up the process.


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## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

Ice thank you for your responses and your opinions. You have proven to be very willing to help and seem to be the quickest at getting back to me. I appreciate your experience and insight.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

For many decades, we only had worthless Nitrosomonas & Nitrobacter based products available. As such, we all "learned" that fast cycling wasn't possible.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Today, we've finally learned how to keep Nitrospira alive in a bottle, and that changes everything. When we "cycle" we are waiting for these to reproduce and grow to a sufficient number to be useful.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Why wait for that, though, when we can simply "install" them instead and add them directly to the tank? If you use a good, fresh Nitrospira based product, it really will work, and in under a week in most cases.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

It's not a chemical, it's not an additive.. it's simply the actual bacteria we're trying to cultivate, letting you get your bacteria population up to the needed level immediately. (after they wake up and settle )


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## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

Thank you oldsalt. That was more the answer I was expecting from someone. Nonetheless, I have seen major progress in my tank. I went from having 4.0ppm of ammonia to having 2.0ppm the next and yesterday I had .5ppm. I haven't checked today. I will do so later and see where it is at. I expect it to be all gone. The thing confusing me is that I have not seen any levels of nitrite rise yet. Maybe they will today. Not too sure but I will let you know after I test the water. Thanks again.


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## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

Ok so I ran my tests and I still currently have ammonia in there. It is very slight but I still have not seen any signs of nitrites. Going to keep waiting.


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## Manny (Oct 8, 2013)

Day 17 and ammonia gone but still have nitries presents. I am assuming I am halfway through.


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## weedkiller (Nov 18, 2012)

just keep your ammonia up to about 2ppm or you will lose it all..
keep checking the nitrites for the big 0


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