# Does Seachem Stability work???



## djcraig (Feb 5, 2015)

Ok, here is a quick run down of my situation.
I have a 300 litre tank that was previously stocked with goldfish. It has been setup like this for a few years.
We recently decided to switch to African cichlids and donated all the goldfish to my dad the day before we bought our first lot of Africans.
Having thought the tank was fully cycled, we ended up over the next couple of weeks buying a few more until we now have a fully stocked tank.
Now, I had an Eheim Pro 600 on it that didn't keep the tank as clean as it should have so I opted for an Aqua One Nautilus 2700UV.
I put all the old media, sponges, substrate, noodles, floss etc, into the new filter and fired it up.
Have done a few mods to the plumbing but have never had the filter switched off for more than 1.5 hours the whole time its been installed.
After about a week, the fish seemed a little sluggish so tested the water again to find a massive 8.0 reading for ammonia. Zero reading for nitrites and around 20 for nitrates. PH is 7.8.
So, blasted up to the LFS for some extra Prime, and while I was there I thought I'd grab a big bottle of Stability.
I have used it daily for the first 10 days at the suggested dose, and then every time I did a water change, which over the first 2 weeks of the ammonia spike I did ever second day 
of between 20 - 30% water change. For the first 2 weeks I had no change in readings at all, then read on here somewhere that too frequent water changes could slow down a cycle so 
for the last 2 weeks I have been doing a 30% change once a week. Every 24 hours or so I am having to dose the tank with Prime to make things as non toxic as I can.
Today it has been 5 weeks and still no drop in ammonia (8.0) and still zero for nitrite. Have been expecting a nitrite spike to let me know things are happening, but a big fat nothing!!!
Any thoughts, help, suggestions or anything else would be absolutely welcomed.
Cheers.


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## djcraig (Feb 5, 2015)

Oh, and have been vacuuming the gravel each time a water change is done!


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## hisplaceresort1 (Mar 10, 2014)

Yes, Seachem stability worked for me, but it takes time.

You're in a tough situation because cycling with fish in the tank, either intentionally (like me - would never do it again) or unintentionally (like you) has no great answers.

Yes, the water changes can slow your cycle down, but I imagine your ammonia is too high for the cycle to continue, and that's why you've had no progress. Your fish are alive because of Seachem Prime...  Great stuff when you're in a pinch like this!

Here's what I suggest:

1.) Massive water changes immediately! With a DOUBLE tank volume dose of Seachem Prime. Do 75% per day for the next 2 to 3 days.
2.) Then, go to 50% every 2 days, again with a DOUBLE tank volume dose of Seachem Prime.
3.) On the in-between days, Add a single tank-volume dose of Seachem Prime directly to the tank, just like you have been doing. Goal is not to read above 2ppm Ammonia.
4.) Quit vacuuming your gravel as much.
5.) Add the Stability every day - double dose it.

Other things to check, just because... 
1.) Any chance there is something dead in your tank?
2.) Any chance there is ammonia in your source water?

Good Luck - please let us know how it comes out.


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## The Cichlid Guy (Oct 18, 2014)

To answer your question, yes. I've performed fishless cycles with Stability in tanks with no mature media.

It sounds less like you're "cycling," and more like you just overwhelmed your biomedia. How many cichlids do yo have now? Are they juveniles or adults?

Something else to consider would be adding more biomedia. Can you guess at how much of those noodles you have? I love Seachem's biomedia, Matrix. If you have some space, I would add a tray of that.


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## djcraig (Feb 5, 2015)

Thanks the time to reply, I really appreciate it, I will follow your directions above and see how it goes.
I never realised that having too high a ammonia level could actually stall a cycle! No wonder I was getting nowhere.
There is nothing dead in the tank, it is as clean as it has ever been and I did check our water a few weeks ago, zero ammonia so I guess I will just do as above and keep my fingers crossed.
Should I, at this stage, be too worried and GH and KH levels or just concentrate on the ammonia, nitrite and PH levels? The reason I ask is that with such massive water changes, and we have kinda soft water, those levels are going to be all over the place and I will be going through cichlid salt like crazy. I know I can use Epsom salts and bicarb soda, but have been using API cichlid salts and they seem to keep everything nice until the next big water change.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

High ammonia can also halt the development of a cycle. The nitrification bacteria are overwhelmed.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You want to keep your pH stable. If you need to test KH to accomplish that then I would.


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## PJM86 (Dec 20, 2017)

Hi. I am trying to do a fishless cycle on using stability and ammonia. I am on day 3 now and ammonia level has not changed at all. Should something of happened by now? I also had a good amount of donated media from an established tank.

Tap water has been treated with prime. Water is for mbuna so some epsum salt and baking soda have been added to increase hardness/Ph. Done a few days before starting the cycling.

I added the stability on top of my media in the sump.

Ph = 8.2
GH & Kh around 12 degrees
temp 25 deg/ 77 F

Ammonia = 1.0ppm
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0

I have a 500ml bottle treating around 800 litres with the tank and sump filter. I am going to run out of stability after 8 or 9 days.

Any ideas?


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## NewkeeperRico (Feb 5, 2018)

PJM86 said:


> Hi. I am trying to do a fishless cycle on using stability and ammonia. I am on day 3 now and ammonia level has not changed at all. Should something of happened by now? I also had a good amount of donated media from an established tank.
> 
> Tap water has been treated with prime. Water is for mbuna so some epsum salt and baking soda have been added to increase hardness/Ph. Done a few days before starting the cycling.
> 
> ...


It can take up to two weeks before you see the ammonia drop. Everyone's tank is different though. Bring your water temp up to 85 as well. Bacteria thrive on the warmer temps.


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