where to find

[buttonfly]

This might not seem like an "emergency" per se but I have a tank full of fish and Im having an Ammonia, Nitrite problem- Does ANYONE know where I can get Bio Spira in the San Antonio Area?? I know it should be refridgerated so buying it online isn't the best idea...thanks in advance

[Kristy]

Welcome to MAAST! Sorry to hear about your problems.

Sorry, don't know where to find Bio Spiram (have never even heard of it.)

We have used TLC before and also used Amquel+ one time.

Those just treat the symptoms.... What do you think is causing the problem? Bio-load? (too many fish?), have you just added in a bunch of new live stock, or made any changes? Anything dead or missing? Might be decaying and causing a problem.

A big water change might help also... Certainly can't hurt and more than likely is the only thing that will help get those numbers down.

Sorry can't be more help...

Mike (& Kristy)

[aprilmayjune]

Polly's Pet Shop in Universal City carries both sizes of Bio Spira. Just call before you go because every once in a while they run out. 210-658-0420

[buttonfly]

THANK YOU! I wish i would've known about pollys yesterday thats just a few miles down the road from me!! I figured they didn't have it because most places i called before them didn't even know what i was talking about. Oh well instead I got a PM about Alamo aquatics and drove all the way to the other side of town to get it...such is life i guess- at least now i know.
I was having issues because I just got my tank and my husband got excited and bought fish before I had a chance to do a fishless cycle. We were doing daily water changes but on a 100 gallon its a real pain..I heard Bio Spira works the best and that the others dont work at all so my fingers are crossed. Thanks guys for all the help!! Who has the cheapest tanks? So far it looks like Fintinique over on west ave seems really cheap- I want to get another one (yes, I've been bit by the "aquatic" bug) and try my hand at a marine tank....Everything in those are SO beautiful!
AprilMayjune- does Polly's have a good selection of fish? I haven't been there since they moved into the other side of the complex they are in (which i think has been years)

[captexas]

I stop in at Polly's every so often as I'm on the same side of town and they are hit and miss as far as what saltwater fish they have. I have a small naso tang from them, seems you just have to catch them at the right time I guess.

[Bill S]

OK, back up the bus...

Did you say your tank is BRAND NEW and not cycled? AND you have fish - some fish other than damsels?

Please, we are here just to help. But, if that's the case, you REALLY need to consider taking the fish back. I'd bet any amount of money they will all be dead within a week. Seriously.

Here's a good read - and I keep picking on Chris, which isn't really fair - but he's been a good sport about it:

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=41100

PLEASE feel free to give me a call - others will chime in too: 210.663.8079.

[buttonfly]

yeppers- i did buy the tank used and my husband listened to some folks at LFS (that is a "sponser" of MAAST by the way) and believed them when they said the fish would be fine if we either used mature filter or Bio-Spira --and we were doing big water changes daily but they said to stop them because it slows the development of the Biological filter-ugh So many different ways to do things...or at least differnt ways of SEEING things
- Its been about 3 weeks and the filter media didnt take the Nitrites and Ammonia down yet so I thought the Biospira would help...So far the fish are still alive and seem well except the one with the white spot on his lower lip...that doesn't seem to be affecting him in any other way. I put the BioSpira in there about 48 hours ago and finally things are starting to go down. I tried to take the fish back but to no avail. All I can really do is cross my fingers and hope that the the things i did keeps them in good health.
I have definately learned my lesson and on my next tank I will be the first to a fishless cycle no matter what... because I too have been ragged on for "poisioning" my fish from another forum I have been learning from- And praised from another for even caring about the Biological filter and told that as long as I use something to "jumpstart" it they will be fine...all I can do is hope- like I said the fish were bought from a couple different places and most wont let us take them back. Thank you all again for your guidance

[Bill S]

We PROMISE not to rag on you!

We are just here to help - sometimes folks FEEL like they are getting beat up, but really, we all just want to help. What is bothersome is that folks seem to buy, and then research when they are already down the road and have fish in the tank. This, to me, is kind of like buying a car, and THEN going home to do some research to see what kind of car to buy!

If you can please take a couple of minutes, and tell us ALL about your tank - size, what's in it (rock, sand, fish, invertabrates, etc), and equipment you have. Then tell us when it was set up, when fish were put in, and what the chemistry has done over the last few days.

Also, please read the thread from the link I posted above. While the LFSs can give good advice, not everyone at every store is as knowledgeable as some of the folks around here. And remember, they are in business to sell you something...

[ErikH]

+1, Bill is dead on.

BioSpira is expensive. You are just throwing money at the situation now, which is good for the fish store, and not for you or the fish. MAAST is great for learning, and for the most part, people are here to help.

You need to stabilize your system, and there are ways of doing so, but you are looking at expense and labor. What I would look at to diffuse the situation at this point is looking for....
Constant water changes, if not daily, weekly, until your system starts to stabilize.
If it doesn't stabilize within two weeks, you should start to look at purchasing more live rock and live sand, assuming that you do not already have MORE than 1 LB per gallon (I personally recommend 1.5#s per gallon, not just 1 LB/g) and a good amount of sand, at least 1 1/2". I have about 180lbs of sand in 100g of total water volume. Rock is around 200lbs.

This should be a MAJOR help in the overall health of your system. I know alot of people will completely disagree and say that what I recommend is overkill, but if you have to go without a skimmer for any period of time, it's best to have a failsafe, and having this much rock and sand is VERY important in a system with a large bioload.

Next of course would be a skimmer, and DO NOT get a cheapy. The cheapest I would get would be an Octo, but I would place my faith in the Euro Reefs, Deltecs, ASM, Bubble Kings, and one or two others that are slipping my mind at the moment.

Instead of buying biospira, but some LR is basically what I am getting at. Make sure it is fully cured! LR and water changes should make a significant impact to your system, and will benefit your tank, and your experience for a good time to come...