Bottled Bacteria

[Elricsfate]

I'm looking for opinions on how effective the various aquarium starter bacteria products are. The bottles say things like "Makes an aquarium safe for fish instantly!" But there are obviously lots of threads on this board concerning cycling of tanks.

If these products actually work as advertised, that would imply that the tank is "cycled" on day 1. But I would think if that were the case, everyone would buy them, skip the weeks of cycling, and start adding fish right away.

Tring to learn some new things here. Opinions/experience welcome.

 

[vashawn]

i see them but i dont trust em! im sure there a lot of reefers that use em and swear by it but why rush where your dumping tons of money.
I mean it takes what about 30-60days to cycle a tank.

 

[ncaldwell]

I wouldn't say instantly, but I did just start a completely new 100g tank with dry rock and sand (nothing live) with biopellets and bacteria. Complete cycle as far as testing showed was 5 days with another 2 to make sure. It was ready for fish but I'm still cautious about corals for a few more weeks

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[Elricsfate]

I just started a 75 with about 30 pounds of LR in it. Added Biospira (actually double the dose) and one fish. I'm monitoring parameters constantly. Other than spending a good bit of time peeking out from an overhang in the rock, the fish does not appear to be in any distress at all. He's eating (sparingly) and swimming around (some), but he really likes the rock right now.

No spots, no heavy breathing, no signs of any medical issue whatsoever. He's been in the tank for 3 days now.

I guess I should have asked before I tried it, but I decided to ask now.

 

[AK707]

my tank took a solid 3 weeks to fully cycle using bio spira...in a 40g nuvo i used 35ish lbs of live sand, 30ish lbs of dry reef saver rock, and 5 lbs of dry fiji rock....dumped in a big bottle of bio spira, heavily fed the tank with pellet food (about 20ish pellets) the next day i fed another 15ish pellets, day 3 i fed 10-15 pellets and checked water on the 3rd or 4th day.
I had like 1 ammonia for a few days then it dropped down to like .5 and nitrites showed up, can't remember how much off top of my head but about half way of what the red sea kit tests, it stayed like that for a few days then nitrates showed up at 15-20 if i remember right. Lightly feeding the tank a few pellets every day for first 2 weeks. The 3rd week didn't feed pellets, my ammonia and nitrite started dropping daily, nitrate stayed the same at 15. At the 3 week mark my ammonia and nitrite was 0 and nitrate still at 15. I fed the tank again and tested next day still zero. Then just for insurance i dumped in a small bottle of bio spira and added 2 clown fish then a few days later added 2-3 snails, 3 hermits, fire shrimp, skunk cleaner and a peppermint shrimp...everything is doing great except 1 hermit and 1 snail died. Since then i put in 3 more hermits and 7 more snails, everything is doing great.
For me bio spira worked great and ill definitely use it again if i ever get another tank.

 

[Elricsfate]

my tank took a solid 3 weeks to fully cycle using bio spira...in a 40g nuvo i used 35ish lbs of live sand, 30ish lbs of dry reef saver rock, and 5 lbs of dry fiji rock....dumped in a big bottle of bio spira, heavily fed the tank with pellet food (about 20ish pellets) the next day i fed another 15ish pellets, day 3 i fed 10-15 pellets and checked water on the 3rd or 4th day.
I had like 1 ammonia for a few days then it dropped down to like .5 and nitrites showed up, can't remember how much off top of my head but about half way of what the red sea kit tests, it stayed like that for a few days then nitrates showed up at 15-20 if i remember right. Lightly feeding the tank a few pellets every day for first 2 weeks. The 3rd week didn't feed pellets, my ammonia and nitrite started dropping daily, nitrate stayed the same at 15. At the 3 week mark my ammonia and nitrite was 0 and nitrate still at 15. I fed the tank again and tested next day still zero. Then just for insurance i dumped in a small bottle of bio spira and added 2 clown fish then a few days later added 2-3 snails, 3 hermits, fire shrimp, skunk cleaner and a peppermint shrimp...everything is doing great except 1 hermit and 1 snail died. Since then i put in 3 more hermits and 7 more snails, everything is doing great.
For me bio spira worked great and ill definitely use it again if i ever get another tank.

Thanks for the reply. This kinda gets at my initial post. Obviously 3 weeks is not "instant", but "instant" is what they advertise. I'm wondering how these manufacturers can make these claims?

 

[Hal]

I would say that generally a reputable bacteria-in-a-bottle will get you 75% of a normal cycle. I find it hard to believe that the manufacturers have included the same biodiversity in their product that you'd find in live rock. I could be wrong on this.

The caveat is that there are a lot of snake oils out there claiming to be greatness. Stick with a well known brand and you should be ok. Having said that, I still wouldn't dump a fish in my tank in the first 4 weeks, even with the bacteria supplement. But I'm the cautious type.

 

[Sk8r]

Brand new water with no rock or sand is 'safe for fish instantly.'
That's deceptive.
When a set-up has just bacteria added it's still safe.
But after the fish eat, breathe and poo, it becomes less safe, as they eventually do so in excess of what the water, rock and sand bacteria can process---and you get ammonia. Ammonia in any amount for any length of time is damaging, and very quickly fatal to fish.
READ THE STICKIES ON SETTING UP AND WATER PARAMETERS.

 

[GimpyFin]

There does tend to be a bit of skepticism with these, especially because a lot of people don't use them and continue to do what they know and have done for years when it comes to cycling tanks. If it isn't broke and works, why fix it? Nothing wrong with that at all.

However, I'll speak from experience with Bio Spira since I've used it many times in lieu of waiting for a tank to cycle. If you follow the dosage instructions, it does make your tank fish safe pretty much instantly. You're seeding the tank with bacteria to prevent the big ammonia spike you get when cycling a tank normally. (In the times I've used it, I haven't seen ammonia show up after the fact when using it to start the tank.) You do still want to take things slow when stocking so you don't overload the bio filter initially.

Although, some people get confused when using it. They add Bio Spira AND feed the tank with an ammonia source and start waiting for the cycle to happen, which you don't need to do since you are preventing the spike in the first place. I'll use it to get my QT running/cycled quickly when needed, and I even used it as sort of a bio booster when moving to my new tank almost a year ago (Also moved some of my existing rock.) I can't speak for some of the other bacteria products, but Bio Spira does work quite well as a starter, IME.

 

[zsuman101]

it is possible to set up a reef in one day and put a couple small fish in, all you need is quality cured live rock .

 

[Mark9]

I've used biospira a few times, it definitely speeds up the cycle.
But you still need to go slow adding fish.
Don't let the fear mongers who have never used it scare you.

 

[StatelineReefer]

Starting a cycle and having biological stability are entirely different. I kickstarted my 75RR with 'a nitrobacter product' which I won't name here. Yes, the nitrogen cycle started, and ammonia read 0.00, nitrates stabilized quickly, and I could have added fish within two weeks.

I still took my time adding livestock, and now three years later, I added a coral!

...Which my sailfin tang immediately began picking at.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Ok, I admit. I've never cycled a tank. Instead I've always begun with some amount of sand from an active tank and active rock. Not just cured live rock or fresh live rock, but rock out of a tank that's functioning. I've also used denitrate rock from an active tank. This combo has let me start several tanks in a matter of days. Sometimes as quick as 1-2 days if I also incorporate water from an established tank.

 

[ru4serious]

I've used with success as a booster after new set ups . But would always suggest take it slow and check parameters after each addition to tank.

 

[Elricsfate]

Brand new water with no rock or sand is 'safe for fish instantly.'
That's deceptive.
When a set-up has just bacteria added it's still safe.
But after the fish eat, breathe and poo, it becomes less safe, as they eventually do so in excess of what the water, rock and sand bacteria can process---and you get ammonia. Ammonia in any amount for any length of time is damaging, and very quickly fatal to fish.
READ THE STICKIES ON SETTING UP AND WATER PARAMETERS.

Thanks for the reply Sk8r. I did read the stickies, and I do understand how to cycle a tank. My question is how products like Biospira and others, from reputable companies that we ALL buy products from, can claim that their bottle of fluid makes it so you can add fish right away.

In any event, I cannot go back and change history. I put Biospira in my tank along with liverock, sand, and a single fish. I am monitoring my parameters and I will do what I can to assist said fish if there is in fact an ammonia spike. However, this fish has been in the tank for going on 5 days now, and the ammonia tests and the leave in the tank ammonia indicator, both indicate 0 ammonia at this point.

So...I guess we'll see what happens.

 

[Elricsfate]

There does tend to be a bit of skepticism with these, especially because a lot of people don't use them and continue to do what they know and have done for years when it comes to cycling tanks. If it isn't broke and works, why fix it? Nothing wrong with that at all.

However, I'll speak from experience with Bio Spira since I've used it many times in lieu of waiting for a tank to cycle. If you follow the dosage instructions, it does make your tank fish safe pretty much instantly. You're seeding the tank with bacteria to prevent the big ammonia spike you get when cycling a tank normally. (In the times I've used it, I haven't seen ammonia show up after the fact when using it to start the tank.) You do still want to take things slow when stocking so you don't overload the bio filter initially.

Although, some people get confused when using it. They add Bio Spira AND feed the tank with an ammonia source and start waiting for the cycle to happen, which you don't need to do since you are preventing the spike in the first place. I'll use it to get my QT running/cycled quickly when needed, and I even used it as sort of a bio booster when moving to my new tank almost a year ago (Also moved some of my existing rock.) I can't speak for some of the other bacteria products, but Bio Spira does work quite well as a starter, IME.

Thanks Gimpy. This is my experience thus far as well. I am using it to jump start a QT tank, and after 5 days with one fish in a 75g, there is no detectable ammonia in the tank.

I also agree with your assessment. I think a lot of people do what they have always done, and tell everyone else to do it that way too. While I do completely agree that if something isn't broke, don't fix it... I also believe that if everyone does everything the exact same way, simply because everyone else does it that way...there is no innovation or progress.

I will update this thread as days pass, if for no other reason than to document how well this product does or does not work.

Thank you all for your replies! I will in fact be "going slow". I have no plans to add additional fish right now. I just wanted to get the quarantine process going while I finish putting together my main DT, so that when it is ready for fish I will have fish ready for it.

 

[Nick30G]

When I setup my first reef tank in a few months, a 37 gallon and a 10 gallon sump, I plan on using a shrimp to get ammonia to spike up to 1-3 ppm and adding biospira, test in about a week and see if the ammonia converts the nitrite than another week or two later check to see if it converted to nitrates. Than do a big water change to get rid of the remaining nitrates. How does sound to you guys? I plan on adding cuc first when my nitrates are low, which I expect in about 3-4 weeks than adding a few fish a few weeks later

 

[Mark9]

When I setup my first reef tank in a few months, a 37 gallon and a 10 gallon sump, I plan on using a shrimp to get ammonia to spike up to 1-3 ppm and adding biospira, test in about a week and see if the ammonia converts the nitrite than another week or two later check to see if it converted to nitrates. Than do a big water change to get rid of the remaining nitrates. How does sound to you guys? I plan on adding cuc first when my nitrates are low, which I expect in about 3-4 weeks than adding a few fish a few weeks later

You can buy ammonia in a bottle, Dr. Tims is what I use.
Way easier to hit your target ammonia, 1 drop/gallon, done.

Amazon link

 

[GimpyFin]

When I setup my first reef tank in a few months, a 37 gallon and a 10 gallon sump, I plan on using a shrimp to get ammonia to spike up to 1-3 ppm and adding biospira, test in about a week and see if the ammonia converts the nitrite than another week or two later check to see if it converted to nitrates. Than do a big water change to get rid of the remaining nitrates. How does sound to you guys? I plan on adding cuc first when my nitrates are low, which I expect in about 3-4 weeks than adding a few fish a few weeks later

Again, this is where some of the confusion happens with Bio spira. You don't need to add an ammonia source like shrimp and do Bio spira both. If you want to use Bio spira, you can skip the shrimp altogether unless you want to cycle the tank normlly and not use Bio spira. The bacteria in bio spira will break down ammonia in lieu of waiting for that bacteria to establish with the cycle and ammonia spike. Just take it slow when adding liveatock.

 

[1sttimer]

I've used aquaforest products with success during a cycle.