Aquabella water treatment

[Alyxx]

So I was browsing through petco's website last night looking for stuff to add to my order of a new filter to get free shipping, and I came across the aquabella water treatment system. It is some sort of biological additive that claims to make water changes unnecessary for at least one year, guaranteed. I didn't buy it, because for one thing it just seems like a gimmick and I doubt that it works, but has anyone here given it a try? The four reviews on petco's website seem to point to it working, but I am forever the skeptic. I would have given it a try for myself just to find out if it works, but I didn't feel like shelling out $25 for an experiment. It did make me a little curious, though. I may pick it up in the future just to give it a try, and keep a log of all water parameters. Thoughts?

 

[RussellC]

I had personally never heard of this product until you mentioned it.

I, like you, am initially rather skeptical.

If anyone does feel like shelling out the $25 for an experiment, I'd be all ears as to the results though.

But to me, a year seems like a very long time. How does it remove nitrates? And even if it does, wouldn't water changes be necessary to restore pH buffering capacity regardless?

 

[Alyxx]

Judging from some of the reviews, you are supposed to add Distilled water to top off, which makes me even more skeptical. It says something about some kind of organic buffering agent to maintain the proper pH. As for nitrates, it says it has some sort of bacteria that optimizes waste breakdown in the tank and eats nitrates as well as ammonia and nitrite.

 

[RussellC]

We recommend that you add a full dose of AquaBella to the aquarium and preform general maintenance procedures such as gravel vacuuming, changing filter media, etc.

http://www.aquabellaorganics.com/blog/

If I'm vacuuming the substrate anyway... how much work is this saving me, even if it performs as advertised?

 

[RussellC]

5. Is there anything I should do before using AquaBella to an already-established tank for the first time?

Yes, we recommend you either change or rinse out your filters before using AquaBella for the first time. This is because many of AquaBella's microbes will colonize on and clean the tank water from the filtration system. Rinsing the filtration system will allow the AquaBella microbes to attach and start cleaning your tank's water more quickly. (If you begin to have water quality issues a few months after first using AquaBella, particularly after cleaning or changing your filters, we recommend using the AquaBella booster kit.)

AquaBella Organic Solutions - FAQs

I certainly wouldn't ever use it on an established tank then, personally. Purposefully destroy my bacteria so that the product can seed / reseed my filter?

Not saying the product doesn't work - have no idea, just saying that it is not a risk I would take on an established tank.

 

[jetajockey]

I agree with that assessment. Sure, there's some ways to get rid of nitrates naturally, look at a deep sand bed for example, or plants of course.

I don't think you'll find the solution in a bottle though for the reasons mentioned above.

 

[cb_wannabe]

Thumbs up!

A little late to chime in here, but why not...

After a tank crash, I cycled my most recent setup using AquaBella. After 9 months, I have been amazed at the clarity and spot on -0- readings for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and Phosphates. PH is stable with only adding Seachem Fusion 1 & 2.

I also give them props for responsiveness to customers. I contacted them through their web site at 11pm EST with questions, had email responses by 12PM with answers.

 

[chicodelmar]

5 stars

Same here. It's been 12 months since i set up my 10g FOWLR with aquabella. A year with no water change. I left this hobby because of the high maintenance. My kids wanted a pet. I went to my LFS and asked them: do you have anything that would reduce the maintenance to a minimum? They said try this enzyme product. I did. I can't understand why this product isn't more popular.

I stopped checking my ammonia and nitrites, just nitrates once in a while. The highest i got was 20ppm, and that was after a week of traveling and i suspect a little overfeeding from my GF. Spoke to them and excellent advice, the guy even suggested that i stopped changing my filters so often and suggested a larger bio-filtration. It improved the clarity of the water and i attend to my filters once every three months.

I give aquabella and their customer service 5 stars.

 

[Fishlover3578]

How often do you need to buy it how long does it last?

 

[cb_wannabe]

They say once a year
I think it really depends more on the tanks size, age, and stocking levels.
I just ordered a fresh supply, but I still have my last syringe to apply yet.
Thats not bad for a $30 treatment.

 

[chicodelmar]

a good ROI

They say once a year
I think it really depends more on the tanks size, age, and stocking levels.
I just ordered a fresh supply, but I still have my last syringe to apply yet.
Thats not bad for a $30 treatment.

mine came with tubes. yes, i would agree that the no water change for 1 year would apply to normally stocked aquarium. but if i understand their product well, it would help any overstocked aquarium.

I probably saved $100 with this product, and based on what i used to do to maintain my aquarium in the past, i'd say close to 100 hours of maintenance time.

 

[cb_wannabe]

Never really though about it, but absolutly, at least $100 in savings.
I have a 75 with maybe 30 - 35 gallons in a sump.
Just doing a regular 10% water change and the price of salt mix runs up a heafty bill in no time.

Less maintenance + less worry = more new friends in the tank.

 

[flitabout]

So I am really confused by this it just sounds like another bb in a bottle. If you are still doing basic maintance like gravel vacuuming and you are replacing the water isn't that a water change??? I am also wondering how it is costing so much to deal with maintance. a bottle of prime and python and the maintance is like nothing. The python is $40 and will last for years and a small bottle of prime is like 7.99 at Petsmart. If you want to go cheap a bottle of prime and a 5 gallon pail. Or if you wanna go really lazy like me just plant the crap out of it and then gravel vaccuming because mostly unnecessary. I just run my syphon out of the window to drain the water I keep some in a 5g pail and water all of my house plants. Then I hook up a hose to the faucet and treat the whole tank volume and just add water that is the perfect temp for my tank. Takes 15mins tops once a week. So again why is this product necessary?

 

[Fishlover3578]

I'm considering getting it cuz I'm tired of WC once a week or every two weeks... I have two tanks though ... Wonder if you can split does between two tanks ? It says treats up to 55gal and I have a 29gal an a 20 gal

 

[cb_wannabe]

So I am really confused by this it just sounds like another bb in a bottle. If you are still doing basic maintance like gravel vacuuming and you are replacing the water isn't that a water change???

Whose doing water changes and vacuming ?

I am not familiar with their fresh water product only salt water. IME A fresh water planted tank is a whole different ballgame than a saltwater tank. I have a 55 planted as well that I do not use Aqua Bella in. The great thing about a planed freshwater is once the bacterial cycle is started, the plants control the nitrates for you.

I have only found it necessary to vacum the fresh water tank once a year. All I need do with it is top off the water due to evaporation. The water is crystal clean, fish are happy and not a speck of algae on the glass.

 

[chicodelmar]

The python is $40 and will last for years and a small bottle of prime is like 7.99 at Petsmart. If you want to go cheap a bottle of prime and a 5 gallon pail. So again why is this product necessary?

to me it's not so much the $$ savings although that was a VERY nice surprise, it's having a well balanced aquarium. it has the essential microorganisms that make it this way. i don't clean or vacuum either. i can't see any waste or debris at the bottom either.

how are you able to achieve that with prime? i'm a bit confused cause it is supposed to bind permanently with nitrite and nitrate, so how do the beneficial bacteria got to eat?

Anyhow, i'm super happy with AquaBella and knowing my fish don't swim in a chemical soup is even better.