Bacteria supplement?

[momo]

Is it just another LFS scam?

or is it truely helpful.

Im just talknig about the stuff that say it enhances the bacteria growth, not the stuff you keep cold ect...

Also, can you overdose on it?

 

[Emclenaghan]

Great question! I have been using it to cycle my tank and wonder at the effectiveness too.

 

[carey]

Some people buy into it, me personally, don't believe it helps. Really, how much good bacteria can live in a bottle for who knows how long? If it sounds to easy it usually is.

 

[momo]

it doesnt really claim to have bacteria in it at all, it actuallly just claims to help it out.

and still the question holds in my opinion.

 

[Emclenaghan]

Some people buy into it, me personally, don't believe it helps. Really, how much good bacteria can live in a bottle for who knows how long? If it sounds to easy it usually is.

That's what I was thinking. I mean, don't the bacteria need to be fed to stay alive and active?

 

[momo]

i was reading more about it, it claims to be bacteria food o.o

 

[carey]

I don't think they are talking about the same product we are thinking of. They say a "supplement" for the bacteria. I used it once and didnt notice any difference. And I used the two part one.

 

[momo]

hmm, well i have a free bottle of it. i might as well use it up ehh?

ill be testing for everything once a day, just to make sure its not trying to pull the wool over my eyes.

 

[Emclenaghan]

it doesnt really claim to have bacteria in it at all, it actuallly just claims to help it out.

and still the question holds in my opinion.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to a product like Stresszyme, which is what I used. That one does claim to have live bacteria.

 

[momo]

Emclenaghan - does your need to be cold?

 

[OhNeil1969]

i was reading more about it, it claims to be bacteria food o.o

If it's just about feeding the bacteria then I would think that adding ammonia in a fishless cycle would be a lot cheaper. And if you have fish, well then they're already feeding the bacteria with their waste.

Having said that, I have to admit I bought a bottle of that stuff in the past. I can't say that it helped or not. I just have heard so many bad things about them that I really don't trust the product any longer. I fell into the misconception that it was actually bacteria in a bottle until someone removed the wool from my eyes and reminded me that bacteria is a living organism. There would have to be a limit on how long they could survive in a bottle even if the were suspended in some sort of nutrient solution. At the very least you would expect to see an expiration date on the bottles or a recommendation for refrigeration. None of that was present on the bottle I had.

 

[Emclenaghan]

No, it doesn't. You just dump in the prescribed dose every 7 days while you cycle the tank and store it at room temperature.

 

[momo]

emclenaghan i beleive youve been bamboosuled as i have in that past. *shakes fist at LFS's*

Thanks for your input ohneil.
i add ammonia anyways, but they say there is no ammonia in the supplement so i dont think ill hurt anything if i keep adding it.