Jferrante
Aquarium Advice Activist
I've recently made the realization that the good high end Bottled bacteria blends like Microbe-Lift, Safe start, Dr tim's one and only are, etc.. are actually very helpful in most tanks. When you cycle a tank you have no idea whats really in your cycle unless you're a scientist and can test and compare your water to that of what seems the healthiest in scientific form. You could have a simple cycle with your most basic anaerobic bacteria and this will do fine but when you add these "patented" bacteria blends your adding the exact kind you need to have a tough as nails cycle.
I'm not saying you need it but when you look at the actual science and not just say it's a "chemical" (it's not a chemical btw it's bacteria. Bacteria is a living thing, chemicals are not.) The only real con of using it though is introducing unwanted bacteria but thats not likely if you take care in buying and storing the product.
I also think when using it dose only as much as you need. If your tanks cycled use it just a a quarter to half the dose as directed just to add the beneficial bacteria you may not have to the colony. Also add it directly to the filter. If the tank cycle is in the fritz often or even if it just has a mini cycle out of nowhere then this is probably the ideal thing to use in addition to the normal procedure.
Anyways after a lot of research and having grown up surrounded by several science geeks all taking medical courses or teaching science classes I have a decent grasp of what to accept as a potential truth and what is just plain ignorance. I think there should be a little more faith in this.
As one person said while researching this subject
"I don't need to drink tea but I feel better when I do."
Right now I'm starting to see it as like what antioxidants do for us.
I plan on rounding up some studies eventually to have sources on this. I was even thinking of making like a little tumblr blog and stockpiling solid information on everything to do with aquariums and organizing it to be like the a good overview on it since I've been applying to local aquarium stores. But this will all take some time of course. But it's fun to research this stuff and I've become sort of hooked on it as many of you probably have and it also has a huge importance in the real world as well as in the hobby. It has ties to advanced hydroponic systems (food) and healthy ecosystems especially since the majority of the living world is underwater and relies on water to live. Anyways back to the topic at hand
I'm not saying you need it but when you look at the actual science and not just say it's a "chemical" (it's not a chemical btw it's bacteria. Bacteria is a living thing, chemicals are not.) The only real con of using it though is introducing unwanted bacteria but thats not likely if you take care in buying and storing the product.
I also think when using it dose only as much as you need. If your tanks cycled use it just a a quarter to half the dose as directed just to add the beneficial bacteria you may not have to the colony. Also add it directly to the filter. If the tank cycle is in the fritz often or even if it just has a mini cycle out of nowhere then this is probably the ideal thing to use in addition to the normal procedure.
Anyways after a lot of research and having grown up surrounded by several science geeks all taking medical courses or teaching science classes I have a decent grasp of what to accept as a potential truth and what is just plain ignorance. I think there should be a little more faith in this.
As one person said while researching this subject
"I don't need to drink tea but I feel better when I do."
Right now I'm starting to see it as like what antioxidants do for us.
I plan on rounding up some studies eventually to have sources on this. I was even thinking of making like a little tumblr blog and stockpiling solid information on everything to do with aquariums and organizing it to be like the a good overview on it since I've been applying to local aquarium stores. But this will all take some time of course. But it's fun to research this stuff and I've become sort of hooked on it as many of you probably have and it also has a huge importance in the real world as well as in the hobby. It has ties to advanced hydroponic systems (food) and healthy ecosystems especially since the majority of the living world is underwater and relies on water to live. Anyways back to the topic at hand