Aquarium Pharma - Stress Coat and Stress Zyme

[pachuco2k]

I have three 10 gallon sized sample packets of these two products. The aquapharm website doesn't go into too much detail on them so I had a couple questions. Stress Coat is basically a dechlorinator right with some extras added in? I bought BIO Safe as a dechlorinator but I want to know if there is anything to replacing the natural slime using Stress Coat. Is that just some gimmick? How about Stress Zyme? I've read in several places that only BIO Spira is the exact same bacteria that develop naturally in a tank. But Stress Zyme claims to speed development of my filter. Is there anything to that? My tank is two weeks old so I just did its first ten percent water change. I don't think its started its cycle yet cuz my ammonia and Nitrite levels are still at 0.25 and 0 respectively. I have four Zebra Danios in there that all seem happy and active. But I digress, should I just put this stuff in there to get rid of the samples. Or might they serve some purpose for my fledgling tank? Thanks for the assistance!

 

[peterp]

Don't know much about stress zyme, BIO Spira is the real thing. 8)

I believe the Stress Coat contains an irritant that causes the fish to produce more slime. Must be nice to live in something that irritates you.

I only use a de-chlorinator. No other chemicals additatives at all.

Of course there is no sales in it for LFS's this way so they don't like it.

 

[sumphead]

I use stresscoat as my dechloranator for water changes in my fresh tanks and never had a problem with it. But I assume any dechlor product works. As far as stress-syme I have used it once and cant really say if it works well or not. I used a fishless cycle method that i saw linked off of this site somewhere with household ammonia. It worked wonders. But I did it mainly out of curiosity. I used astablished bio-wheels off of another filter to start my colony of bacteria and added stress-syme as per the household ammonia cycle directions. So I can't say that the zyme did it or the more likely bacteria on the wheels. How large is your tank? 4 danios isn't a lot of bio-load and if the tank is large enough your bacterial colony will only grow to handle that load and you may never see an ammonia spike.

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi... I used Stress Coat when I got my very first betta. It's what the lfs gave me. But when I did some reading on it, I stopped using it. I mean, it won't hurt your fish or anything, but it has aloe vera in it, and I've read that this ingredient does nothing really to help the fish, and it is just an organic substance in your tank that doesn't need to be there. But my lfs recommends it. I now use Novaqua for dechlorination and slime coat enhancement. I read the Bio-Safe package and I liked it (I have also used Bio-Spira) but I guess my fish are used to the Novaqua by now. Bio-Safe has a companion product called Bio-Coat. Have you seen it? It's probably the slime coat enhancer. These products are fairly new, so I've only seen them in the store very recently. Go to http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs.asp to read more about them if you want.

I would not use the Stress Zyme. I used it on my very first tank. Looking back, it may have lengthened my cycling time. It doesn't have the correct bacteria; only Bio-Spira does. I would not disrupt your cycling tank by adding Stress Zyme. It won't speed the cycling along. It may make you do water changes more often because it really doesn't have the correct cycling bacteria. I read something like the bacteria in Stress Zyme will eat the ammonia if there is nothing else that they like, and if they have something else to eat they won't eat the ammonia. So that doesn't sound like it's a good start to your tank. I wouldn't use the samples. I would use the Bio-Safe that you bought, and I wouldn't want to really try putting a bacteria in that won't help anything either.

 

[pachuco2k]

Thanks peeps for the help so far. My tank size is a 20 gallon. I thought of the low Bio-Load deal which is why I've waited two weeks to do a ten percent water change. My aquarium kit actually came with 20 gallon sample sizes of BIO Safe, BIO Coat and BIO Blend. Before I threw my fish in I dechlor'd with BIO Safe and then I BIO Coat'd after I put my Danios in. Anyhow, I haven't added anything to the tank since nor have I added any additives. I think based on the feedback from you I'm not going to add that Stress stuff in. I'll just be patient and let the cycle run its natural course! Thanks again.

 

[sumphead]

Absolutely. If you already added the Bio-coat anything else is overkill. What filtration are you using? Ammonia readingat .25 was before the water change?

 

[pachuco2k]

I'm currently using a Top Fin 20 filter. Unfortunately it came in my kit. I tried to swap it for a filter with a Bio-Wheel but PetSmart didn't go for it. I'll just have to get one later. But yes, that ammonia reading of .25 was before the change. That's the lowest its been since I first got the tank. Something is going on in there but I guess the Bio load is so small that its crawling along. Should I get maybe 2 or three more fish?

 

[pachuco2k]

Tight! I finally have a whole fish under my name!! LOL.

 

[sumphead]

I am assuming you mean that is the HIGHEST is has gotten since you started.?.? I do highly recommend a bio-wheel filter. I have a penguin 330 sitting on my 20g. There isn't much that I could cram in there that would out-poop that thing. 8O If you have patience I would wait another week, but that also depends on what you want in the tank when finished cycling? I only have 6 fish in my 20. 3 Ticto barbs and 3 red platys. Whatcha want?

 

[pachuco2k]

I do mean lowest. Ammonia has been fluctuating between 1 and 1.5 from day 2 to resent, until today. But then again I missed two feedings and my test kit cards are kind of hard to match the colors when it comes to Ammonia. But I'm positive the color I got today was almost clearer then ever. I'm going to get that Bio-Wheel soon. You think that's something I should get tomorrow? You think a penguin mini will do? That's what they seem to recommend for my tank. Why'd you go with the 330?

 

[pachuco2k]

Oh, and I don't know what I want to add yet. I was thinking like a clown loach and some guppies. Or some Black Skirt tetras or something. I'm still debating it in my head.

 

[sumphead]

OOOkay cool. Now we are Jivin' to the same tune. I was under the impression that you hadn't got an ammonia rise at all. That's great. Well sweet! if your reading was down from a 1.5 to a .25 in two weeks without a water change things are moving along greatly. I would just keep testing the water then and when you hit the big Zero do another partial water change and then I'd add fish, but slowly. One or two at a time and keep checking the levels. Also test for nitrites and nitrates. are you doing that now?

The little penguin will do fine, the only reason I have a 330 is I had two extra 330's when I broke down a big tank to do a SW conversion.

 

[pachuco2k]

Right on Reef. I've tested for Nitrites every single day. So far just big zeroes so far. But someone mentioned that if you have a small bio load Nitrites might not register on some test kits. Mine might be one of them. I bought the Freshwater Master Test Kit but it doesn't have a Nitrate test. Should I get one?

 

[sumphead]

Well my unconcintional wisdom will go ahead and say yeah. Only for now though. You'll find that once your tank is established, all levels in check, and regular maintenance schedule you won't need to test as often. You'll know that every sunday when you change 10% of the water and rinse your filters and clean the glass you levels will be the same next sunday as they will be the sunday after that. (or whenever)As long as there are no cahnges in your livestock/bio-load. but it's best to keep an eye on it while cycling. But nitrates are converted from nitrites so in essence no nitrites=no nitrates. I think you are definately on the right track. Research and patience.

Just a note when you add a bio-wheel filter. run them both for awhile until the bacteria colonizes on the wheel(s). you don't want to remove the good bacteria in the filter you have now until the whel is ready to take over duty.

HTH, I'm off to bed so my 3 year old wont be met by grumpy when she pecks me on the forehead in the morning and asks for chocolate milk.

 

[pachuco2k]

Your help was much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[discusdoodie]

the bio wheel is awesome. i have it on my emperor. it takes some time to get established but it works great.

 

[Allivymar]

Just a FYI, but Marineland makes Bio-Wheel systems that are separate from the filter. You could keep the filter you have, and just add the wheel if you wish.

 

[jhd]

I have Penguin 330 and the only way to get wheels to rotate is to crank up the volume to almost max, which I thought i did not have to do on 55g, since it is rated to 100g. In the future I want big angels in there and they do not like much current, I heard.
Some green algea is growing on the edges of the wheel. Is that a common and what do you guys do to make it work on lower flow settings?

 

[allan]

I have read several books and articles on water chemistry and most of them agree that the tank will not be fully mature until it is seven weeks or there about old. By this time the filter should be up and running at it's best.

I found that with my tanks that using stress syme and stress coat that both my nitrites and ammonia settled to zero prior to this point.

lots of luck.

 

[pachuco2k]

Thanks. I think I'm just going to replace the filter. My now 2nd Top Fin filter is beginning to malfunction in the same way the first one did. This time they better just allow me to buy the one I want instead of the straight up exchange.