mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
If you guys want to keep posting on this thread, I'd suggest everyone tone it down a bit and respect others opinions. Otherwise, the thread will be locked.
bacteria cycling brand?????
- Thread starter Discus4Life
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
bruinsbro1997
Aquarium Advice Addict
I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Some believe in these products and some don't. Personally I don't like to use them because I cannot find a good brand most times. But it's just my opinion, which is what makes this forum a great place; no one is right or wrong all the time.
To the OP, I have heard of this product an read some reviews online after seeing it in an ad in a fish magazine. It seems to work pretty well according to sources I have read on.
To the OP, I have heard of this product an read some reviews online after seeing it in an ad in a fish magazine. It seems to work pretty well according to sources I have read on.
jetajockey
come get me tang police!
That's the thing, everyone seems to make this out like its a faith-based product and it simply isn't. Whether someone believes in it or not doesn't make it work/not work.
Everyone has a right to an opinion, but this isn't necessarily an opinion heavy topic, like stocking threads are. It's about whether a product works or doesn't work.
There are people that say it does, and people that say it doesn't, the only major difference is that there is some scientific data and actual testing done on some of these products that proves why they work (and with some brands, why they don't.)
Everyone has a right to an opinion, but this isn't necessarily an opinion heavy topic, like stocking threads are. It's about whether a product works or doesn't work.
There are people that say it does, and people that say it doesn't, the only major difference is that there is some scientific data and actual testing done on some of these products that proves why they work (and with some brands, why they don't.)
digitallinh
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2011
- Messages
- 47
I apologize if I have rubbed anyone the wrong way. I did not intend to offend anyone. I mentioned that I was a first year student, which I assume in no way constitutes 'credibility'. I'm learning, I started my aquariums because I wanted to learn about fish, aquatic plants and their ecosystems.
My entire issue stems from the fact that I was in the OP's shoes a month or two ago trying to figure out how to cycle my aquarium and if any of those products worked. The majority of answers I came across were exactly what the OP was faced with in this thread. The answers seemed based on a lot of experience doing something (cycling) a certain way without an open mind for change.
"I would never use them, they don't work, how could bacteria possibly survive in a bottle, without food, oxygen, makes sense doesn't it??"
There are a lot of variables that can go into why a product can fail.
1. Maybe the LFS stored it incorrectly.
2. Maybe the user did not follow instructions.
Not without more in-depth research did I come to understand how, maybe that reasoning above could be diffused.
But if the user followed instructions precisely, and the bacteria was not exposed to extreme temperatures, am I confident that they would work? I've only personally done it 2 times (since I only have 2 tanks), but those two times they worked. So still maybe. Do I have confidence safestart will work on my 3rd tank? Absolutely.
But here's the thing, most people will fail to take the next step and take those responses at face value and maybe miss out on the opportunity to use, in my opinion, a great and working product.
Your decades of experience can go a long way in teaching me how to do a fish-less or media supplied cycle, but probably has nothing to do whether or not bacteria could survive in a bottle. I don't have to explain why or why not my bacteria could live there (especially since I do not know exactly
) but the burden of proof is on you. A reputable company no matter how profit motivated says it works if you follow instructions, you say it doesn't. Explain to me why it doesn't or stop perpetuating this myth as fact.
Apologies again, I'm really only here to help.
My entire issue stems from the fact that I was in the OP's shoes a month or two ago trying to figure out how to cycle my aquarium and if any of those products worked. The majority of answers I came across were exactly what the OP was faced with in this thread. The answers seemed based on a lot of experience doing something (cycling) a certain way without an open mind for change.
"I would never use them, they don't work, how could bacteria possibly survive in a bottle, without food, oxygen, makes sense doesn't it??"
There are a lot of variables that can go into why a product can fail.
1. Maybe the LFS stored it incorrectly.
2. Maybe the user did not follow instructions.
Not without more in-depth research did I come to understand how, maybe that reasoning above could be diffused.
But if the user followed instructions precisely, and the bacteria was not exposed to extreme temperatures, am I confident that they would work? I've only personally done it 2 times (since I only have 2 tanks), but those two times they worked. So still maybe. Do I have confidence safestart will work on my 3rd tank? Absolutely.
But here's the thing, most people will fail to take the next step and take those responses at face value and maybe miss out on the opportunity to use, in my opinion, a great and working product.
Your decades of experience can go a long way in teaching me how to do a fish-less or media supplied cycle, but probably has nothing to do whether or not bacteria could survive in a bottle. I don't have to explain why or why not my bacteria could live there (especially since I do not know exactly
) but the burden of proof is on you. A reputable company no matter how profit motivated says it works if you follow instructions, you say it doesn't. Explain to me why it doesn't or stop perpetuating this myth as fact.Apologies again, I'm really only here to help.
This topic seems to be in the same realm as the saying "old habits die hard"... From everything I've seen, these bio boosters are mostly based on the wrong kinds of bacteria because they were based on an incorrect study, until several years ago, when someone figured out it was a different bacteria.
So, if you have been fishkeeping for 15 years, and for 5 of those years, all you ever heard was that bacteria in a bottle don't work...and the next 5 years all you heard was that the right bacteria couldn't live in a bottle...would it be easy to accept that technology has progressed enough to keep the bacteria alive for a few months? Probably not, since for 10 years you have heard that the bacteria in a bottle wouldn't work...because it probably didn't then.
The way I see it is a bear can go into a dormant state for months and survive. Why can't a bacteria go dormant for a few months? Plus, technology of this sort can seem to suddenly appear because all it takes is for someone to stumble upon the answer.
So, if you have been fishkeeping for 15 years, and for 5 of those years, all you ever heard was that bacteria in a bottle don't work...and the next 5 years all you heard was that the right bacteria couldn't live in a bottle...would it be easy to accept that technology has progressed enough to keep the bacteria alive for a few months? Probably not, since for 10 years you have heard that the bacteria in a bottle wouldn't work...because it probably didn't then.
The way I see it is a bear can go into a dormant state for months and survive. Why can't a bacteria go dormant for a few months? Plus, technology of this sort can seem to suddenly appear because all it takes is for someone to stumble upon the answer.
The only two products of this type that remotely work are safestart and Dr. Tims Bacteria in a bottle. I have tried almost all of them through the years as experiments, with no success I still think the best way is fishless cycling. No fish stressed or killed in the process
I still think the best way is fishless cycling. No fish stressed or killed in the process
Brian_Nano12g
Aquarium Advice Addict
I apologize if I have rubbed anyone the wrong way. I did not intend to offend anyone. I mentioned that I was a first year student, which I assume in no way constitutes 'credibility'. I'm learning, I started my aquariums because I wanted to learn about fish, aquatic plants and their ecosystems.
My entire issue stems from the fact that I was in the OP's shoes a month or two ago trying to figure out how to cycle my aquarium and if any of those products worked. The majority of answers I came across were exactly what the OP was faced with in this thread. The answers seemed based on a lot of experience doing something (cycling) a certain way without an open mind for change.
"I would never use them, they don't work, how could bacteria possibly survive in a bottle, without food, oxygen, makes sense doesn't it??"
There are a lot of variables that can go into why a product can fail.
1. Maybe the LFS stored it incorrectly.
2. Maybe the user did not follow instructions.
Not without more in-depth research did I come to understand how, maybe that reasoning above could be diffused.
But if the user followed instructions precisely, and the bacteria was not exposed to extreme temperatures, am I confident that they would work? I've only personally done it 2 times (since I only have 2 tanks), but those two times they worked. So still maybe. Do I have confidence safestart will work on my 3rd tank? Absolutely.
But here's the thing, most people will fail to take the next step and take those responses at face value and maybe miss out on the opportunity to use, in my opinion, a great and working product.
Your decades of experience can go a long way in teaching me how to do a fish-less or media supplied cycle, but probably has nothing to do whether or not bacteria could survive in a bottle. I don't have to explain why or why not my bacteria could live there (especially since I do not know exactly
Apologies again, I'm really only here to help.
This is well argued and hits on many valid points. I'm certainly with digitallinh and jetajockey on this one... It's obvious that there are people on both sides of the coin. There are those with all the experience in the world because they started their tanks soooo long ago that they simply don't need this product (they already have an established source of ben. bac. to "seed", albeit it works). The bacteria in the bottle is a relatively new concept compared to most tried-and-true methods and is primarily used and experienced by those of us "new" to the hobby. But IME and from the numerous reviews I read, it really points to promising results. My cycle was seriously stalling but once I administered a bottle of SafeStart, it was like voila insta-cycle (well not that instant, but we're talking days here)!
Moreover, I agree that there are variables involved in ensuring that the bacteria survive in the bottle. I'm actually looking at the bottle right now and the first line under the notes of usage is that, "Live Bacteria, do not freeze or expose to heat." This suggests to me that there is something viable contained. Further, when I bought my bottle from a mom and pop's LFS, the owner had the bottle stored in a refrigerator behind the counter...doesn't that validate the whole reading into the directions and following them thing? Even so SafeStart technically doesn't have to be refrigerated, you would be wise to (as with the LFS owner) to ensure that the bacteria is kept within temperature parameters recommended by the manufacturer. One other thing, the bottle has a "sell by" date which also sets a finite amount of time or shelf-life, if it were the opposite and could sit for a ridiculous amount of time, then I'd being highly skeptical.
My problem was that I was starting from scratch and didn't have any other tanks or friends near by that I felt like hassling to seed my tank with established media. I also wanted to get my tank up and running ASAP without having to wait for some dead raw shrimp to decompose and release ammonia. Therefore, this product was a logical choice for me and did its job well. Would I spend money on another bottle of SafeStart? No, because I now have an established tank to "seed" future setups. Would I recommend it, yes indeed!
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I should probably be the one to apologize. For some reason I had taken offense and read into the post a little too much. This is a community for help and information, and both were provided from the start. To take offense was immature and I honestly should have just refrained from posting. As far as personal belief I think you should go with what works. If that means using bacteria such as SafeStart then by all means please do. If, then, that means you don't use bacteria as a kick-start, again by all means.
I don't want to just apologize to this person, but to community/everyone involved in the thread. Something just struck the wrong note for some strange reason.
Mea Culpa!
