brittanykluss
Aquarium Advice Freak
Is it necessary or helpful to have this during a fishless cycle? I got a small bottle of Top Fin Bacteria Supplement
Is it necessary or helpful to have this during a fishless cycle? I got a small bottle of Top Fin Bacteria Supplement
I am a believer after using Seachems Stability in my 65 Gallon. I struggled for the longest time to see my first nitrite readings, but once I started adding this to my tank, it happened overnight. The rest of the cycle was very quick from there. I wouldn't discount this product, especially if you have a fish-in cycle, or if your fishless cycle is taking too long and you can't get seeded media.
On a side note, I previously had tried Dr Tim's Bacteria, which I did find to be a waste of mnoey.
I think you have answered your own question in saying " I have used it the past with success." Stability works because it contains a variety of bacteria that are capable of not only surviving but thriving in the aquarium environment. These bacteria facilitate the break down of wastes and encourage a healthy ecosystem. Most bacteria have a relatively short lifespan but make up for this by multiplying quickly and colonizing their environment. If you are concerned that the bacteria in Stability will only live for a couple of weeks and then the tank will crash, you have no reason to. These bacteria are well adapted for such an environment and will establish a healthy and stable filter bed. Other types of bacteria will still naturally occur in the aquarium even though Stability has been used. They will still be able to colonize the aquarium along with the other species from Stability. As far as the product not working, while I cannot speak for the products of other companies, Stability has been one of our top selling products for many years and I do not believe this would be the case if it did not work. We take great care in the research and development of new products. We do not release new products unless we have found them to be effective and superior to the products of competing companies. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
Product Support
1080
how long can bacteria live in a bottle on a store shelf for who knows how long?
This is one of those topics where people feel very strongly because it's either worked beautifully for them, or it's failed miserably. Opinions are never wrong. I've heard too many horror stories of these products not working to attribute every one of those stories to operator error. They have not worked for the vast majority of people I've talked to in more than a few fish forums.
We simply have to agree to disagree on this topic.
I have no problem with opinions or disagreements. That's how people learn. It's the instant "it's junk" comment that seems to follow any questions regarding bacterial supplements that irks me.
I've tested stability a few times and the results were pretty bleh. Either it did nothing or it did what other heterotrophic bacteria supplements do, convert for a while and crash. Sometimes the crash part doesn't happen if the real nitrifiers have enough time to build up to take the place of the supplement.
The thing that bothers me about stability is their marketing, that whole 'synergistic blend' and 'facultative anaerobes' thing raises an eyebrow.
They claim stability has an indefinite shelf life and can withstand most handling extremes. The problem with that is it's a generally accepted idea that the nitrifiers found in aquaria are aerobic autotrophs, which means that they do not have a spore form.
The other issue with bacteria boosters is the directions, it bothers me when they suggest a routine dosing with water changes, that says to me that the bacteria colony isn't sustaining itself.