it literally says they use inorganic materials as an energy source so in planted tanks it would flourish if you supplement Iron. It also says they can use Hydrogen sulfide which explains the stench of Microbe-lift and why it's even there in the first place.
Which, if the bacteria is active it means that the entire bottle is basically useless with only a miniscule few remaining bacteria left alive.
Patent US5314542 - Nitrosomonas preservation and reactivation for aquaria - Google Patents
Heretofore, these products suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) If the product is a dried or freeze dried culture little or none of the Nitrosomonas cells survive. This type of processing kills all or almost all Nitrosomonas cells. Adding dead cells increases the amount of organic material available for decomposition thereby increasing the amount of ammonia produced. Adding only a few live cells which might survive this type of processing does not have an appreciable effect on reducing ammonia accumulation.
(b) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas is packaged in a closed container with an ammonia (i.e. energy) supply present cells may die as a result of oxygen starvation.
(c) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas is packaged in a closed container with other species of bacteria present, particularly anaerobic varieties, Nitrosomonas cells will die. Death results from the toxic effects of the waste products, such as hydrogen sulfide, produced by other species of bacteria.
(d) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas remains suspended in its own culturing media cells will die as a result of exposure to its own waste products.
(e) If a liquid culture of Nitrosomonas is not maintained under aseptic conditions, cells can die as the result of the waste products of other organisms, the action of organisms which can utilize Nitrosomonas as a food, and the action of organisms which can use Nitrosomonas as a host.
(f) Most of the waste products covered in (c) through (e) are also toxic to other aquarium inhabitants. The addition of these cultures to an aquarium can result in the addition of toxic chemicals causing injury or death to aquarium inhabitants.
(g) If a liquid culture as described in (b) through (e) above, is kept under refrigeration, the Nitrosomonas cells can remain alive for a limited time. The limited shelf and high cost for maintaining temperature control has restricted the use of such products.
(h) Any Nitrosomonas cells which survive the packaging procedures described in (a) through (e) and (g), above, will be in a state of metabolic dormancy. When added to an aquarium system, dormant cells require several days before metabolic activity and the ability to oxidize ammonia returns, assuming ammonia is present. During this "lag" period, ammonia levels accumulate to toxic levels killing or injuring aquarium inhabitants.