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Best bacteria starter?


Any Huit
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Hi all! I'm running low on Top Fin Bacteria Starter. Before I just buy another, I wanted to ask if anyone has any other recommendations please? For example, the API or Tetra bacteria? Is this one from aquarium co-op good? Fritz Zyme 7 Live Bacteria (Freshwater)

I have a 5 gallon tank with a female betta. She's been with me since January, although this tank is new as of 3 weeks ago. I started using bacteria starter for this new tank, to get a cycle going, but I've also been adding bacteria when medicating and after doing a water change to prevent the cycle from crashing. Do you think this is the right way to use bacteria? How do you use bacteria usually? 

Any advice & patience is always welcomed 🙂 
A very unsure betta buddy

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On 8/1/2022 at 12:11 PM, jwcarlson said:

If you bring over the filtration to the new tank you should basically be "instantly" cycled unless. The load changes drastically (like adding a bunch of new fish). 

As far as bacteria starters I had good luck with SeaChem Stability.

Thanks! I'll look for this one at the pet store or online. 

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I had the best results with Fritz Turbostart 700.  It has active bacteria rather than spores so it has to be refrigerated and has an expiration date.

QuickStart, Stability and Fritz 7 have done fine for me with newish tank but not as fast as Turbostart.  That stuff was really fast for me cycling a new sterile tank with an  ammonia source.

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On 8/1/2022 at 3:20 PM, _Eric_ said:

I had the best results with Fritz Turbostart 700.  It has active bacteria rather than spores so it has to be refrigerated and has an expiration date.

QuickStart, Stability and Fritz 7 have done fine for me with newish tank but not as fast as Turbostart.  That stuff was really fast for me cycling a new sterile tank with an  ammonia source.

Thanks! This is also genuinely really helpful, I'm also going to see if I can find this somewhere around me.

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Most of the shelf stable ones that are supposed to be kept at room temperature, generally work to some degree. The ones that are recommended to be transported and stored refrigerated, those work much, much better. So fritz turbostart and dr timms one and only. But nothing beats cycled media if you can get some.

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On 8/1/2022 at 9:09 PM, Melkor said:

Most of the shelf stable ones that are supposed to be kept at room temperature, generally work to some degree. The ones that are recommended to be transported and stored refrigerated, those work much, much better. So fritz turbostart and dr timms one and only. But nothing beats cycled media if you can get some.

yup, going forward I'm going to bring my old filter into my new tank!

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I've used Aqueon's, Seachems, Fritz, Microbe-lift, and Tetra and all of them worked fine.  Whenever I have any issues with ammonia I fall back to using Seachem's version due to the ease of use and directions.

Honestly, check the dates on the bottles in the store, whatever is "the most fresh" is the one I'd recommend. 

I prefer the method for Seachem's because it seems to work well.
Day 1: Large dose (2x normal dose)
Day 2-7: normal dose

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On 8/1/2022 at 8:49 PM, Any Huit said:

Hi all! I'm running low on Top Fin Bacteria Starter. Before I just buy another, I wanted to ask if anyone has any other recommendations please? For example, the API or Tetra bacteria? Is this one from aquarium co-op good? Fritz Zyme 7 Live Bacteria (Freshwater)

I have a 5 gallon tank with a female betta. She's been with me since January, although this tank is new as of 3 weeks ago. I started using bacteria starter for this new tank, to get a cycle going, but I've also been adding bacteria when medicating and after doing a water change to prevent the cycle from crashing. Do you think this is the right way to use bacteria? How do you use bacteria usually? 

Any advice & patience is always welcomed 🙂 
A very unsure betta buddy

I use API's Beneficial Bacteria Starter but I haven't tried any others.

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On 8/1/2022 at 4:09 PM, Melkor said:

Most of the shelf stable ones that are supposed to be kept at room temperature, generally work to some degree. The ones that are recommended to be transported and stored refrigerated, those work much, much better. So fritz turbostart and dr timms one and only. But nothing beats cycled media if you can get some.

My first tank that I cycled. I used fish food and Fritz 7, took 35 days to be cycled. My second tank I'm using Dr. Tim ammonia and there are beneficial bacteria. I already have nitrates on the first week. For me Dr. Tim's... 

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On 8/1/2022 at 5:01 PM, Latishcia said:

My first tank that I cycled. I used fish food and Fritz 7, took 35 days to be cycled. My second tank I'm using Dr. Tim ammonia and there are beneficial bacteria. I already have nitrates on the first week. For me Dr. Tim's... 

Fritz zyme is their unrefrigerated shelf stable line. The turbostart is the live refrigerated line(and highly concentrated). But I have heard good things about dr timms one and only.

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On 8/2/2022 at 12:29 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I've used Aqueon's, Seachems, Fritz, Microbe-lift, and Tetra and all of them worked fine.  Whenever I have any issues with ammonia I fall back to using Seachem's version due to the ease of use and directions.

Honestly, check the dates on the bottles in the store, whatever is "the most fresh" is the one I'd recommend. 

I prefer the method for Seachem's because it seems to work well.
Day 1: Large dose (2x normal dose)
Day 2-7: normal dose

Thanks, this is really handy to know! I ended up buying Seachem's this time, and will see how it goes. This thread's been super helpful to learn about other bacteria products, I didn't know many of the products before. Personally, I got seachem's because it's unrefrigerated, and my tank is mostly established now. But I'm really keen to try a live refrigerated line the next time I want to set up a tank or change tanks.

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On 8/1/2022 at 3:49 AM, Any Huit said:

I started using bacteria starter for this new tank, to get a cycle going, but I've also been adding bacteria when medicating and after doing a water change to prevent the cycle from crashing. Do you think this is the right way to use bacteria? How do you use bacteria usually? 

I might use bottled bacteria to help cycle a new tank but it’s not really necessary after the cycle gets established. 
Have you been monitoring parameters? As long as your Nitrites have dropped to zero and you’re seeing Nitrate you should be good. Three weeks might not be long enough so watch out for Ammonia spikes and change water as necessary.  

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On 8/2/2022 at 6:22 PM, Patrick_G said:

I might use bottled bacteria to help cycle a new tank but it’s not really necessary after the cycle gets established. 
Have you been monitoring parameters? As long as your Nitrites have dropped to zero and you’re seeing Nitrate you should be good. Three weeks might not be long enough so watch out for Ammonia spikes and change water as necessary.  

Yup, I've been watching the parameters using test strips. They look okay! I've also just ordered the API master freshwater test kit, and when it arrives I'll figure out how to use it tooo

On 8/2/2022 at 6:25 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

After you open any of them, you'd want to refrigerate it.  This just keeps temps stable for the most part so it doesn't get too hot and also reduces light.

I didn't know that, thanks!

Do you refrigerate all opened bottles? For example, the aquarium coop's all-in-one fertilizer, seachem's prime and stressguard? I currently store them in a cool, dark place, like potatoes (no direct sunlight).

On 8/2/2022 at 6:28 PM, Pepere said:

A quarter cup of Black Kow composted manure in a mesh bag worked so much better than any of the bacteria in a bottle products I ever used.

 

same amount of dark black topsoil from an organic garden or from well used potting soil also works well.

 

using Bacteria in a bottle products, multiple dosing during cycling it invariably took over a month to cycle a tank to where it could metabolize 2 ppm ammonia to 0 Ammonia, 0 nitrites. I spent well north of a hundred dollars on them

 

1 quarter cup mesh bag of Black Kow next to the filter, around 8 days.  About 7.00 for the bag, and didnt event put a dent inthe total amount.

 

I dont expect to buy any more bacteria in a bottle product.

woah that's really cool!

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On 8/2/2022 at 10:34 AM, Any Huit said:

Do you refrigerate all opened bottles? For example, the aquarium coop's all-in-one fertilizer, seachem's prime and stressguard? I currently store them in a cool, dark place, like potatoes (no direct sunlight).

Easy green I keep out of light, Cory has mentioned it probably should be, but sometimes that can cause the pumphead to crust over.

Prime no.  Stressguard no.

A lot of stuff is just out of light, away from heat and what not as best I can.  They do have stuff like a peltier fridge that can go into the 70's without issue.  Even keeping it inside of a insulated chest might help to keep the heat out, but that also might retain heat.  If we all had cellars it would be awesome.

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On 8/2/2022 at 6:41 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Easy green I keep out of light, Cory has mentioned it probably should be, but sometimes that can cause the pumphead to crust over.

Prime no.  Stressguard no.

A lot of stuff is just out of light, away from heat and what not as best I can.  They do have stuff like a peltier fridge that can go into the 70's without issue.  Even keeping it inside of a insulated chest might help to keep the heat out, but that also might retain heat.  If we all had cellars it would be awesome.

a cellar would be super cool. thanks for the advice!

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