Water changes and benificial Bacteria

[Stephan1973]

Hi all,

So reading the back of my quick start bottle it says that I should also add when doing water changes. Is this required since the tank is cycled and just good practice or is it even necessary?

thanks in advance

[Fish Folk]

If your tank is well-established, you don’t go overboard cleaning filters _and_ vacuuming substrate _and_ doing huge % changes, you won’t need to add. I never have.

[Stephan1973]

Thanks.  The most I usually do is about 30% water change and once a month vacuum.  Filters only when due and cleaned in tank water. 

[Remi de Groot]

Most companies are only working to earn money, not to make the aquarium hobby better.

How do you make money? By selling your product.
When do you sell a product? When people use it.
When does a customer use it? If the company tells you so on the bottle.

As @Fish Folkalready said. If you got a healthy tank, you don't need quick start with your water change.
Only something to get the chlorine out of your water.

[JettsPapa]

On 11/28/2022 at 12:44 PM, Stephan1973 said:

Thanks.  The most I usually do is about 30% water change and once a month vacuum.  Filters only when due and cleaned in tank water. 

Some people may be shocked by this, but in well established tanks there's nothing wrong with rinsing filter media in tap water (please note the emphasis on well established).  

[Pepere]

I read where a group of fish vets tried numerous bacteria in a bottle products as well as control tanks with nothing added and just getting ambient innoculation from nature. 
 

They could not perceive an appreciable benefit from any of the bacteria in a bottle products they used.

 

I used multiple bottles of different brands on my first 29 gallon tank. Week after week.

 

it still took 8 weeks.

The manufacturers of the product have received the last of my money…. But by golly there are plenty of other places to spend it,..

 

The most those products can give you is shorter time to cycle.

 

Now for someone who experiences a cycle crash I could see real benefit to such a product if it actually worked…. Maybe one or more do work, but I am pretty solidly skeptical.

 

one real advantage to Multi Tank Syndrome MTS, is a ready supply of filter squeezings, and the easy possibility of a cycled sponge filter ready to deploy to tanks in trouble…

[Fish Folk]

On 11/28/2022 at 2:30 PM, Pepere said:

one real advantage to Multi Tank Syndrome MTS, is a ready supply of filter squeezings, and the easy possibility of a cycled sponge filter ready to deploy to tanks in trouble…

Indeed! Very true.

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:35 AM, Stephan1973 said:

So reading the back of my quick start bottle it says that I should also add when doing water changes. Is this required since the tank is cycled and just good practice or is it even necessary?

Definitely misleading. You can add it if you're doing something major. Like a major deep clean and adding water. The bacteria is on surfaces.  Any bacteria in the water is negligible and it isn't going to cause any issues by changing any amount of water. Meaning, if you're doing a WC, things stay wet, you're likely perfectly fine.

On 11/28/2022 at 11:30 AM, Pepere said:

The most those products can give you is shorter time to cycle.

100%

On 11/28/2022 at 10:44 AM, Stephan1973 said:

Thanks.  The most I usually do is about 30% water change and once a month vacuum.  Filters only when due and cleaned in tank water. 

Sounds like you're doing everything right. You might need to change 50% water given that you're changing once a month, but that's hard to say without testing things out for certain water parameters, TDS being one of those indicators. KH, GH, PH. Etc.

There's a video on the ACO channel about OTS or "Old Tank Syndrome" that is very informative and helpful. There's a few ways things can accumulate over time and that's one of them. Just a note. I think you're doing everything fine right now!

[Stephan1973]

My ammonia and nitrites have been 0 and when the nitrates hit the 20-40 range i do the water change.  If I let it go to 40 it’s almost a full month. It doesn’t have a big population of fish. (7 cardinals, 6 harlequins, 1 danio, 1 rummynose, 4 bronze Cory’s, 2 panda Cory’s and red pleco.  I lost a few cardinals and most of my rummy nose to A nitrate spike which happened during a change of filter.  I’m looking at adding a few honey gourami and dwarf blue gouramis or a few angels.  (65 gallon tank)

[Patrick_G]

@Stephan1973, it sound like a nicely stocked tank, I’m intrigued by the 65 gallon size.
Are you growing plants too? They can help avoid Ammonia and Nitrite spikes. 
Post a pic of the tank if you feel like it. 

[Stephan1973]

Here is a picture of the tank. The plants are starting to grow and recover not that I added the root tabs and liquid fertilizer 

it has an air stone, large sponge filter and a Tidal75

Edited November 29, 2022 by Stephan1973

[Patrick_G]

On 11/28/2022 at 4:05 PM, Stephan1973 said:

Here is a picture of the tank.

Very nice layout. Those plants look like they probably just needed a little adjustment time and that fertilizer. 

[Stephan1973]

Yes they do.  But looking way better. Wish I could get the co-op supplies but I’m in Canada but hopefully soon. Thanks for the compliment

[Patrick_G]

On 11/28/2022 at 4:14 PM, Stephan1973 said:

Yes they do.  But looking way better. Wish I could get the co-op supplies but I’m in Canada but hopefully soon. Thanks for the compliment

Are you in the Vancouver area? They've started stocking Aquarium Co-op products at April’s Aquarium. 

[Stephan1973]

No unfortunately I live in Ontario and the Vancouver location will not ship. Is what it is.  API is my friend right now lol

[Patrick_G]

Here's another good all in one fertilizer.  I’m not sure if amazon.ca carries it, but it’s worth a look.

 

Thrive+ All in One Liquid Aquarium Fertilizer – 500ml Highly Concentrated Solution – Nutrient-Rich Aquatic Plant Food – Convenient Usage – Effective Results https://a.co/d/fYgZFsY

 

[Stephan1973]

I just looked yes I can get it there.  I will look at it next time I need to make an order. Maybe by then I can get the co-ops fertilizer.  

I made my own root tabs with osmocote plus and the 00 gel capsules. And that made a huge diff already and a fraction of the price for other tabs in my area. 
 

thanks so much to all for their info on the need for adding beneficial bacteria after a water change. 

Edited November 29, 2022 by Stephan1973

[lefty o]

On 11/28/2022 at 12:35 PM, Stephan1973 said:

Hi all,

So reading the back of my quick start bottle it says that I should also add when doing water changes. Is this required since the tank is cycled and just good practice or is it even necessary?

thanks in advance

once your tank is well established, there is a ton of bacteria in the substrate, on the glass, on plants/decor, in the filters, etc. there is no need to keep adding bacteria endlessly. i like bottled bacteria to help get a tank up and running, but it is simply not required for a mature tank. simply the manufacturer trying to keep selling a product to generate revenue.