I wouldn't have any idea, would never spend $ on something I can get for free, any time, and anywhere
It would be like buying air to breathe...
People buy water by the bucketload.
I found
this, but there's nothing scientifically useful from the reviews. There's also very little, if any, actual reasoning behind the assessments given. This is fairly typical of the standard of reviews, with an almost total lack of any scientific credibility.
I have found that negative reviews abound, but these are often from people who clearly didn't know the first thing about cycling a tank and even less about basic science.
The positive reviews seem to be distrusted, simply because. (Perhaps too many haters don't know science and, as a consequence, distrust it).
I have good science degrees and understand bacteria, which is why I was bemused, upon joining this forum, and being told that only Dr. Tim's product worked and that he had even placed a copyright/patent of the species of bacteria used, which was, apparently, the only one that would do the job. This statement was made with absolute certainty.
Given the variety of bacteria on the planet and the relative ease with which these can be cultivated, I did find that ludicrous and, as I've discovered, there are now quite a few bottled bacteria products that genuinely work.
I'm not sure how things work, Stateside, but here in the UK we have a Trade Descriptions Act, which essentially means that a product must do what it says on the tin.
Researching back, there were anxieties about the shelf life of the products and I'm sure, back then, these were well founded. However, I'd struggle to believe that progress hadn't been made over the last decade to cultivate hardier bacteria.
I also appreciate that modern bacterial products are now supplied with the necessary components for that bacteria's survival, both in the bottle and the tank.
Proper scientific validation would be appreciated in this corner, if only to strengthen my argument for their usage.
My own experiences have been very positive.
Previously, when setting up a tank, I've experienced set-backs, delays and hiccoughs in the process.
As I've recorded in my Journal, I had no set-backs whatsoever in setting up two tanks, which I actually found a little unnerving.
The only difference between my previous experiences and my more recent was the use of the Microbe-Lift products.