Stress Zyme+ Vs Seachem Stability?

[rolltide101x]

http/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2754033

http/www.amazon.com/Seachem-126-Stability-250ml/dp/B0002APIJG/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1341447852&sr=1-3&keywords=aquarium+bacteria

Which would you say is better and why? Thanks! Also would your recommend using either frequently?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I would not use either product in any of my tanks under any circumstances. Neither one contains anything I want or need in my tanks and both contain things I do not want.

Can you tell me specifically what either of those products actually contains? If not, maybe you should not be using them?

 

[DanTheFishMan11]

I HATE CHEMICALS ALLTOGETHER LOST £50 WORTH OF FISH BECAUSE A CHEMICAL Grr

 

[Bugdozer]

I HATE CHEMICALS ALLTOGETHER LOST £50 WORTH OF FISH BECAUSE A CHEMICAL Grr

Let's hope you don't use water conditioner, plant fertiliser or any sort of medication if your fish get sick, then.

I'd avoid Stress Zyme simply on the basis of having a silly name.
In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?

 

[MrGT500]

i have used seachem stability and love it actually, cleard up my tank in a few days. the only other thing that i have foud that works is Acurelf.

 

[rolltide101x]

So am I to assume Seachem?

"Let's hope you don't use water conditioner, plant fertiliser or any sort of medication if your fish get sick, then.

I'd avoid Stress Zyme simply on the basis of having a silly name.
In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?"

But would you recommend it? I can not decide if it is worth adding every once in a while to aid my aquariums. Most people who actually use it seem to like it but it could be a misconception thats why I am asking

 

[Bugdozer]

So am I to assume Seachem?

"Let's hope you don't use water conditioner, plant fertiliser or any sort of medication if your fish get sick, then.

I'd avoid Stress Zyme simply on the basis of having a silly name.
In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?"

But would you recommend it? I can not decide if it is worth adding every once in a while to aid my aquariums. Most people who actually use it seem to like it but it could be a misconception thats why I am asking

The general consensus among the most vocal members of this forum is that none of these sort of products work at all. There are many individual people, both here and elsewhere, who have said that they did seem to work for them. My own personal view: some of these products are better than others, Stability likely being among the better ones. Its bacteria are known to be stored in a spore state, which is what gives them a long shelf life, so ignore people shrieking that the bacteria must be dead because you can keep it for a long time.
I also think there is little value in adding these products once your filter has matured and cycled, as you have enough bacteria there already. Before maturation, maybe. If you do something to kill off the filter bacteria by accident, then again they could be useful. If someone says "these products are bad" then request them to present their data on why they think that, and make your own mind up.

 

[rolltide101x]

So am I to assume Seachem?

"Let's hope you don't use water conditioner, plant fertiliser or any sort of medication if your fish get sick, then.

I'd avoid Stress Zyme simply on the basis of having a silly name.
In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?"

But would you recommend it? I can not decide if it is worth adding every once in a while to aid my aquariums. Most people who actually use it seem to like it but it could be a misconception thats why I am asking

The general consensus among the most vocal members of this forum is that none of these sort of products work at all. There are many individual people, both here and elsewhere, who have said that they did seem to work for them. My own personal view: some of these products are better than others, Stability likely being among the better ones. Its bacteria are known to be stored in a spore state, which is what gives them a long shelf life, so ignore people shrieking that the bacteria must be dead because you can keep it for a long time.
I also think there is little value in adding these products once your filter has matured and cycled, as you have enough bacteria there already. Before maturation, maybe. If you do something to kill off the filter bacteria by accident, then again they could be useful. If someone says "these products are bad" then request them to present their data on why they think that, and make your own mind up.

so you would agree it is more of a "supplement" than a "cycle starter" that is the conclusion I've came to after doing some research. Some people seem to think it aided in their cycle but that doesn't make sense?

 

[Lufbramatt]

All a waste of money IMO

Best thing for a healthy tank is regular water changes which are pretty much free.

 

[onidrase]

I'd personally go with seachem if I had to choose between one or the other simply because I trust seachem more as a company and all the chemicals and medications by them have worked amazingly for me, but from the data I've collected on the forum and from customers at work, majority vote says these bottled bacteria products do very little, if anything. I've gotten along fine without them.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?

Yes- for nitrification I do not want the sporulating bacteria that come in Stability (in the form of spores not living bacteria). The bacteria I want in my tank are the autotrophic nitrifyers. Specifically for fw I want Nitrosomonas marina-like AOB strains for ammonia oxidation and for oxidizing nitrite I want bacteria closely related to Nitrospira moscoviensis and Nitrospira marina. Seachem may not reveal what is in Stability, but they do clearly state no live bacteria is in their bottle. Thus none of the bacteria I listed can be in their bottle.

Stress-zyme, as far as I can tell does not contain nitrifying bacteria at all. It contains bacteria to help break down organic waste. Here is what they say on their site:

Stress Zyme is a biological filter additive containing live bacteria that improves the development of the biological filter and helps clean a dirty aquarium. The build-up of organic pollution in the aquarium inhibits the growth of nitrifying bacteria. The bacteria in Stress-Zyme keep conditions in the aquarium right for the development of the biological filter by consuming harmful organic pollutants. This speeds the development of the biological filter in newly set up aquariums. Stress Zyme keeps the biological filter working properly by keeping the aquarium gravel and filter clean. Water quality and living conditions are improved when Stress Zyme is used on a regular basis.

API has another product they sell as a bacterial starter called Quick Start which they say contains patented live bacteria. I have not been able to track down the specificic patent, but I have not put much effort into it. However, if it is patented, it is public knowledge and protected. So why does the company refuse to identify it? Perhaps because the bacteria I listed above have already been patented by someone else?

Further, the nitrifying bacteria, once established in a tank, should handle the ammonia and nitrite for as long as the tank is up and running (short of anything done to kill them). There should not be any reason to add more bacteria at any point let alone weekly.

I should note that the nitrifiers are not the only bacteria at work in out tanks, However, they are the most important ones. imo, as they are needed from the start to make a tank fish safe. The other heterotrophic bacteria will develop in time with much less need to seed them at the outset. In fact, the bacterial blooms that are common in new tanks are heterotrophs gone wild from excess organics.

 

[Bugdozer]

So am I to assume Seachem?

"Let's hope you don't use water conditioner, plant fertiliser or any sort of medication if your fish get sick, then.

I'd avoid Stress Zyme simply on the basis of having a silly name.
In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?"

But would you recommend it? I can not decide if it is worth adding every once in a while to aid my aquariums. Most people who actually use it seem to like it but it could be a misconception thats why I am asking

The general consensus among the most vocal members of this forum is that none of these sort of products work at all. There are many individual people, both here and elsewhere, who have said that they did seem to work for them. My own personal view: some of these products are better than others, Stability likely being among the better ones. Its bacteria are known to be stored in a spore state, which is what gives them a long shelf life, so ignore people shrieking that the bacteria must be dead because you can keep it for a long time.
I also think there is little value in adding these products once your filter has matured and cycled, as you have enough bacteria there already. Before maturation, maybe. If you do something to kill off the filter bacteria by accident, then again they could be useful. If someone says "these products are bad" then request them to present their data on why they think that, and make your own mind up.

so you would agree it is more of a "supplement" than a "cycle starter" that is the conclusion I've came to after doing some research. Some people seem to think it aided in their cycle but that doesn't make sense?

No, that's not what I'm saying.

 

[dbanner]

Only things that go in my tanks is... seachem prime (water dechlore) after every water change, evolution aqua pure aquarium balls for any sudden changes in water quality and protozin (if my fish get fungal infections and so on)

 

[rolltide101x]

So am I to assume Seachem?

"Let's hope you don't use water conditioner, plant fertiliser or any sort of medication if your fish get sick, then.

I'd avoid Stress Zyme simply on the basis of having a silly name.
In reply to Two Tank Amin, you don't know what's in Seachem Stability because they do not publicly disclose the species of bacteria used. So how can you say you don't want it in your tank? Can you name the bacteria that you do want there?"

But would you recommend it? I can not decide if it is worth adding every once in a while to aid my aquariums. Most people who actually use it seem to like it but it could be a misconception thats why I am asking

The general consensus among the most vocal members of this forum is that none of these sort of products work at all. There are many individual people, both here and elsewhere, who have said that they did seem to work for them. My own personal view: some of these products are better than others, Stability likely being among the better ones. Its bacteria are known to be stored in a spore state, which is what gives them a long shelf life, so ignore people shrieking that the bacteria must be dead because you can keep it for a long time.
I also think there is little value in adding these products once your filter has matured and cycled, as you have enough bacteria there already. Before maturation, maybe. If you do something to kill off the filter bacteria by accident, then again they could be useful. If someone says "these products are bad" then request them to present their data on why they think that, and make your own mind up.

so you would agree it is more of a "supplement" than a "cycle starter" that is the conclusion I've came to after doing some research. Some people seem to think it aided in their cycle but that doesn't make sense?

No, that's not what I'm saying.

That is basically what it is meant to do though, it is meant to take the place of a cycled tank until it is cycled. It does not aid in the process, some people have luck with these products so they obviously do "something"

 

[waterdrop]

Personally, I just found that it was so fascinating that these two relatively simple procedures, the Fishless Cycle and the Fish-In Cycle could be followed and that as a newcomer to the hobby (or returning hobbyists (or "Re-Beginner" as I enjoyed calling myself)) could plug along getting feedback from their tests and not really using extras like starters or such and eventually find they have a healthy established biofilter. Looking back, I really found the learning involved to be much more important to me than simply racing to make my tank established and behaving the way it will for years to come. The part -before- it is established, the few weeks or months or whatever is often the -only- time you get the hands on feel for what the biofilter is all about - to me it just seems like there is something about this simple accomplishment for the freshwater aquarist that cements their understanding. I'm not saying one should be willfully bored... I don't know, I'm just trying to describe my own feelings about how it can help you learn in a deeper way. The additives complicate the question and threaten to take away that simple leaning episode if you've never had it before - this is why my vote goes for a simple household ammonia add and wait Fishless Cycle for a beginner whenever possible.

~~waterdrop~~