Safe Start

[DerekFF]

Anyone used Tetras Safe Start before? From what im understanding its introducing the beneficial bacteria into the tank so that your tank can skip the ammonia cycle. However i know that there is a chain of bacteria that changes ammonia->nitrites->nitrates. My question is if you dont add fish immediately will the bacteria die because theres nothing in the tank to continue the nitrate cycle? How effective is this product? Anyone have experience with it? Im not looking to use it, just trying to understand a product that seems like it could be GREAT for cycling water!

[3dees]

I have used the old bio-spira a few time in the past and it worked as advertised. just used the new stuff for my 120 gal. and it worked but took 3 weeks to register any nitrates. never got any amon. or nitrites. you must put fish in the tank or there will not be anything to feed the filters. and no water changes during that time.

[nc0gnet0]

you must put fish in the tank or there will not be anything to feed the filters.

This is not true, its better to go to the hardware store and buy pur ammonia (no additives). Dose the ammonia at 1 ml per 30 gallons. Dose once and wait for all ammonia to disapear then dose again. When you get to the point where your filters are removing the dose in one days time, you should be good to go.

[Eddie]

Works great, used it many times to get an initial bio bed established. And yes, I have always had fish in the tank to provide an ammonia source. As mentioned, if you dont have fish in tank, pure ammonia can be used....and if you are really want to be creative....I've read that urine has been used as an ammonia source as well. Probably dont want the house smelling like a porta potty. LOL

Eddie

[joanr]

+1 SafeStart is one of the better bio in a bottle products, better than the Seachem Stability. I've also used the Fritz Zyme Turbo Start with good results.

[jimg]

Dr Tims and safe start are the same product. It shortens the cycle time but absolutely will not instantly cycle a tank. Nitrites will remain at about 4.0 and have to be watched. at least 25 days for nitrate readings.
Have used Dr tims at least 8 times and safestart 2 times. a couple of times dr tims did nothing at all.
I had dr tims work good one time after I spoke with him and he sent a different bottle from what we see in stores.
Do not rely on these products to make your aquarium safe for fish. use them with fishless cycle to hopefully shorten the cycle process, if at all.
Seachems stability is absolutely worthless as well as cycle.
IMO i think these may work 1 time out of 20.

[Eddie]

Its hit or miss with Stability, I've had about a 50% success rate in getting filters cycled. I've used it more for boosting already established filters in the past.

Eddie

[3dees]

I don't understand putting ammonia with safe start. You might as well save your money and just use the ammonia. the reason you use safe start is so you can immediatly add fish. am I missing something?

[joanr]

I don't understand putting ammonia with safe start. You might as well save your money and just use the ammonia. the reason you use safe start is so you can immediatly add fish. am I missing something?

You have to feed the bacteria ammonia if you have no fish in the tank producing any. Just a small amount if you have added the SafeStart to a fishless tank to speed the cycle. If you don't the bacteria will die off from starvation.

[MSD]

Works great, used it many times to get an initial bio bed established. And yes, I have always had fish in the tank to provide an ammonia source. As mentioned, if you dont have fish in tank, pure ammonia can be used....and if you are really want to be creative....I've read that urine has been used as an ammonia source as well. Probably dont want the house smelling like a porta potty. LOL

Eddie

Always heard that urine story from divers whom I get live rock from, or other reef folk. I'll stick with more conventional methods thank you very much.

[MatthewLP]

I just cycled my 90 about 3 weeks ago using tetra safe start.

I did the fishless cycle using pure ammonia and got it up to 3ppm then added tetra safe start. I got my tank to cycle in about 2 weeks.

IMO: Do I think it workes well to add water and then add Tetra Safe Start?...No becuase it takes it a few days to start working to depleate all the ammonia and I feel the Nitrite bacteria die off before the conversion can take place then add tetra safe start again to depleate all the nitrites.

however when I used it as a fishless cycle once I got my ammonia around the 3ppm range, it worked very well and I was able to compleatly cycle a tank under 2 weeks.

Does the product work with Ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria yes it does. but I think there are better methods it works best in.

[kitykatfunkiehat]

I attempted to use Safestart in my 40g a looooong time ago with community fish, and within a week I had ammonia levels at 8ppm...I used like 4 bottles trying to help it and was doing 50% daily w/c for almost two weeks. I did put the fish in right away, too.

I found that nutrafin cycle worked WAY better. I even tested the nitrates out of the bottle, which was a strrooong reading!

[joanr]

Just curious where you got your bottles from, maybe a bad batch, it just came out last year. The Safe Start is usually not found in the LFS's such as PetSmart etc., there is a similiar product from Tetra with a similiar name, I had picked up some by mistake last year.....??? Never heard of anything like you described above with this product, I've had great results with Safe Start and no results from Cycle. Funny about that...

[jimg]

I got the dr tims (one and only) from fostersmith,a lfs ordered more and the last I got directly from dr tims site. The tetra safestart I got somewhere online all exp dates are fine.

[Foxfire]

I can't say for sure about Safe Start but I did try Dr. Tims (air shipped with a cold pack) and it didn't appear to work at all for the first three to five days of testing relative to ammonia produced by my (forced) fish based cycle.

I moved to a seed culture and then my ammonia levels started falling with in two days. Could have just taken longer to kick in and/or helped increased the seed media (a large seed culture from a working filter.)

[Foxfire]

I attempted to use Safestart in my 40g a looooong time ago with community fish, and within a week I had ammonia levels at 8ppm...I used like 4 bottles trying to help it and was doing 50% daily w/c for almost two weeks. I did put the fish in right away, too.

I found that nutrafin cycle worked WAY better. I even tested the nitrates out of the bottle, which was a strrooong reading!

Yikes! You had 8 ppm ammonia levels and you only did a 50% water change!?:confused: A 50% water change leaves you at 4 ppm ammonia - that's still a fish killer (I assume you were using ammonialock or similar product.)

When ammonia or nitrites need to be lowered (esp. for readings above 1 ppm) you MUST make a 90% change or two 75% - that and only that will lower readings quickly. Then 50% done every day have a chance to hold the line (you may lose ground slowly and would need a 75%.)