LFS recommended Microbelift Special Blend

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sanfran94107

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Jan 1, 2007
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I can't find much information on this stuff that was recommended to me by the LFS. It seemed really expensive ($15 for 8 oz) but what isn't in this hobby?

It supposedly adds beneficial bacteria to the aquarium and reduces the need for water changes (helps keep the water clean.)

Has anyone had experience with this product? I'm already using it but I have no idea whether it is doing anything in my new tank or not ....

There is another product that aquarists swear by: BioSpira. But, this wasn't something that the LFS suggested/recommened nor did I know about it.

I am getting the feeling that I need to find another LFS...

Thanks for any insight.
 
reduces the need for water changes (helps keep the water clean.)
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junk !!! NOTHING reduces the need for water changes. there are a variety of dissolved ORGANIC POLLUTANTS, substances such as proteins, amino acids, phenolic compounds, pheromones (hormones that affect the behavior of other fish) and other metabolic byproducts which are continuously being discharged into the aquarium water by the fish. If these DOCs are allowed to become concentrated in the water, the health of the fish will suffer.

for example, laboratory studies have shown that high levels of DOC are associated with reduced fish feeding rates, slower growth, decreased reproduction rates, lower immune system activity and blooms of pathogenic bacteria in the water. it is now believed that many of the fish health problems thought to be the result of high nitrates are actually caused by DOCs.

in addition to those organic compounds noted above, inorganic byproducts of the nitrogen cycle in any aquatic environment also buildup in an your water. ammonia and nitrite are taken care of by your biofilter and converted to nitrate. this latter product can only be removed by dilution through water changes.

so while you may be thinking your fish are just fine, even without water changes, in fact they are not. the most obvious example, in the absence of outright disease and/or death is how long your fish live. many hobbyists simply replace fish after they die without a thought to how long that fish should have lived. goldfish can live for 30 years, however i'd be VERY surprised if anyone on this forum or elsewhere has been able to maintain a GF for more than 5-7 years. have you kept mollies for 5 years? a red tail shark or other cyprinids for 10 years? Characoids (tetras) such as Neons, Cardinals, Bloodfins and Rummy Nose Tetras, Glassfish and Hatchet fish for 10 years? corydoras for 8 years?

these are but a few examples but trust me, there are hundreds more. change your water and don't try 'shortcuts' which perport to eliminate that need. they're just marketing hype and the only thing they're good for is putting money in the manufacturers pocket.
 
liv2padl said:
junk !!! NOTHING reduces the need for water changes. there are a variety of dissolved ORGANIC POLLUTANTS, substances such as proteins, amino acids, phenolic compounds, pheromones (hormones that affect the behavior of other fish) and other metabolic byproducts which are continuously being discharged into the aquarium water by the fish. If these DOCs are allowed to become concentrated in the water, the health of the fish will suffer.

for example, laboratory studies have shown that high levels of DOC are associated with reduced fish feeding rates, slower growth, decreased reproduction rates, lower immune system activity and blooms of pathogenic bacteria in the water. it is now believed that many of the fish health problems thought to be the result of high nitrates are actually caused by DOCs.

in addition to those organic compounds noted above, inorganic byproducts of the nitrogen cycle in any aquatic environment also buildup in an your water. ammonia and nitrite are taken care of by your biofilter and converted to nitrate. this latter product can only be removed by dilution through water changes.

so while you may be thinking your fish are just fine, even without water changes, in fact they are not. the most obvious example, in the absence of outright disease and/or death is how long your fish live. many hobbyists simply replace fish after they die without a thought to how long that fish should have lived. goldfish can live for 30 years, however i'd be VERY surprised if anyone on this forum or elsewhere has been able to maintain a GF for more than 5-7 years. have you kept mollies for 5 years? a red tail shark or other cyprinids for 10 years? Characoids (tetras) such as Neons, Cardinals, Bloodfins and Rummy Nose Tetras, Glassfish and Hatchet fish for 10 years? corydoras for 8 years?

these are but a few examples but trust me, there are hundreds more. change your water and don't try 'shortcuts' which perport to eliminate that need. they're just marketing hype and the only thing they're good for is putting money in the manufacturers pocket.
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100% right.


a lot of places will try to sell useless things to people who dont know what they are doing.
 
I'm bad :sad:

Fish are all still alive (thankfully.. luck??) but I'm pretty sure I didn't properly cycle my tank and it has still not cycled yet. I blame it on the LFS who sold me a product (Microbe-Lift Special Blend) they told me would cycle my tank in one week.

This morning the tank readings are:

pH: 7.2
NH3: 1.0
NO2: .25
NO3: 5

This was after a 10% water change.

Are these numbers ok?

The fish have been in the tank 10 days at this point and do not seem stressed whatsoever, but I'm no expert on fish behavior. This morning, they all got excited when I turned on the tank light (flourescent) and swam to the surface expecting/waiting to be fed.
 
NH3/ammonia will litterally burn the fishes gills, usually causing irreperable damage tot he fish. Without the gills the fish cannot breathe.

N02/nitrite prevents oxygen up take into the blood, but does not cuase irreperable damage (unless the fish suffocates) and apparently, it's effects are eliminated via adding salt (salt if used long term will cause damage to the fishes immune system due to the fact that there will be much less of a need for it, so, stop using it once the nitrite returns to zero.).

NO3/Nitrate is fine, as long as you don't let it build up much higher than about 20-30.

Both of these should be at zero, but for practicality's purpose, if you can keep them both of them under .1 until the cycle is complete, via water changes (any amount of water you need changed is ok) your in good shape.
 
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I would order some Bio-spira off line somewhere if you cant find it at your LFS store. This is what i did with my 46 gallon. Stuff worked great i put it in and just tested the water about 2 or 3 times a day. It took about 36 to 48 hours to totally cycle. You still must do weekly water changes as there is no product to get rid of that.
 
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