Does Bio-Spira Work?

[H3D]

In the interest of discovering which bacterial additives have worked for other AC members I have created this thread. I have used many products and have found Bio-Spira to be the only effective product.There are others who have been claiming that products containing nitrobacter (Cycle, Fritz-Zyme, Biozyme, Stress Zyme, Superbac and so on) are just as effective, but I believe this to be false. So that others do not waste their money on inferior products please let everyone at AC know about your experiences with these products. Let everyone knows just how well Bio-Spira works!

 

[Rbishop]

I have had no issues with Bio-Spira, though my experience was a while back. I have enough tanks to quick cycle with media.

There seems to be plenty of independent sources out there reaffirming Bio Spiras claims as to what nitrifying bacteria are helpful to establishing a tank.

I can not find any that are independent of the vendor of a product that can attest to Bio Spira's claims as false or to reaffirm their products can do the same with nitrobacter.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

i vote for number 7..... using gravel or filter media from a cycled tank.

 

[ewurm]

I transfer media, use prime, and add a bacteria product. I haven't had a cycle in a year.

 

[ErrorS]

Never used Bio-Spira.. As a matter of fact, I think all of those cycle products are a waste of time and money. Any LFS will give you a handful of gravel or an old filter that will have your tank cycled in no time.

Having said that.. I used Cycle on my Reef when I set it up. It was a 29G and I had 35LBs of liverock, 3'' bed of livesand with two fish and a dozen hermits at the time of setup.. used cycle and I never did see ammonia or nitrites get above a dangerous level. Had to do my first waterchange for nitrates (were 40ppm) within a week.

I don't know if it was the cycle or all of the established liverock I threw in there right away.

 

[fishcatch22]

Never used Bio-Spira.. As a matter of fact, I think all of those cycle products are a waste of time and money. Any LFS will give you a handful of gravel or an old filter that will have your tank cycled in no time.

Having said that.. I used Cycle on my Reef when I set it up. It was a 29G and I had 35LBs of liverock, 3'' bed of livesand with two fish and a dozen hermits at the time of setup.. used cycle and I never did see ammonia or nitrites get above a dangerous level. Had to do my first waterchange for nitrates (were 40ppm) within a week.

I don't know if it was the cycle or all of the established liverock I threw in there right away.

I think it was your live rock, i've never known Cycle to really do anything.

 

[icecubez189]

i've used Bio-spira and my cycle took a little less than 1 week to finish. it's a product that really works (that is if you don't get a dead batch) and contains live bacteria that will begin to break down ammonia and nitrItes.

it's not a waste of time and money. although it is expensive (bought my 1oz packet, which cycles up to 30G, for around $15) it definately saved me a lot of time, especially since i don't have an established tank to seed my media. instead of waiting 3 or 4 weeks looking at an empty tank, it was vibrant and teeming with life a couple of days after the tank was setup from scratch.

another benefit to me (or to others) is after i took down my 10G betta tank for renovations, i had a source of established media available in my 20G to begin a quick cycle to get the water ready again for the bettas moving back in.

 

[jm1212]

my neighbors have used bio spira on their 30 gallon and their 75 gallon tanks, and it cycled them both in about 2 days.

Stress Zyme works well, but it is sold non refridgerated. if you do not get the bacteria on the day it comes into the store, the bacteria will most likely be dead. the stress zyme i had worked well for a while, it helped cycle my 20 gallon. my understanding is that the bacteria died off, but they also were there long enough for the real bacteria to start to grow and take their places.

i have also used used media from my 20 gallon and i would have to say that i like it better than Bio Spira because it is cheaper and you know that the bacteria are alive. even though it takes about 2 days longer, you have a continuous supply in your cycled tanks.

cycle or superbac dont work IME. it mightve just been that they are on the shelf like the stress zyme and not refridgerated

 

[snickle]

I tried cycle and had no luck. Heavy dosing of biospira, had my tanks under control within 4 days and fully stable within a week.

For 10 or 20 gallon tanks I always bought the 90 gallon packet. I added a third at the begining a little more once I saw some ammonia and the rest the next day.

 

[don_juan]

my neighbors have used bio spira on their 30 gallon and their 75 gallon tanks, and it cycled them both in about 2 days.

Stress Zyme works well, but it is sold non refridgerated. if you do not get the bacteria on the day it comes into the store, the bacteria will most likely be dead. the stress zyme i had worked well for a while, it helped cycle my 20 gallon. my understanding is that the bacteria died off, but they also were there long enough for the real bacteria to start to grow and take their places.

i have also used used media from my 20 gallon and i would have to say that i like it better than Bio Spira because it is cheaper and you know that the bacteria are alive. even though it takes about 2 days longer, you have a continuous supply in your cycled tanks.

cycle or superbac dont work IME. it mightve just been that they are on the shelf like the stress zyme and not refridgerated

You've used superbac? Really. What are its properties out of the bottle?