Dr. Tim's One and Only

FishFixation

FishFixation

AC Members
Dec 25, 2009
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Utah
Real Name
Christine
I dumped an entire 2oz bottle of Dr. Tim's One and Only in my 3 gallon tank... 10 times the minimum dose... and I haven't seen my ammonia drop much at all in the past two days. It was around 4 ppm when I added the stuff, and it's still around 2-4 ppm (I can't tell the colors apart).

How long does it usually take for it to work? Did I get a dead bottle? What should I do?
 
Ammonia treatment doesn't remove it or lower its reading on the API liquid test, it only changes it's chemistry locking up the toxic NH3 that kills fish. This is why if you have to trust the dosage but accept the fact that ammonia is still registering only less toxic and will continue to remain until cycling bacteria consume and waste it out as nitrite and then other bacteria from nitrite to nitrate.

So you may have overdosed the tank big time for no reason.
 
But wait... the front of the bottle says, "Removes toxic ammonia and nitrite, naturally."

I thought that nitrifying bacteria REMOVE ammonia, not neutralize it somehow. Isn't Dr. Tim's supposed to contain live nitrifying bacteria which should be chowing down on my ammonia? Then why aren't the levels decreasing?

It seems to me, based on the way the nitrogen cycle works and the claims made on the bottle that my levels ought to have gone down just a bit.

That's why I'm wondering if I just got a dead bottle or something. I would love to hear from others who have used the product...
 
I tried it when I upgraded froma 20 to a 36, but I had substrate and filter media plus all my plants from the 20 to seed my biological filter. I didn't have any problems but I can't attribute my success to Dr Tim's either.
 
peanutbowl said:
Miracle in a bottle = Snake Oil

Success with Miracle in a bottle = Luck
Click to expand...

+1

and i believe gunners post was based on a product that will work... prime.
 
I have very little faith in any bacteria-in-a-bottle product.
 
Sorry FishFixation, Im not familiar with Dr Tims and assumed it was one of many ammonia detoxification treatments. If its any consolation, none of those bacteria booster or start-up products have ever worked for me when cycling a tank. The only thing that works is the real thing fresh from an established filter media or aquarium sand bed.

But you can use an ammonia, nitrite detoxifyer like Prime as prescribed on the label, with a regiment of daily water changes. But I would also try and get some live bacteria from a friend or LFS.
 
From what I know, there are currently only like two bacteria-in-a-bottle that actually have the correct bacteria that eat ammonia. Read from someone else's expertise. One I forgot the name and the other is Tera Safestart.
 
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