# SuperBac Live Nitrifying Bacteria on a new setup



## grafx (Nov 13, 2010)

Has anyone used this to start up a fresh water tank? How did you feel it worked?

I just set up my 60 gallon tank. Will be used for african cichlids

Filter: Eheim 2215
Heater: Eheim 250W
Substrate: sand from a live aquarium
Ammonia: Goldex household ammonia
Test kit: API Fresh water test kit (test tube one)


I filled the tank up, set the water for 30 degrees (to help the spawning of the bacteria) and popped in some water conditioner remove the chlorines/chloramines. Through in some Goldex ammonia and then used SuperBac Live Nitrifying Bacteria (enough for 60 gallons).

The eheim filter spray bar provides ALOT of bubbles into the water so there is plenty of oxygen as well. 


Have I done everything right so far? last night I got a reading of 6ppm ammonia after putting in the ammonia, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, and 8.3ph(ph seems high, not sure why). And just now I threw in the superbac. So the superbac should start the accelerated process of nitrifying the ammonia.

I think i got it all.

Going to test in 24 hours (prime time after superbac) to see if nitrites have started spawning and the ammonia level is down.

I didn't remove the carbon filter from the eheim for the cycle.


----------



## LexiBadger (Oct 19, 2010)

I hope you have better luck with the Superbac than I did. I dunno what it's supposed to look/smell like but the bottle I got smelled pretty rank and all it did was cloud up my water and didn't do anything to help with cycling. It's possible I just got a bad bottle, so like I said, I hope you have better luck. On the plus side, it can't hurt anything right? 

I've heard good things about Tetra's SafeStart but I was never able to find anywhere that actually has it in stock.


----------



## grafx (Nov 13, 2010)

Mine didnt smell at all and didnt cloud my water. weird


----------



## LexiBadger (Oct 19, 2010)

Awesome, that's probably a good thing then. lol

Good luck! I'm interested to see what your results will be.


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

not to be the party pooper......but all of those "live bacteria" cultures are the aquatic equivalent of many of the "fat loss pills" for humans: a pure waste of money.

if you think logically (with a little science):

It is well understood that the bacteria in well estabolished tanks that convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate are aerobic bacteria (needs O2). And like any organism, they have a range of temperature that they prefer, bacteria needs a food source to grow, they divide, they die, they produce waste, and when they die, they release their cellular contents into the environment.

In a well established tank, the filter is constantly moving the water, aerating the water. The fish are constantly producing more waste (nutrient and food for the bacteria). The water temp is kept at a constant. So these bacteria have a constant supply of food, they are kept at temperatures that they like, and they are in a large environment.

If we look at those bottles. They are sealed for weeks and sometimes months on the shelf of the stores; we don't know what medium the bacteria is put in, and its hard to believe that there is enough food for them in those bottles; when transporting these bottles, there is never any particular care into making sure the bottles dont get too hot in the summer, and too cold in the winter (they are just in a box at the back of a truck). So if you compare this environment to the environment that the bacteria needs to be in to survive, I don't think it takes a microbiologist to come to the conclusion that the claim of: packed with "beneficial bacteria" and they will cycle the tank instantly/within days, to be anything but a market hoax and it is beyond laughable. 

This hobby is a hobby of patience, especially when you are starting up, there arent any short cuts. If something is too good to be true (like a process of cycling a tank that takes 1-2 months shortened to days with a product), chances are its too good to be true. You will have a much enjoyable experience with this hobby with you take the time and do each step the "old fashioned" way. And lastly, you wont be putting your fish into very stressful environments. Now you might not want to hear this, but this just what I have gathered in my experience with this hobby, my 2 cents if you will.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Hitch said:


> This hobby is a hobby of patience, especially when you are starting up, there arent any short cuts. If something is too good to be true (like a process of cycling a tank that takes 1-2 months shortened to days with a product), chances are its too good to be true. You will have a much enjoyable experience with this hobby with you take the time and do each step the "old fashioned" way. And lastly, you wont be putting your fish into very stressful environments. Now you might not want to hear this, but this just what I have gathered in my experience with this hobby, my 2 cents if you will.


That's why I think it's better to start a tank with silent cycling than fishless cycling. You don't have to wait for weeks and weeks. You just have to make sure you have enough plants.

As for the bacteria, I'm pretty sure the simple lack of O2 will do the bacteria in, never mind food and stuff.


----------



## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Very well said.

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## grafx (Nov 13, 2010)

Day 3 (24 hours after superbac)


Ammonia: 6ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm



no progress as of yet.


----------



## grafx (Nov 13, 2010)

Day 4

Did a 30% WC to bring ammonia down so it didnt stall cycle



Ammonia: 4ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 0ppm



=/ come onnnnnn nitrite spike...tired of looking at an empty tank lol


----------



## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Lol, poor guy. If it's any consolation to you. You're proving that SuperBac Live is a really crappy product.

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I'm a skeptic of those products too, but have used Seachem Stability with great results, essentially setting up tanks and stocking them the same day in conjunction with it and never seeing any detectable ammonia/nitrite levels.


----------



## grafx (Nov 13, 2010)

(day 4 wasnt yesterday, but the day before)


day 6 (just tested now)

Ammonia: 4ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
nitrate: 0ppm





....lameeeee why is there no nitrite! this superbac hasnt done ANYTHING. im even using used sand substrate!
gr. i know this takes weeks but i was hoping to see SOME nitrites after a week to start forming


----------



## grafx (Nov 13, 2010)

Day 8

Ammonia: 3ppm
Nitrite: 3.5ppm
Nitrate: 2ppm


----------

