SeaChem Stability

[STiTCH87]

So I was speaking with the guy at my LFS about how my tank has been cycling for about a month, and he said that I should try using SeaChem Stability and he's been in the hobby his entire life and sets up hundreds of tanks using SeaChem and after a week adds fish and has never lost a fish to new tank syndrome. He was so confident in the product that he told me to buy it, and if it doesn't cycle my tank within 7 days, he'll reimburse me the $12. So I figured what do I have to lose, either it works or it don't and I get my money back.

So I have decided to ask you guys your opinions of the product, along with I am going to post my daily parameters in this thread so you all can follow along with me on tracking how this product works (or doesn't, lol.)

KEEP IN MIND THIS TESTING WAS STARTED MID-WAY THROUGH CYCLING, AFTER THE AMMONIA SPIKE, AND AMMONIA WAS AT ZERO BEFORE STARTING THIS TEST, SO KEEP IN MIND THAT MAY GIVE ME DIFFERENT RESULTS THAN IF I HAD USED THIS FROM THE BEGINNING.

I started with a base test.

Before I added any SeaChem:
Ammonia: 0.0ppm
Nitrite: 2.0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm

24 Hours Later:
Ammonia: 0.0ppm
Nitrite: 2.0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm

 

[stingythingy45]

Can I ask why you're adding this stuff if your ammonia spike is over and ammonia is at 0?
What is this going to prove?

 

[STiTCH87]

Because it (supposedly) has the nitrifying bacteria that will not only convert ammonia to nitrite, but (supposedly) also has the bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate.

Cuz my Nitrite was at 2.0 for the past 2 weeks. I was more than happy to continue waiting but this guy said he'll reimburse my money if it doesn't finish cycling within 7 days which I am still 100% skeptical of this whole product, but my girlfriend being as impatient as she is, jumped on the offer and paid the $12 for me to have it. Don't get me wrong, I think this product is total BS, but I am trying to either prove myself right, or wrong.

Basically I am just testing to see if it speeds up my cycle and does indeed finish my tank within 7 days. I do however agree this test doesn't really prove nor accomplish much which is why I am doing the same test on a brand new freshwater tank that is a 10g with two gourami (one male one female) in it and I am seeing how it works with freshwater. But I figured I would only post up the saltwater test results on here since it's a saltwater forum.

 

[stingythingy45]

Because it (supposedly) has the nitrifying bacteria that will not only convert ammonia to nitrite, but (supposedly) also has the bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate.

Basically I am just testing to see if it speeds up my cycle and does indeed finish my tank within 7 days. I do however agree this test doesn't really prove nor accomplish much which is why I am doing the same test on a brand new freshwater tank that is a 10g with two gourami (one male one female) in it and I am seeing how it works with freshwater. But I figured I would only post up the saltwater test results on here since it's a saltwater forum.

Yeah but,if your tank has already peaked and it has no more ammonia.........it's cycled.
It already has a biological filter in place now to turn ammonia>nitrite>nitrate.
Adding anything now and saying it works is rather redundant.
Btw,the only additive I've ever heard of working to help speed a bio-fliter along os Fritz Turbo boost.

 

[STiTCH87]

Yeah but,if your tank has already peaked and it has no more ammonia.........it's cycled.
It already has a biological filter in place now to turn ammonia>nitrite>nitrate.
Adding anything now and saying it works is rather redundant.
Btw,the only additive I've ever heard of working to help speed a bio-fliter along os Fritz Turbo boost.

I was under the impression that the cycle was done when ammonia AND nitrite was 0ppm and nitrate was under 20ppm after a waterchange? And I also thought nitrites were toxic to fish and inverts and corals? I may be missing something here...

 

[stingythingy45]

Also,nitrite is not in the least poisonous to marine fish.
You very well could have just done a water change and added fish.
But waiting a week is always the best thing to do.

 

[stingythingy45]

Well,good luck with your findings.

 

[STiTCH87]

So it's not toxic to fish? I'm so confused.
I read this in my API Test Kit Manual:

"Why test for nitrite?

Nitrite (NO2) is produced in the aquarium by the biological filter. Beneficial bacteria in the biological filter convert toxic ammonia into nitrite (also toxic). The biological filter then converts nitrite into nitrate (NO3). Testing for the presence of toxic nitrite is essential, so that once detected, steps can be taken to remove it. Otherwise, nitrite in the aquarium from carrying on normal respiration. High levels of nitrite quickly lead to fish death. Even trace amount of nitrite stress fish, suppressing their immune system and, thereby, increase the likelihood of disease and subsequent fish loss."

Well thanks for your info, if I knew I could put a fish in there with nitrites at 2.0ppm i'd of told my girlfriend to save her $12 and i'd of bought a fish and a few snails. Oh well. Live and learn I suppose. I'm gonna continue the testing anyways though. Maybe i'll make my own little vial of saltwater and add some ammonia and bring it to the store and say the product didn't work and get my money back. Sure it's not true and is kind of abusing a pet store, but then again they kinda abused me by selling me a product they should've known I didn't need... right???

 

[stingythingy45]

From what I read,nitrite is bad for freshwater fish.
I once had to remove all my fish to a hospital tank a long while back because of a parasite(did hypo treatment).The tank actuaqlly cycled with the fish in there.I staved off ammonia with many,many water changes,Changed 10% every other day.
After that nitrite stayed around 2.0 for a while.
I asked a very well known chemist on another reef site about nitrite after reading an article about how it's not dangerous to marine fish.He confirmed my findings.

 

[STiTCH87]

Hmm... That's pretty interesting. I don't see how it'd be different between freshwater and saltwater when saltwater fish are usually affected by poor water quality easier than freshwater. But it's something to think about. I'm going to continue my research on that and continue this testing and see what happens.

BTW:

Day 2:
Ammonia: 0.0ppm
Nitrite: 2.0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm

 

[stingythingy45]

Some reading for you.Check out the summary at the end.
And stitch,i've just been through this a couple times,and I read like crazy.
3 yrs of mistakes here and there also.lol

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/rhf/index.php#6

 

[STiTCH87]

Funny, I was just reading that. Oh, we all make mistakes and learn from them. 3 years for you, 1 month for me, and i'm sure it'll continue for the both of us. But we live and we learn. That's really an interesting article. Well my next day off from work is this Sunday which would be Day 5 on that SeaChem cycle thing. So if it is down to 0ppm on nitrite by then, i'll buy a fish and snails Sunday since it'd be pointless to wait since the test would essentially be complete. Otherwise I think i'm going to wait until wednesday just to prove this LFS worker wrong and get my money back because I highly doubt that if my nitrite has been at 2.0ppm for 2 weeks, that it's all of a sudden going to hit 0.0ppm in 7 days, lol.

So who do I agree with? Well I agree with you. Can't argue with results, charts, and experience.

I already thought this product was pointless, but hopefully I can atleast get my girlfriend's money reimbursed. I told her it pays off to be patient, but you know how SOME girls can be. I emphasize SOME, so that I don't offend any females on here. =]

She just wants me to get a "Nemo fish". Lol oiii one day I will explain to her that it's a clown fish and nothing more.