Christian Patti

It ended up working but took longer than a week and the first bottle I bought didn't work at all. Ended up being a big waste of money and I will never use it again.

eiginh

If I used Superbac, does that count? They're similar products.

Lucy

The poll is about Tetra SafeStart, not SuperBac.
It doesn't count, sorry

thorpbrian

I've used TSS to cycle all three of my tanks in a week.

flyin-lowe

I started a fish in cycle for my grandmothers 75 g FW. (She wanted them in there) 4 black skirt tetras and two white skirts. I also had an amazon sword, two small anubias, and 2 bunches of hornwort. After 6 weeks ammonia was still around .5 (never got above that) 0 nitrites, and 5 nitrates (also 5 from the tap). Finally after 6 weeks I decided to try TSS. I put in a dose for 90 gallons and waited one week. On the 7th day ammonia and nitrites were at 0 and nitrates were at 10. I have since added some more fish and all are doing great.

sirdarksol

Sorry about the delay in response here.
Lucy's right. This was specifically about TSS.
To explain further:
Shortly before I started this thread, there was a discussion about cycling tanks. Many theories were tossed around; some of them good, some of them bad, some of them awful. One of the ones that didn't ring true to me was a claim that SafeStart had the terrestrial bacteria and therefore could not permanently cycle an aquarium. There was a lot of very bad science and very bad logic being used to support many of the theories in the thread, and, because the rapid cycling of a tank is extremely important, I felt it necessary to verify in a more logical manner the nature of Tetra SafeStart.
Since the method of cycling a tank with TSS is extremely straightforward, I figured that, for the purposes of forum use, a poll would be perfectly acceptable empirical data in determining whether or not the product works as stated.

Because the product is only added once, and because there's no way for incidental nitrifying bacteria to multiply to necessary levels within one week, if the vast majority of members had success with the product, that would more-or-less disprove the theory that SafeStart was anything other than some form of aquatic nitrifying bacteria.

I am pleased to say that my belief seems to be well founded, as most people have at least had moderate success with the product (faster cycling than the typical 4-6 week period), with the majority of those finding the product to work precisely as stated.

acolli51

I used it on my 20 gal and it worked well. I voted the third option because it was about a week and a half to two weeks with 5 glowlight tetra before the ammonia/nitrites were completely down to zero for good but it kept the levels very low from the start and none of the tetra seemed to be stressed. I would recommend using well seeded (used) gravel and/or filter media as the best way to get the tank ready for fish quickly though.

Tigerlily

The first time I tried it on a tank that I'd been struggling with for a few weeks, it took two bottles because I freaked at the Ammonia level and added Prime. (In other words I didn't "follow the directions.") On the second tank (I had a backup for the fish) it worked beautifully!

Meenu

lol... Tigerlily, I did the same thing.

freak78

Used a bottle of TSS Monday the 21st. Will see how everything is going by the end of the week.

Fishnugget43

I used TSS And it worked in about 10 days i think...

David C

Successfully used 4 times now, it is a great product as long as you follow the instructions and don't try to interfere with it.

Dave

sirdarksol

Okay, we have thirty-six complete successes, six complete failures, and twenty somewhere-in-betweens.
Take one off of the complete successes, as, early on, a member used a related, but different product and voted.
That puts us at:
57% complete success
10% failure
33% partial success

It works as stated.
I still prefer cycling fishless (in that I use filter media from my other tanks), because I don't like the roller-coaster ammonia numbers, but the product is definitely a million times better than cycling with fish, and loads faster than most fishless cycling methods, so I will definitely be suggesting it, especially to people with an uncycled tank full of fish.

FredBjammin

Only tried with my 40 gallon, took almost 2 weeks. But now I'm curious, has anyone every started 2 tanks at the same, one with and one with out and have kept track?

Meant to say keep track using it in one tank and the other with a used filter/used gravel?

Cause I did get tired of waiting after about 8 days on my 40 gallon, took a filter from my 29 gallon, so I guess I can say I didn't follow the directions.

callichma

Didn't know whether to post here or start a new post. I used TSS on a 10g That I'm using to grow out some Mystery snails.

Filled tank and ran the filter on Feb 17th.

On Feb 18th, added gravel, plants, a terra cotta pot, and filter media all from an established tank. Added snails, and TSS about 4 hours after the snails.

On Feb 22, checked parameters: Ammonia 0.25; nitrite 0; nitrate 10

On Feb 23: 0.5; 0; 10. Did 30% water change.

Feb 24: 0; 0; <10

Yea TSS! The 25-30 marble-sized snails are doing well. They really grow fast.

Zia

I *cheated* a little. I'd been fishless cycling for 42+ days (.5, 0, 40) when I emptied the water in my 20 gallon, added TSS, and 6 glofish. At day 7, I was 0, 0, 5. Great product!

TwinsFan

I used it in our 75 gallon tank, after the snake oil our neighborhood fish store owner sold me (their own brand: "Cycles New Tank In 1-3 Days!"), which did manage to reduce the ammonia relatively swiftly, but did absolutely nothing to assist in the descent of nitrites (it was 1.6 seemingly forever). (And this happended when I'd simply stopped in to the store only to inform the owner that the tank was set-up, not leaking, and that I was planning to perform a "fishless start-up"; but I allowed his experience and my lack of experience to change my decision--he was confident that if I used their water treatment product, the fish he suggested I stock it with would safely thrive in our un-cycled tank. He was wrong.)

After being told to "not change the water" by the fish store's employees--despite the deaths of 4 zebra danios after only 36 hours of existence in our tank at home--I vowed that if another fish died, I was going to perform partial water changes as many aquarists online suggested, and that I was going to use BIO-Spira (which took a little time to locate, due to the selling of their patent/product to Tetra).

A week later, a porkchop rasbora died. So...

After using SafeStart, in less than 24 hours the nitrites went from 1.6 to .3; after 36 hours, the nitrites were at zero, and have been zero for three weeks since, even after I added 4 tiny "porkchop" rasboras a week ago (along with a second 50% rate dose of SafeStart).

In the future, I'd start-up-cycle a new tank with either: ammonia and no fish; the dead shrimp paradigm (sounds intriguing, but smelly); or with 3 zebra danios and Tetra SafeStart.

Although the "new" formula of SafeStart claims that it need not be refrigerated, the fish store I purchased it from kept it in their fridge anyway, whereas the previous store, where I'd purchased their in-house (and ineffective) brand, also had SafeStart, but kept it (as well as their other water treatment products), at room temperature. Personally, I appreciated the "better safe than sorry" approach of refrigerating the product; perhaps, not coincidentally, this product was thankfully effective--I am confident that it was shipped and stored with integrity.

In short, Tetra SafeStart saved our fish.

Some people have warned newbies that BIOSpira (Tetra SafeStart) is "expensive"; but in the context of of purchasing a new 75 gallon tank, cover and light, heater, filter, power heads, and artificial plants... which equated to several hundred dollars... the SafeStart was only $20 for a 75 gallon dosage. I'd rather spend $20 than worry about my fish dying or undergoing a torturous environment which might cause them physical duress or damage.

Kunsthure

I didn't know much about cycling and had no idea about fishless cycling or TSS when we started my daughter's 20g almost a month ago. I found this site while researching and came across TSS. The fish had been in the tank around 2 weeks at the time I added TSS. I had low ammonia and nitrite levels with no nitrates that held steady the whole time (per strips) but within a day or two of adding the TSS I started seeing a pinkish tint on the nitrate pad and had 0 ammonia and nitrites. I used two bottles intended for 30g tanks. Since I read that you should use double if you already have fish.

I added it to my 37g 6 days ago when I added my first fish and am waiting on my API kit because I'm out of strips so I don't know what the readings are.

-Lisa

josh11551

took my 10 days..

kefman86

good stuff. just dont overload the tank with fish. only use a couple of super hardy ones like danios (i know im a meanie for using the ol fashioned way, just find fishless cycles too long).
also add some of the dosage diectly onto the filter media if thats new equipment. helps build up a bacteria colony a bit quicker

Wonkadonk

Took about 6 days with 1 goldfish in my in 36 gallon. Ammonia peaked around 1.0 PPM, and nitrite at .25 ppm.

used2bN2horsesLOL

+1 to kefman86.

I used TSS to cycle a new 55g and new filter with a small (1 small fist full of filter floss from an established filter) amount of seeded media and I poured the bottle (biggie, for 75 gallon) directly onto the filter media pads. When I pulled the cartridge out the next day, I could see a dark brown stain in the spot I had poured the TSS onto. I experienced an ammonia spike but not a nitrite spike.
So follow the directions but instead of pouring it directly into the water, I would urge to pour or even soak your filter media in it for an hour or two then put the rest in the water. Just my two cents but it makes sense if you think about it.

catman3

i used it on my 3,10 and will use it in my 30 the 3 gallon cycled in about 4 days the 10 gallon about a week with some danios i added the day after(i also used easy balance) the 30 will be a week before i put some test fish in(danio)

nfeuerhelm

I used it in my aquaponics setup. It worked really fast. My tap water has between 0 and .25 ppm ammonia on my api test kit, and some chloramine so that bumped it up to .25 ppm. TSS knocked it down to 0 in like 3 days (added fish that day). I also didn't even get a nitrite spike or it happened so quick that it was between my daily tests.

Edit: Oh and by the way it was the up to 75gal bottle in my 40gal tank. So, the speed might have been related to that.

Brittany Bam

Used in my 75g .

Works like a charm .

vixflix

I used double the said dose and tested water after 48 hours and the ammonia and nitirite started to come down and by 4th day it was perfect 0. worked for me.

darrellg1

Great product and worked wonders in my tanks

Ked31

I decided I should vote no sice I used this and found 3 of my 4 fish(I had had them for almost 2 weeks already and had treated them as a precaution) deceased the next morning. The fourth one had severe dropsy and was also deceased a few hours later.

sirdarksol

Ugh.
How long has your aquarium been running, and how long since TSS was added?

Lucy

Here's a link to thread about the problem with the tank:
How should I kill whatever is in my tank?