yveterinarian
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2012
- Location
- Innerkip, Ontario
The purpose of this review is to test StartSmart Complete without any other bacteria influences present (the best I can do, anyways without a laboratory). StartSmart Complete is a live bacteria product that does not need refrigeration and states it will "instantly cycle aquariums". There are two versions of this product - one for Saltwater and one for Freshwater. I used the one for Saltwater. My review is not meant to create controversy (I know there is a lot about this product), but to test the performance of this product.
Setup of tanks:
Both tanks were washed with vinegar and rinsed well with water, then small amount of bleach rinsed through, rinsed thoroughly then rinsed well with de-chlorinator and rinsed again. Sand used was Caribsea Aragonite and was rinsed well, brought to a boil and boiled for 1 hour to kill any latent bacteria and allowed to cool before adding to tanks. Rock used was dry Eco rock.
Both tanks were set up using the same saltwater. One tank will be tested using fish in system looking for a 24 hour cycle and the second tank will be used to cycle without fish. For the purposes of this experiment Tank 1 will have fish, Tank 2 will not. Both tanks have a small biowheel pump for water circulation an airline and a heater to keep the temp at 78*F. Water parameters for each tested using API test kits that have expiry date of 2014. I also am aware that API is not the best test kit but at present, it is the best I have for these particular parameters.
Day 0 - Setup day
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 Nitrate - 0
Ph - 8.2 Ph - 8.2
Salinity 1.023 Salinity 1.023
5 lbs sand and 5 lbs rock added 5 lbs sand and 5 lbs rock added
Total - 10 lbs Total - 10 lbs
Water allowed to settle and 1 oz Water allowed to settle and 1 oz
StartSmart for salt water added StartSmart for saltwater added
at 1830 at 1830
2 Damsels added at 1900 25 drops ammonia added to simulate fish
waste added at 1900 (this brought the
ammonia level to 1ppm)
The following values were taken in the early evening each day to try to maintain consistency in the reading of the values (time of day, light present that values were read by)
Day 1
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 Nitrate - 0
Day 2
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 Nitrate - 0
Day 3
Ammonia - 1 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0.25 Nitrite - 0.25
Nitrate - 10 Nitrate - 10
Day 4
Ammonia - 1 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0.25 Nitrite - 0.25
Nitrate - 15 Nitrate - 15
I took the Damsels out of Tank 1 as ammonia levels kept going up and I did not wish to damage their gills. (in short, I chickened out but kept the tank going to see what would happen)
Day 5
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0.5 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0.25 Nitrite - 0.5
Nitrate - 5 Nitrate - 20
Day 6
Ammonia - 0.5 Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 5 Nitrate - 20
Day 7
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 20 Nitrate - 80
Day 8
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 20 Nitrate - 40
Day 9
Ammonia - 0 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 40 Nitrate - 20
Added 25 drops of ammonia to Tank 2 to bring the ammonia level back up to 1ppm. The next evening my measurements were:
Day 10
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 80 Nitrate - 40
For each of the next four days I added 25 drops of Ammonia to Tank 2 and it was cycled out of the tank within 24 hours. By Day 14, it was cycled out within 8 hours, indicating it was more than ready for fish.
The values I got for these two tanks were very interesting. They certainly cycled faster than any tank I have ever cycled before, including my use of Stability (another live bacteria product) in my ammonia cycled tanks. Nitrates showed up on Day 3. I never did get a large Nitrite spike (which I think is because of the presence of Nitrates so early) but it did eventually come down to zero. I did not do a large water change on either tanks when the nitrates showed up because I wanted to see what the bacteria would do if they were left to multiply on their own and set up a good population.
My previous tanks have all been cycled using dry rock and non-live Caribsea aragonite. This is because I had/have a fear of adding anything that could potentially harm my seahorses or my reef when I started that one. I used a live bacteria product called Stability and each time the cycle lasted 6 weeks before it was completely ready. (This included testing with repeated doses of Ammonia until 2ppm could be cleared within 8 hours)
I will let you all draw your own conclusions but I must say, nitrates showed up much faster than I have known in cycling my other tanks and I feel there is something about this product that does help speed up the cycle. I did not get a "instant" or 24 hour cycle but that may have been because I sterilized everything and most other people using this product would not. Maybe it works in conjunction with bacteria already present in the live rock and sand to help the cycle go faster.
Thanks for taking the time to read this product review,
Yvette
Setup of tanks:
Both tanks were washed with vinegar and rinsed well with water, then small amount of bleach rinsed through, rinsed thoroughly then rinsed well with de-chlorinator and rinsed again. Sand used was Caribsea Aragonite and was rinsed well, brought to a boil and boiled for 1 hour to kill any latent bacteria and allowed to cool before adding to tanks. Rock used was dry Eco rock.
Both tanks were set up using the same saltwater. One tank will be tested using fish in system looking for a 24 hour cycle and the second tank will be used to cycle without fish. For the purposes of this experiment Tank 1 will have fish, Tank 2 will not. Both tanks have a small biowheel pump for water circulation an airline and a heater to keep the temp at 78*F. Water parameters for each tested using API test kits that have expiry date of 2014. I also am aware that API is not the best test kit but at present, it is the best I have for these particular parameters.
Day 0 - Setup day
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 Nitrate - 0
Ph - 8.2 Ph - 8.2
Salinity 1.023 Salinity 1.023
5 lbs sand and 5 lbs rock added 5 lbs sand and 5 lbs rock added
Total - 10 lbs Total - 10 lbs
Water allowed to settle and 1 oz Water allowed to settle and 1 oz
StartSmart for salt water added StartSmart for saltwater added
at 1830 at 1830
2 Damsels added at 1900 25 drops ammonia added to simulate fish
waste added at 1900 (this brought the
ammonia level to 1ppm)
The following values were taken in the early evening each day to try to maintain consistency in the reading of the values (time of day, light present that values were read by)
Day 1
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 Nitrate - 0
Day 2
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0 Nitrate - 0
Day 3
Ammonia - 1 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0.25 Nitrite - 0.25
Nitrate - 10 Nitrate - 10
Day 4
Ammonia - 1 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0.25 Nitrite - 0.25
Nitrate - 15 Nitrate - 15
I took the Damsels out of Tank 1 as ammonia levels kept going up and I did not wish to damage their gills. (in short, I chickened out but kept the tank going to see what would happen)
Day 5
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0.5 Ammonia - 1
Nitrite - 0.25 Nitrite - 0.5
Nitrate - 5 Nitrate - 20
Day 6
Ammonia - 0.5 Ammonia - 0.25
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 5 Nitrate - 20
Day 7
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 20 Nitrate - 80
Day 8
Ammonia - 0.25 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 20 Nitrate - 40
Day 9
Ammonia - 0 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 1 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 40 Nitrate - 20
Added 25 drops of ammonia to Tank 2 to bring the ammonia level back up to 1ppm. The next evening my measurements were:
Day 10
Tank 1 Tank 2
Ammonia - 0 Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0 Nitrite - 1
Nitrate - 80 Nitrate - 40
For each of the next four days I added 25 drops of Ammonia to Tank 2 and it was cycled out of the tank within 24 hours. By Day 14, it was cycled out within 8 hours, indicating it was more than ready for fish.
The values I got for these two tanks were very interesting. They certainly cycled faster than any tank I have ever cycled before, including my use of Stability (another live bacteria product) in my ammonia cycled tanks. Nitrates showed up on Day 3. I never did get a large Nitrite spike (which I think is because of the presence of Nitrates so early) but it did eventually come down to zero. I did not do a large water change on either tanks when the nitrates showed up because I wanted to see what the bacteria would do if they were left to multiply on their own and set up a good population.
My previous tanks have all been cycled using dry rock and non-live Caribsea aragonite. This is because I had/have a fear of adding anything that could potentially harm my seahorses or my reef when I started that one. I used a live bacteria product called Stability and each time the cycle lasted 6 weeks before it was completely ready. (This included testing with repeated doses of Ammonia until 2ppm could be cleared within 8 hours)
I will let you all draw your own conclusions but I must say, nitrates showed up much faster than I have known in cycling my other tanks and I feel there is something about this product that does help speed up the cycle. I did not get a "instant" or 24 hour cycle but that may have been because I sterilized everything and most other people using this product would not. Maybe it works in conjunction with bacteria already present in the live rock and sand to help the cycle go faster.
Thanks for taking the time to read this product review,
Yvette