The following link was sent to me by my pal
Wharf
, and I wanted to share some of the info supplied in that discussion, by Dr. Tim Hovanec.
Thanks again, Matt, greatly appreciated!
Waste Away: Is it really bacterial? Or chemical? What does it do? | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum
But before we get into that, first let's look at Dr. Tim's bio.
About Dr. Tim | DrTim's Aquatics (drtimsaquatics.com)
Clearly this is a man of science, who knows his way around aquatic-based bacteria, and how they function both in nature, and in our glass boxes.
Ok, so he came into that discussion a bit hot, personally I appreciate his straight up no holds barred factual response, and I have a difficult time judging someone that is passionate, and well versed on a subject. I also have little patience for junk science, and those who promote same as facts. I doubt that was the OP's intentions, but that's pretty much what transpired. Good on Dr. Tim for taking the time to respond.
For those that don't want to read 10 pages of back & forth, some of it quite amusing, I'll do my best at posting a condensed version. Some of this info has already been posted in this topic by myself, but it was good to see Dr. Tim stating same.
Dr. Tim's Waste Away consists of several heterotrophic bacteria that he isolated from aquariums, that are good at consuming nitrate, phosphate, and degrading organics. They consist of bacteria from the Bacillus genus, and he does not consider sludge degrading bacteria such as these to be "probiotic". In the strict sense of the term, he is probably correct, even though they can have a probiotic effect on a system. If that makes any sense. Either way, I am not about to argue the point. lol
He mentions how one can get ammonia spikes under certain circumstances due to ammonia being a byproduct of organic digestion by the bacteria, as well as potential pH drops, due to hydrogen ions produced during the nitrification process.
Due to these bacteria requiring 02, one should not add them at night, when 02 levels are typically at their lowest levels, in an aquarium. In some circumstances this could result in oxygen depletion, and dead fish. It is best to add small amounts, more frequently, as heterotrophic bacteria die off relatively quickly once their food sources are consumed. He also states that just like in natural bodies of water, 100% of organics cannot be consumed by bacteria, and there will be some build up over time.
This is why one still has to export some sludge & various by-products that are left behind in our aquariums via filter cleanings, substrate vacuuming, and regular water changes. Simple enough to remove the leftovers manually in freshwater systems.
If you live in an area where the tap water is void of mineral content, you may want to consider adding some synthetic sea salt (a VERY small amount) as according to Tim sludge degrading bacteria require trace amounts of zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, etc. My tap water contains all that & then some, so not an issue for me.
So, while IMHO his products are still way too overpriced for my use, especially compared to products such as Bio-Clean, his info certainly falls in line with what I have been stating for years, and may help put some members minds at ease that have been following this discussion, but have yet to take the leap of faith. ?
On a more personal note, for the past 30 days or so, I have been increasing the frequency of Bio-Clean additions in my tanks, to 2-3 times each week, instead of just once weekly, which amounts to 2-3 times total volume increase, compared to previous months/years, when I was adding 1/4 teaspoon weekly. It will be interesting to note any changes this volume & frequency of dosage makes over the months ahead.
