API Products should I use?

[proaquatics]

I use stress coat water condictioner should I use stress zyme too??does anyone notice a difference when they use stress zyme?

 

[frankthetank]

I really like the API products personally. I used stress zyme and I think it actually did speed up the cycling process for me. At any rate it wont hurt anything so it's worth a shot to use.

Some good reviews to look at...

http://www.epinions.com/reviews/Aquarium_Pharmaceuticals_Aquarium_Pharmaceuticals_Stress_Zyme

http://www.petco.com/product/2897/Aquarium-Pharmaceuticals-Stress-Zyme.aspx

 

[Pufferpunk]

Neither are necessary. Stresszyme is just dead bacteria. Stresscoat isn't nearly as good as Prime.

 

[Adhlc]

Pufferpunk hit the nail on the head.

 

[proaquatics]

There it is then. Thnx all again for your opinions

 

[IKeepPacu]

Neither are necessary. Stresszyme is just dead bacteria. Stresscoat isn't nearly as good as Prime.

if its DEAD bacteria, wouldent it make the cycling worse in some cases, or take longer perhaps??

since the bacteriais dead, and wont come back to life, it would have to be processed out of the tank like other wastes, would it not???

 

[cassharper]

eh, stress coat is decent... but not as a water conditioner (well it is, but it is way not economical). I add it to all my 1)Mothers tending fry 2)fish being moved 3)fish in quarantine, hospital, etc. Helps keep their mucus coat intact.

Stress zyme is, excuse my language, crap. About as good as Cycle made by hagen. It may have some nitrifying bacteria (nitrobacter, nitrosomona, etc) but doesn't contain the key family of nitrifying bacteria for the aquarium, nitrospiros. I believe there is only 1 product on the market that can offer this and that is "Bio-Spira". Go to marineland's website and look at the history going into creating Bio-Spira, it is worth the high price.

I used to use API's water conditioner, and it does work nice (I keep some around for emergencies) but I either use prime or the pond water conditioner from petsmart. The latter is so concentrated (plus the tiny amount of tap I use (only about 10% of all my water changes)) I don't really need a lot and it lasts forever.

If you are going to pick a brand and follow it religiously, I would go with SeaChem and Marineland. I have had no problems with ANY SeaChem product I have used and there is only 1 or 2 that I would be hesitant of using.

By the way... this is not an advertisement.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Well put. I used to tell everyone to use Bio-Spira for their tanks, until I found out that many shops & suppliers are not keeping them refrigerated properly. I have been answering a lot of Qs about problems cycling a tank w/B-S. A few storeis about that: I was at a LFS & they had a packet of B-S sitting on their counter. I insisted it be reftigerated & after they read the lable, they put it in the fridge for sale. It had been on their counter for months! Another: I have a friend that's a breeder & he was at a wholesale warehouse & saw skids with cases of B-S on it, that had been there for weeks. He said it was about 90 degrees in there.

 

[ShadowBass]

eh, stress coat is decent... but not as a water conditioner (well it is, but it is way not economical).

Pond stress coat is 15ml to treat 60g, which is less than Prime, but it still takes me forever to use it up.

I really just got tired of the nasty smell of Prime, and I don't have ammonia or nitrites, so who cares that it detoxifies it. I do keep some on hand just in case I need it, but I don't use it for normal water changes anymore.

 

[pwmin]

i use Kordon products ever since we learned about them in fish culture class