Sceptical About "stability"

[bronzecat]

Hi all

As you know I've recently set up an Aquamarine 900 (38g). When i purchased the tank from a very reputable LFS in Cornwall they mentioned Seachem Stability. Now having heard of all the other "super" potions on the market that dont actually do anything I was a bit sceptical to say the least. As it was fairly cheap I thought I'd give it a go.

I set the tank up, filled it with my salted RO and set the marysis filter going. I have 2 x koralia pumps and 1 seio pump. I then added the correct amount of "Stability". Next day I started adding my LR. I continued to add the "Stability" for the prescribed 7 days.

During this period i checked at least ammonia and nitrIte every day. I haven't actually had a reading of either. As for nitrAte, I started seeing that after a couple of days.

I did a large water change on day 8 and tested the water. Everything looked good, albeit the mag and ca needed raising. These raises were achieved by using Seachem reef complete and mag advantage.

I have had the cuc in for 3 days now.
2 x Peppermint shrimps
4 x Hermits
3 x Turbos

I also have 4 different corals.

I have been feeding the inverts.

My stats as of 30 mins ago were

Temp = 25.5
SG = 1.025
Ammonia = 0
NitrIte = 0
NitrAte = less than 5
Ph = 8.1
Phosphate = 0
Hardness = 8
Calcium = 420ppm
Magnesium = 1280ppm

I will continue to monitor the stats to ensure that they remain stable. It would appear, at this time, that the Stability has actually worked.
I must say I am very surprised by this outcome.

The LFS said that they are so confident about the product, that they use it themselves. Now this is an lfs with an awful lot of tanks and not just a small shop. They have also known of people that have stocked livestock after 3 days of starting a system with no adverse effects. Thats not something i would of done though.

I'm still going to let it settle for a while before adding fish though, just to be on the safe side

 

[SkiFletch]

Glad you had a good experience with setting up your tank . Seachem surely does make good products yet I'm always wary of the effectiveness and necessity of cycling aids like Stability in the reef aquarium world. Surely they're useful in starting FO tanks or also good for freshwater applications where a biological filter needs to be created. Yet in the world of LR, you've already got a built-up biological filter. And if the rock is well cured and the transit time is short to minimize dieoff, there's no reason you can't have this experience with goold old fashioned natural biology .

I know my own LFS does this all the time when setting up large tanks for commercial accounts. They use WELL cured rock, transit times of less than 20 mins, and they bring rock, water, fish, and all to the dry tank and set the whole thing up in less than an hour.

In your situation bronzecat, your success could easily have been the result of good cured rock with strong filtration, Stability, or a combination thereof. Either way, I'm glad you've had success to start off If I may ask one question; How was the Stability packaged and how is it stored in the LFS?

 

[bronzecat]

Yeh, i agrre with you Ski, Probably a combination of LR and stability I suppose the only real way to test the stuff properly, would be to use it in an empty tank (no LR).

I might try on an internal filter in a spare freshwater tank. Got a couple around doing nothing lol.

 

[rabbut]

Slight issue with that test though Different bacteria do the filtering in marine and freshwater tanks, so you need to fill one up with salt water and then start the test for it to be valid

 

[Crazy fishes]

Can I say that I have used stability on all my tanks and it has always done what it said on the tin. All three tanks have cycled in 4 days and I have also used a competitors broth which was useless. What it does is augments the natural cycling process, it isn't a wonder potion that instantly gives you a fully mature filter.

Regards

 

[bronzecat]

Good point rabbut Would be just as easy to to do a salty and a fresh at the same time. I do believe i have 2 x 6 gallon tanks, and 2 x fluval 2's lurking about here somewhere. I'll get some new filter pads so they start the same.

Now i just gotta persuade Netty that its in a good cause

 

[Netty]

Good job I'm nosey and read your posts dear cos that's the first I've heard of using OUR tanks for your little experiment

 

[bronzecat]

See what i gotta put up with