Stress zyme

[wian]

hi guys we were recaintly told that we could use stress zyme to take our nitrite levels down and that its safe for axies is this true?

 

[lea]

I would be inclined to do daily water testing followed by water changes. I dont like to add anything to my tanks unless a vet says to do(then i check just to be sure).

 

[Kylillilly]

I have dangerously high ammonia got it to 3.0 ppm but was on 6 or 7.0ppm.
Recently I was talked into buying a bottle of 'Stress Zyme' but the nice lady at the local aquarium. She insisted that it would introduce colonies of beneficial bacteria.

Many forum posters leave scathing reports about this product, citing that is has high expense vs. low effectiveness.

The bottled bacteria requires both ammonia and oxygen to survive or even thrive. Can someone please tall me if the bacteria die off whilst sitting and waiting on the shelf in its air tight bottle?

Or does it survive on a supply of an aqueous solution of dissolved oxygen?

If not, are the dead cells of the intended beneficial aerobic bacteria consumed by harmful anaerobic bacteria?

Why does this product have such contrasting reviews from its users?

 

[Jenste]

The only thing that gets rid of ammonia in an uncycled tank is physically removing it by water changes. Adding a bottled chemical is like putting a bandaid on a broken leg - pointless, unnecessary, unhelpful, and could just hurt that little bit more in the long run.

Remove ammonia from an uncycled tank by doing water changes. If you have ammonia readings after a water change, it means you need to do another water change. Test, and repeat if necessary. It can take a few months for the bacteria in the filter to mature enough to handle the bioload in your tank. The important thing is to never change the filter media, or if you do, only when it is literally falling apart and replace it in segments, not all at once so you do not lose your bacteria colony. Also, do not add chemical additives to your water to try and fix a problem. Most problems in tanks are solved by adding fresh water to the tank. The only "chemicals" you should be using is a tap water conditioner to all new water being put into your tank. The fish store is there to make a profit, and selling you all these "miracle" solutions is a very easy way to make a quick buck off of you.

 

[Colinna]

I agree with Jenste!

If you want, think of your ammonia reading like this:

1.0ppm - you do a 75% water change - your ammonia reading should now be 0.25

So for Kylillilly:

3.0ppm - you do a 75% water change - your ammonia reading "should" go down to 0.75

That is providing there are no other factors pushing the ammonia up dramatically (excess waste, excess food, plant debris, etc).

Things like Stress Zyme & Ammo Locke are reputed to detoxify ammonia and NitrItes. However, the only sure fire way to do this is with water changes.

I'm currently having to recycle one of my tropical tanks due to a problem. I'm down to 1.0 ppm of ammonia and I'm still doing 75% water changes per day to help bring it down.

 

[Kylillilly]

Thank you so much Colinna and Jenste!!

I am a beginner, and have had to learn which source of information to trust the hard way. Although the local aquarium team were right on general things, nothing they would sell to me was working.

A good old fashioned 60-70% water change took it from 3.0 down to 1.0ppm, which is still alarmingly high, but I am just as relieved as the axies evidently were to see a response in the results after many weeks of somehow surviving in even higher concentration.

I was religiously changing 25% each week, but to no avail. What I needed was the reassuring guidance to have the confidence to take more drastic approach to changing the water.

 

[Jenste]

Yea change the water until you can keep the ammonia as close to 0 as possible. Even 1.00 is very very high.

Just make sure all new water has been treated with a tap water conditioner to remove chlorine etc. Try and temp match as close as possible and you are good to go.

Use a siphon, if you aren't already, to remove the water from the bottom. Waste settles at the bottom and this is where you need to take out from. Skimming water from the top leaves the "bad stuff" behind rotting on the bottom of the tank. (Waste and sediment is heavier than water, even when broken down into very tiny pieces it will settle at the bottom )

When it doubt, change it out! Nothing makes a fresh water animal happier than *fresh* water

 

[Kylillilly]

'Nothing makes a fresh water animal happier than fresh water' is now my mantra.

This morning's ammonia reading is at 0.25ppm after a 60-70% change (with chlorine treatment) After syphoning out even more, I expect it to drop to 0.0675% tomorrow!

The more I learn, the more I am bewildered at the fact that they survived in 7.0ppm for so long!!!!

I am looking forward to seeing the white spots of their ammonia burn heal once the stress of enduring filthy water has been removed. I would like to know if those conditions have incurred any permanent / internal damage?

 

[Colinna]

That's great news!!

Fingers crossed for you!!

Now if only my tropical tank would cooperate I'd be right.

 

[jessicaanne]

I would like to know if those conditions have incurred any permanent / internal damage?

I had an ammonia level of 8 at one point before I knew what was 'good' for my axolotl so I'm also interested to know if these levels cause permanent/internal damage in the long run