# "Stability" new tank stabilizer



## RCinAL (Nov 14, 2010)

Does it work? 

I guess I must have broken-in 25 freshwater tanks in my years by introducing a cheap fish or 2, feeding them very lightly, then adding another few fish a week till I had it completely stocked. If I ever lost a fish during the process I can't remember it. I never had any kind of ammonia test kit or anything - or nitrite, nitrate, PH, salinity, hardness, ect, etc, etc test kits either for that matter. Let's just say I am "old school". Been very successful at it too. 

So, I just set up another tank like always, only this time I used "Stability New Tank Stabilizing System" as the directions dictate. It has been a week. The starter fish are doing great as usual. Can I just toss in whatever I want now because I used this stuff? Or did I waste my money?

I'm hoping some modern aquarist with all the scientific apparatus has done it both ways, kept records, and can tell me if Stability really works.

Thanks,

Ralph


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## luckysarah (Nov 3, 2010)

I have never used it,

I did try using "cycle" once with no result, in fact the tank took longer then normal to cycle.

But I have no experience with this particular product.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

I have used Stability in my 10g when I cycled it. I don't know how this compares to other people without Stability but my tank was tested everyday, and here are the peaks;

Ammonia 3.0ppm
Nitrites 3.0ppm
Nitrates 40ppm (if nitrates peak, I don't know?)

I didn't know that you weren't supposed to cycle a tank with bettas (actually, I the time, I didn't know what a cycle was, not until after I started testing about 2 days into it).

I can't really compare it to my other cycles because my other tank have been cycled with used gravel, water, and filter media (though, this method of cycleing isn't really reliable).

Overall, I think it did a great job. None of my fish showed ANY signs of sickness, or poor health. Though, if you are going to cycle, I would have to recommend a fishless cycle.

I give Stability a thumbs up. I doubt I would have made it through my cycle so well without it.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I have used Stability, and I recommend it. It contains live bacteria to "seed" the new tank. Another product that is near-identical is Tetra's Safe Start, also 100% live bacteria. 

The latter is actually the formulat developed by Dr. Tim Hovanec who also discovered the true bacteria species responsible for the nitrification cycle. You can read more here:
This is Dr. Hovanec's paper, http://aem.asm.org/cgi/reprint/62/8/2888.pdf
This is info on his formula, Freshwater Products

Tetra bought the formula patent from BioSpira I think it was. Don't know where Seachem got theirs but Stability is also 100% live bacteria.

Cycle is chemical not pure bacteria. I did use it back in the 1990's but I would now use either Stability or SafeStart in non-planted tanks. Well-planted tanks need no "cycling" but without plants I would seed the tank with either of these products.

Once the week is up, add the fish a few at a time so as not to overload the bacteria. If you have any live plants, you will have additional help from them assimilating ammonia as ammonium. It takes roughly a full day (20 hours) for both strains of bacteria to increase via binary division if additional "food" is introduced [ammonia and nitrite].

Byron.


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## small fry (Oct 14, 2010)

Byron, are you saying with SafeStart or Stability without live plants you can add fish after one week? My peaks hit after one week, if I introduced them to such a high concentration of ammonia at once, they would probably die from stress.

I am sorry, I probably miss understood the post, I am just clarifing. I think I had my tank at stock level the first day (before the start of the cycle), so that probably wasn't good on the bio-load. My toxicity was probably too high for such good results (not to mention the bio-load).

I guess you could just say we are further looking into the product (and this isn't off topic:-D).

Thanks!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

small fry said:


> Byron, are you saying with SafeStart or Stability without live plants you can add fish after one week? My peaks hit after one week, if I introduced them to such a high concentration of ammonia at once, they would probably die from stress.
> 
> I am sorry, I probably miss understood the post, I am just clarifing. I think I had my tank at stock level the first day (before the start of the cycle), so that probably wasn't good on the bio-load. My toxicity was probably too high for such good results (not to mention the bio-load).
> 
> ...


These products are simply live bacteria, so it is a method of "seeding" the tank. Moving wood, substrate, filter media from an established tank to a new one is the same. So in whichever case, you have to go slow with new fish. Adding the bacteria at once with the fish means the bacteria will use the ammonia (and then nitrite). Fish must be few though, so as not to overload the bacteria which as I mentinoed take time to multiply.


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## RCinAL (Nov 14, 2010)

Wow! Some really great responses. Thanks. It seems I can tell a difference. The water is perfectly clear and odorless and the fish are happy as clams and eating well. But since I don't have any testing equipment I think I will still wait a few more weeks before going full tilt. It sounds like the stuff really works but can only speed up the process, not completely eliminate it.


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## raleej337 (Oct 23, 2010)

I have used Stability and I believe it really works. I used it in my saltwater tank before and I did use it setting up my freshwater tank. I usually add the fish after 24 hours of the first dose, then just continue dosing stability. So far I didn't experience dead fish.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

In my view, these bacteria booster's work for some,and perform poorly for other's. 
Without test kit,,one could not know whether they did or not. I suspect that if they worked well across all aquariums,,then everyone would report similar results which does not appear to be the case.
For myself with no existing tank to borrow some filter material or substrate from, I would consider fishless cycling or,,,adding a very few SMALL fish at ten day intervals ,while monitoring the water via test kit.
I would be prepared to change water if and when ammonia and or nitrites reached stressful levels.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

I use water.

BTW if you have another tank that is mature there is no reason to cycle...

I don't trust "bacteria" additives, I have tried bio spira before and it has zero effect. Anyway, like above you only really "cycle" once and that is your first tank...


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## RCinAL (Nov 14, 2010)

At 2 weeks I now have 12 fish in the tank - 3 Zebra Danios (the original starters), 3 Serpae Tetras (added at 1 week), a Cory Catfish (added at 10 days), and 5 Glowlight Tetras (added at 2 weeks). They are all as small for their type as any I have ever seen for sale - each about the size of a Neon Tetra. I changed 15% of the water at 3 days, 7 days. and 12 days. I am still on a once-a-day light feeding schedule but am about to ramp it up a bit. This may not be the recommended routine, but it is mine and I have a long tradition of good luck starting new tanks. I did trust the "Stability" tank stabilizer though - right or wrong - and sped things up by several weeks

The tank is a 33 gallon long. It is the same size as a 55 but only 13 inches tall. It has a reverse flow undergravel filter powered by two 170 GPH powerheads and two 150 GPH BIO-wheel back filters. I expect enough surface area and enough bio, mechanical, and chemical filtration with this set-up to over-stock it a bit with teaming schools of these fish by 6-8 weeks.

The fish are thriving, the water is clear and polished, and there are no unusual smells. Therefore, I will have to say the week-long "Stabilty" routine did work. I don't think I have had as many fish doing as well so soon in any other new tank. If things do go bad I will update this thread, but 37 years of experience tells me I am over the hump.

Cheers!

Ralph


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