Tetra SafeStart Plus, For Newly Set-Up Fish aquariums, 100 ml, 3.38-Ounce

Works every time! I restarted my 20-gallon long tank with new substrate and a new filter, keeping only a small piece of bio sponge. I also switched to soft RO with low ph water from very hard high ph, so I wasn’t sure whether any of the remaining beneficial bacteria survived the change. The bio colony probably took a major hit—maybe even died off completely. After adding Tetra SafeStart Plus, my tank was fully cycled in just three days! Ammonia dropped to zero and nitrates started showing up. WOW! I could have added fish back after those three days, but I waited a little longer just to make sure there were no new spikes. A week later with fish in the tank—still no spikes. I consider the tank cycled again. I can actually see the nitrifying bacteria attaching to the glass in little transparent brown circles and everywhere else, like watching a little petri dish inside my aquarium grow. It’s all good! I’ll let it stay on the glass for a bit before cleaning it off. I poured the whole 3.39 ounce bottle into the filter.

Works well. I have done this successfully several times. Make sure you purchase Tetra SafeStart "Plus" and not just SafeStart. Bottle labels are almost identical. Check with the manufacturer if you have questions. Follow the SafeStart "Plus" directions for your size tank. Check the various manufacturer's sites for directions on all products you plan to use. My personal suggestions follow. Patience helps. I am not in favor of fishless starting, while others prefer it. My preference is to start the cycle with fish. Purchase at your LFS, a hardy danio/minnow that you will either keep or return/donate unharmed after a short time. My method proceeds like this: After establishing a stable temperature and filter/light setup for a couple of days, (1) add chlorine/chloramines conditioner, (2) SafeStart "Plus", (3) an ammonia/nitrite/nitrate conditioning additive, and (4) finally the one danio, all in about a 15-minute period in the described order to your aquarium. Additives are used in accordance with manufacturer's recommended concentrations and directions. I prefer to introduce fish slowly rather than all at once. An exception would be extremely territorial types. I am uncomfortable guessing as to the formation of the cycling process, so I test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate every couple of days. Some skip testing for ammonia. When nitrite forms, then increases substantially and then decreases to "0" and nitrate forms, the cycle is complete. Another fish, or two, may be added when nitrite and ammonia readings are both "0". Overall, ammonia should always remain "0". Nitrite should always remain "0". Continue fish addition each week or so, adding fish sparingly to not more than the stocking maximum for your size aquarium. Less is better. Be patient. Test water parameters. In an abundance of caution, I add a small amount of SafeStart "Plus" daily for about a week or two. Every other day, I add chlorine/chloramines conditioner (converts the chlorine/chloramines and also the ammonia to less toxic forms) to reduce stress on the fish. Dose the conditioner as per bottle directions. What is happening: (1) The bottle bacteria initiate the cycle until naturally forming bacteria are established within the filter and on aquarium surfaces. The natural bacteria are required long term. (2) The chlorine/chloramines/ammonia conditioner converts these chemicals to less toxic forms to help protect the fish during the cycle initiation. (3) Maintain the filter as directed by the manufacturer. Make regular, periodic conditioned water changes, as per your LFS suggestions. The use of modern, chlorine/chloramines/ammonia conditioners during the cycling initiation will not interfere with cycle completion. Check with the manufacturer if concerned. There are several excellent chlorine/chloramines/ammonia conditioning products available. Always use them in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. I have my favorites. Consult your LFS for advice and confirm on the manufacturer's site. An abundance of helpful reference literature on aquariums is available.

GREAT product. this really does help your tank cycle quickly. this time i started up a 2.5 gallon tank with a filter and heater. it houses a single male betta. i set up tank and put the betta in there last sunday. six nights later (last night) i tested the water and i actually have a small amount of nitrates. no ammonia and no nitrites....YAY! a cycyled tank in 6 days. i've also used safe start to cycle a 20 gallon tank and it did so in 9 days. and even during that time i didn't get any ammonia or nitrite spikes at all. my tips are....add safe start and turn off lights (i think uv light kills the bacteria) i added just before turning at night. also SHAKE THE BOTTLE. shake the crap out of it. not sure why, but thats what i've always heard. and go a head and get a master test kit by API...but you need it to track your water's quality.

it a great product

I've purchased this on two different occasions when starting two different tanks in hopes of speeding up the cycling process. I can't say that it doesn't work, because it definitely seems that my tanks cycled a lot faster than expected (within a week or two each time). However, I wouldn't say it's an instant cure for cycling your tank. It says on the bottle that you can add fish instantly, which I tried with it when using it on my first 20 gallon, and most of the fish did end up surviving (only lost one out of a school of 5 harlequin rasboras), but I would still be careful doing that. Overall, I think it's a good product. It definitely helps speed up the cycling process, but it isn't an instant cycle.

I been using this in my baths to see if I can grow fins..I tried to marry this beautiful beach ,but I guess you can own sand fleas. Dam you sand flees.... please read the instructions carefully before using.

Hace un excelente trabajo

I don’t have the patience to go through weeks to stabilize and nitrogen cycle so combination of three things keep all my fishes alive from the first day after I setup the tank 1) API master test kit 2) Seachem Prime 3) Tetra Safe start (This product) . Seachem Prime can go upto 5 times the dose so i usually use everyday for the first week to keep the ammonia , Nitrite , Nitrates non toxic for the fishes, I pour the full bottle of Tetra self start which starts working is magic of beneficial bacteria. I use API master test kit to keep tag on water parameters through the first 3 weeks. I’m yet to see Ammonia , Nitrite or Nitrate spike in any of my tanks and fishes thrive from day one of a new tank setup. I stopped moving biomax or filters around from one tank to another. I just change 25% of water every weekend. With such products , legacy way of doing nitrogen cycle is now just a myth. Proven multiple times. Within 4 weeks , tanks are stabilized to a natural cycle with bacteria breaking down the ammonia and nitrites and plants sucking up all the nitrates to thrive. Just make sure other water parameters are also in place. I just use RO water with Seachem Equilibirum to reminerlize and also keep tag of the PH and KH. After a while you will get used to the right amount the tanks require to maintain that balance