Beneficial Bacteria 101: Are You Using The Right Type? At The Right Time?

[@pizzapizza5573]

i’m doing a presentation saturday at petsmart and this info REALLY helped!! thank you :D

[@dmichaelsfishden]

I'm so glad and how cool!!! Good luck on your presentation! Let me know how it goes. I'm sure you will kill it! 👍

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

The music background wasn't helpful at all !!! 🥁🙉🥁

[@Fetchestofthemall]

I just wanted to say first and foremost this is the most clear, concise and informative video I have yet to come across, especially for us beginners! I have been trying to get this right for just about a year now and even with the help of a fish keeper of over 30 years I am still confused lol. So, I wanted to say thank you and you are amazing before anything! So now to my questions lol. Unfortunately I got into the hobby randomly and didn’t research first, I went to the big box store (petsmart) and no one explained the tank cycle they literally told me to set up the tank, add QuickStart and put my fish in 24 hours later. Yeah that went terrible lol. Anyways now I have two 10 gallon tanks with 1 betta in each and a 20 gallon with 3 glofish, 2 mollys and 1 platty. To start with my oldest tank- 10 gallon with betta - I put him through hell trying to figure this out and he endured crazy off the wall toxicity levels I’m not sure how he is alive, yet the healthiest thriving boy ever! Well I ended up doing in fish cycle and I used fluval cycle concentrated biological booster (you mention biological enhancer , do you know if these are the same or am I using the wrong thing? It’s been about 6-7 months since I have been cycling his tank so I’m pretty sure it’s done. However I think I crashed it a few times..... I always test and make sure ammo and nitrite are at 0 but for some reason my nitrates have never been constantly rising in this tank which I believe it how you know your cycled. Sometimes I will get 5-10ppm but each week I test their typically not there or just around 5. About 2 months ago I got a crazy algae bloom (brown sludge looking algae and green) first time I ever saw this and after scrubbing down ornaments, tank and water change it comes right back...... however I never am seeing rising nitrates 😰😰😰 assuming fluval biological booster is the correct bacteria I typically do the recommended dose on the back of the bottle under (all regular maintenance activities, i.e. water changes, filter maintenance etc) there is also a weekly dose to maintain a strong beneficial biological colony.... I change his water, use prime, add the BB, stress guard and purchased pristine but was worried that it was the same thing as the fluval but now I see it’s sludge eating. I also have stability, correct me if I’m wrong but I would only use fluval, stability, QuickStart ... just choose one correct? Also, what would you say about TSS. I used that in cycling my other 10 gallon with betta and never ever g it nitrites it skipped from ammo to nitrates.... whooo this is a long post I apologize lol... okay so that’s the situation with my oldest tank. Please advise to best of your ability being I have a million questions, I’m trying to be as clear and include everything. Now my 20 gallon... it’s been about 4 months or so maybe longer, I did fish in cycling and unfortunately the pet store told me I could stock 10-11 fish to start... I lost 4-5 along the way but it’s been about a good month and a half and I have 6 that seem to be doing really well. I had a family emergency very unexpected and the person who was supposed to maintain tanks cancelled on me so I went about a month without doing anything to them. On 1/19 my readings were 1ppm ammo/0 nitrite/5 nitrate/6.6 ph... I last saw nitrites 3 weeks prior. Today my readings were 2ppm ammo, 0 nitrites, around 30 nitrates and 6.0 ph.... thankfully I have an older person next door that was able to do minimal and added prime every other day to protect them from ammo or nitrite. So my question is with this tank would you say I’m cycled or should I continue doing prime doses and wait until my ammo is 0??? I was thinking ammo is only up because 6 fish going to the bathroom and broken down food not being changed for a month could have raised it and I might be cycled? I just don’t want it o crash.... hopefully that was clear, I appreciate any information and help you can provide me! Again, thank you for such an amazing video!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Dominique - thank you for the kind words! Yes, a lot of these products can be confusing and it took me a few years to really get my arms around them, when to use them, and even if to use them. And unfortunately, the people at the big box stores don't always have the best advice (not their fault - they just tell you what they are told...a lot of them don't even keep fish). You definitely can't add a little Quick Start then add fish 24 hours later. But this is how we learn. I started by buying at big box stores before my local fish store (only shop at my local fish store now and with reputable online retailers), so I made a lot of the same mistakes based on the advice of the employees at the big box stores. Cycling a tank (which even with bottled beneficial bacteria - Fluval Biological Enhancer, QuickStart, etc..) takes a week or two. And the bacteria needs an ammonia source to feed on (you can put fish food in the tank and let it "rot" and decompose - creates ammonia for the bacteria to feed on). But when a tank is cycled, ammonia and nitrites will be 0 AND a good indication is that you start to get some algae :) Your 10 gallon tank - the Fluval Biological Booster/Enhancer is exactly the right thing to use, so you did a great job! (it has the red cap on it). The Fluval Biological Cleaner is the sludge eating and has the purple cap on it. Your nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites are all at great levels, so yes, I would say the tank is certainly cycled. The sludge eating bacteria won't eat at the algae, but it is a good sign the algae is there. To reduce the algae, I would only keep the lights on for 5 to 6 hours a day. Algae is usually caused by too much light, too many nutrients in the tank. A weekly dose of the biological booster is great to keep the colony up for maintenance, and one dose per week is all you need. On a separate day, you can add biological cleaner for maintenance. But yes, only use one biological booster (either stability, biological enhancer, quick start, etc...) you definitely only need one. Stress Guard is great to dose for preventative maintenance as well. And It is great to have on hand - what that is is essentially 1. A "liquid bandage" for fish. If they get any mild cuts, scrapes, scratches, missing scales, Stress Guard strengthens their slime coat and puts a "liquid bandage" over the wounds so that opportunistic bacteria can't get it the wound. 2. Helps keep fish's slime coat healthy, so this is why it doesn't hurt to dose it once a week. Your 20 gallon - Your water parameters look great, so that appears to be cycled as well. :) But remember Prime is a water conditioner (you definitely need it and still need to keep using it). Prime doesn't exactly get rid of ammonia....it makes it so that the ammonia turns into ammonium and isn't toxic to the fish. But you still want to get the BB colony established so that it eats the ammonia on its own. Once a tank is cycled, the beneficial bacteria will maintain themselves - adding BB once a week certainly doesn't hurt to keep the colony up - but it looks like both of your tanks are cycled at this point. :) I have a routine that's worked great for me for years....once a tank is cycled - I do my water changes and add Seachem prime to condition the new water (Hikari Ultimate is also good). After the water change I add a little sludge eating bacteria you can use any product (Fluval Biological Cleaner, Pristine, API Stress Zyme, etc...). I also add a little Stress Guard OR Kordon Fish Protector. Both help keep fish's slime coats strong. I'll add beneficial bacteria whenever I feel I need it for a boost. And I test my water once a week to make sure everything is all good :) I've been doing the above for the last 4 years consistently, and it works really well for me. Hope all that helps a little?

[@cdropbox]

agree. this is a incredible video!!!

[@chameleon9112]

I am a new fish owner and I would like to say thank you. Its videos like this that help me learn and make this hobby more fun. Thank you.

[@melissasaucedo5576]

This video was extremely helpful. As a beginner, this information helped set me on track. Thank you!!!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Glad it was helpful, Melissa! Thanks for watching! 😀

[@kheilawarheart]

Could not have been more helpful!! Thank you! 😊

[@jaz58107]

Thank you so much for this! I'm setting up a 14 gallon & getting overwhelmed with all the different products out there for cycling and this has helped me to pick the right one's, & it's easy to understand you're a god send!

[@1ntycen1]

Now this is what I'm talking about straight to the point no bias... Thank you!!!

[@alexandracolorado1421]

I've been keeping fish on and off since I was a kid and understood how to cycle a tank but I never really understood it. I would some how almost always cycle it. But I never understood why it finally cycled till now. I have to agree with the people in the comments thank you so much for dumbing this down.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Alexandra - my pleasure! I didn’t understand it for a long time either. All these products were really confusing to me when I first started in the hobby

[@dianewarde6074]

Thank you! I am trying to do a fish in cycle and was confused by all these products. Great video

[@josephparson7023]

You are a godsend!!! Thank you SO MUCH!! Been in the hobby forever, and never understood the whole "bacteria" thing until this video. Thank you.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Joseph. Glad it was helpful! Took me until I was several years in the hobby to understand the difference myself.....

[@brendaborden2507]

Thanks for this video, I had the same thought with the Stress Zyme. I will get some nitrifying stuff asap

[@MrRob2011]

Hi I’m new to fishkeeping and searched the internet far and wide for information on what different products do and found nothing UNTIL NOW this video is very very informative THANK YOU 🙏

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Rob d - my pleasure! And welcome to the hobby! Glad to see you got into it! You'll find a lot of support here online - Let me know if I can help further down the line!

[@redsev4484]

You will find most professional fish keepers will not mess with adding and messing around with chemicals. The bacteria needed for your nitrogen cycle are ever present and will grow naturally on your biologist media. You may use something to dechlorinate your water but that's were you should stop. The more you mess with things the more trouble you ask for.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

@@redsev4484 I completely agree with you about adding chemicals, absolutely, and I'm glad you pointed that out. However, it's important to note the products highlighted in this video are not chemicals but simply strains of bacteria - nitrosomonas, nitrobacter, etc...all naturally occurring bacteria - these products simply help speed up the cycling of a new tank or help with continued tank maintenance. While you are correct, bacteria needed for the cycle are ever present, cycling a new tank naturally without adding bacteria and an ammonia source for them to feed on can take a few months. Understandably, many prefer this option. My preference is always to add some bacteria and a little fish food as an ammonia source to kick start the cycle for a healthier tank. In my experience, this speeds up the cycling process and has worked well for me for 7 years, but that is simply my preference and experience. Where I believe beneficial bacteria in products like these is absolutely essential is in cases where hobbyists need to medicate for disease, do not have a hospital tank, and need to use strong antibiotics such as Erythromycin for gram positive bacteria strains, etc..... If this beneficial bacteria is not added to the tank while medicating to keep the colony up, the antibiotics will not only wipe out the bad bacteria, but the beneficial bacteria as well and this will crash the tank, leading to tremendous ammonia and nitrite spikes. Whenever I need to medicate, though rare and a last resort, I always add beneficial bacteria during the process to keep my colony up. All that being said, thank you for the comment and I hope you continue to advise hobbyists not to introduce real chemicals in their tanks. I try to do the same on my side, as I agree with you, that leads to nothing but trouble!

[@Rough-inevitable]

Wow! Learn something new everytime I watch your videos. Thanks!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Steve - my pleasure! Glad the video was helpful!

[@cdropbox]

really great vid

[@UnityDoesWhatever]

I know this video is old but it really helped me figure out what to do as I have been cycling my tank for about 6 weeks with nothing in it and it doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference as far as the tests go! Gonna give some of these a try!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Unity - Glad it was helpful! It's a bit of an older video but still relevant :) Thanks for watching!

[@UnityDoesWhatever]

J U S T I C E I have the plants and decorations and hiding place. By nothing in it, I meant no fish! But I looked into what he talked about in the video and 2 weeks later the water parameters were perfect when the max cycle time had ended for new ranks however what I used made it happen in 3 days I just waited cause the tank was a bit cloudy! Anyway I now have 9 cute fishies :3

[@slickchick5811]

Fascinating. So actually these bacterial groups complement each other, both pre and post cycle.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

SlickChick - right? They absolutely do compliment each other, pre and post. Just have to use the right ones. 😉Really appreciate you checking out the video!

[@Peter12029]

thanks this was very helpful , there are so many brands out there

[@jimmyzulian9650]

Holy cow . This is a very informative video. So i just bought an api stresszyme coz i just dosing nitrification bacteria. Thanks for the vids mate.

[@madyasmr8]

Thanks so much! I have been looking for this information for hours.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Maddison!

[@aquariumenthusiast1948]

Seachem Pristine cleaning the tank not Stress guard . Stress guard is antiseptic for curing the fish for minor injury and stress when transporting

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Aquarium Enthusiast - You are absolutely right! That was a mistake in the video - awhile back I made the correction in the notes, so hopefully folks will see that. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@staciesassine5420]

Very helpful!!! Exactly the mistake I was making adding the sludge bacteria instead of nitrifying.. thank you!!!

[@PeiN361]

Thank you so much for clarifying the products. I was using stress Zyme from start and can’t seem to get nitrifying going. Ammonia always at 0.50ppm and 0.25 after water change. I can’t seem to get the cycle going until I saw ur video so thank u again.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Jon! I love stress zyme and use it all the time, after every water change, for maintenance purposes. It's great "sludge eating bacteria." But yes, there are definitely better products out there to get the cycle going. Glad the video was helpful! 👍

[@3o5richierich]

jon doe I was doing the same thing.. no one tells you what to use for the bacteria to start. This is the only video that breaks it down

[@togetherwefall04]

You are the man.! Thank you for the info..

[@rong295721]

Seachem Pristine is the sludge eating/maintenance. Stress guard is like api stress coat.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Ron - you are absolutely right. "typo" on my part. Sorry about that

[@tranduy8553]

Thanks for pointing this out Ron. Appreciated.

[@jaguaresed]

Yessss I was gonna say that haha I went to petco last time and saw the pristine but forgot the name then came to this video but wasnt 100 sure if it was that one haha but other than that good video

[@grich7746]

Just found this video and I love it. I am now subscribed and an instant fan. Thank you for the info cause I didn't know about the sludge eating bacteria. Keep up the good work.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

GRich77 really appreciate the kind words and proud to have you aboard! Glad the video was helpful to you!

[@tearsofviolin]

Sooo helpful, big thanks!!!

[@dgc7321]

Thank you...very informative. I am trying to cycle a new 55 gallon tank and this helps immensely. Well done!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

David - thank you for the kind words. I'm really glad the video was helpful to you - Best of luck with the 55 gallon! What a fun project!! Thank you for checking out the video, my friend!

[@gailcousins3693]

This was very informative in which products to use and what they do in the fish tank.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Thanks for the kind words, Gail! Glad it was helpful to you!

[@MrJohnblaine]

Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY A VIDEO THAT CRYSTAL CLEAR DIAMOND 💎 SHARP IN UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!! THANKS BOTHER!!!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure John - glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@cdropbox]

best video on this topic

[@Adiryo]

Thank you for the helpful video so much I learned

[@gondar7924]

Very helpful for me, 👍👍👍 thanks!

[@hh__3347]

What a wonderfully clear and helpful video! Thank you!!!

[@niladrinath6043]

Well explained video in a simple manner ❤

[@AbdulaVarol]

Hi. I found your channel for some time and i love the way you make this videos. Even are basically information for beginer's, I watched all videos beause you have this nice way to present things. I hope you don't mind but if it is ok i want to point some things about the subject of this video. The ideea is that because i'm from Europe i use Seachem products, because API is hard to find and i have some experience with their products. The "ludge eating" Bacteria as you called it is not made by Stress Guard from Seachem. They have 2 other great products for this: Pristine that decompose excess food, waste and detritus and Clarity that will crystal clear your water because will make all floating particles to clumb together in larger pieces that can be mechanical filtrated. StressGuard is a good product to use for fish transportation. Cheers

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Varol - Appreciate the kind words! Yep, the channel is intended for beginning to intermediate planted tank keepers. I'm certainly no expert, just sharing my experience along the way 😀 And you are absolutely right about Pristine and Clarity! I'm glad you commented! I should make a correction video on that - I meant to talk about Pristine....now I'm not sure why in the world I had the Stress Guard picture and narration in there 🤔 Good catch, my friend! Thank you for the support, for watching the vids, and for pointing this out!

[@cheqhy6679]

Thank you so much!!!

[@Roxy92593]

Thank you for this! On my way to pick up some seachem pristine right away!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure Roxy! Glad it was helpful! 👍

[@tranduy8553]

Like your video, thank you very much. May I ask how Seachem Stress Guard is different with Seachem Pristine? Thank you.

[@meggrotte4760]

Just wanted to say thanks cuz one of my tanks was starting to have a little bit of algae and I've got you know the first stuff that you mentioned which is the API stress guard and I've got plant food for the plants and Water Conditioner but now I'll go pick up a bottle of Fluval the one that you were mentioning I'm an American living in Taiwan so the products that we have are somewhat limited but I try to buy the best of everything

[@dmichaelsfishden]

meg grotte my pleasure! There are a lot of products out there. They all do the same thing. 👍

[@stevieruhle5347]

This video is very informative and we'll made. Great job man good stuff

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Thanks for the kind words, Stevie! Very glad it was helpful!

[@nandos_]

very great video! Extremely helpful. No wonder there are no dislikes on this video!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

ItsHerpDerp - glad it was helpful!! Thank you for watching and for the support!

[@brojonathanjones5195]

Very informative,thanks for a great video!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

[@flaviaboavida75]

Good video

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Thanks, Flav! Appreciate the kind words!

[@calvinneoh9726]

Omg...I also got same mistake....thank you this is important information Please keep making more video Is this mean we must use 2 products together when change water?

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Calvin - My pleasure! Once your tank is cycled, you really only need to use sludge eating bacteria like Stress Zyme...if you want. You don't have to. I find it is helpful for tank maintenance so I dose API Stress Zyme after each water change. If your tank isn't cycled, that is when you would use the beneficial bacteria, like Fluval Bio-logical enhancer, etc...But again, if you tank is cycled, you really only need a good water conditioner (if you are using tap water), and a little Stress Zyme or another sludge eating bacteria for maintenance, if you decide to :)

[@candiwine]

Thank you, thank you!!! For the videos on this and macro/micros

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Candice! Thanks for watching!!

[@SangNguyen-pz3lj]

Best educational video

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Sang Nguyen thank you for the very kind words! So glad it was helpful! 😊

[@organic.form310]

Thanks for the info! Learning a lot from you man

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure!! Glad the videos are helpful! 👍

[@AquaticHaus]

Another awesome educational video, great to easily share among new comers to the hobby or to learn more indepth details with these! Great Job!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Aquatic Haus thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I cater more toward the beginner/intermediate folks - since half the time I feel like one...myself...most of the time....😉. Thanks for checking out the vid! Hope you are well, my friend. Keep up the great work yourself! 👊

[@amymhchan1584]

Thanks. I was looking for supplements but this video is better.

[@mden2490]

What is your opinion on Dr Tims aquatics and FritzZyme 7? I am a newbie and purchased a 20gal long tank and would like to begin the cycling process? How long does one wait before adding fish? I would assume that the tank should be all set up with plants, wood, rocks and filter of choice working when adding these products?

[@nonenone9736]

Yes the tank should be all set up. Dr tims all in one is a good product to start cycling your tank. You'll need to add ammonia or a fish that's hardy to help cycle your tank. It should take about 4 to 6 weeks. Add fish after that slowly

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Completely agree with None None’s comment. Absolutely right. 👍

[@nonenone9736]

@@dmichaelsfishden glad to see you're ok

[@sarge6870]

@@nonenone9736 On target. Adding fish too fast creates a big bio-load that can cause a mini-crash to your tank cycle. The more fish, the more food and the more waste your tanks parameters have to fight with to remain normal.

[@bk2pla]

Thanks for the super informative video! I didn't realize there were two different kinds of bottled bacteria. I only knew about the sludge ones and heard tales of folks trying to use that kind to cycle a new tank, which doesn't work out too well, as you mentioned. But now that my heavily planted tank has built up some sludge I think I'll try the sludge kind. It's tough to vac thoroughly around the plants, and the amano shrimp and snails miss a lot. Btw, you have a great voice, ever thought of doing voice over work? I meant besides your own awesome videos? Thanks again!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Barbara - Thank you for the kind words! These beneficial bacteria are our All-Stars for sure....for years I used the sludge bacteria to try to cycle tanks myself 😳 Thought this video might be helpful 😀 Yes! Definitely try the "sludgers" in your planted tank - from my experience they do make a difference, and you are absolutely right, it's tough to vac much around the plants. Thanks for the sweet comment about my voice! 😊 I used to do a little radio work back in the day (lost my "radio voice accent"), but never thought of voice over work...but who knows...maybe in the future...🤔😉 Thank you so much for watching the videos and for the support. So glad they are helpful and that you are enjoying them!

[@urbansk8r231]

Hi, great info. So what is that thin lean leaf foreground plant called?

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Glad it was helpful! That is dwarf sagittaria in the front 👍Also called sagittaria subulata

[@urbansk8r231]

Thought that was dwarf sag -didnt know its other name. Can you think of another foreground plant similar to dwarf sag?..as i cant seem to find it in Australia. Also i dont want any chain sword or hair grass, as i dont want to completely cover my black aqua iron sand by famous scaper oliver knott. The reason is its black and has sparkly twinkly bits in it. It really makes the tank stand out. Thanks man. 👊

[@glenmoss02]

Excellent info. Thanks. Learned a lot. New sub.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Thanks for the kind words, Glen! Very glad it was helpful, welcome, and proud to have you on board!

[@nibrashamdan9921]

very informative .. thanks

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Nibras! Thank you for watching!

[@MrsBaRCa]

Awesome video! I purchased the fluval bacteria enhancer.. I have a new 15 gallon tank that only has Betta in and maybe later on will add 2 snails.. Should I also purchase bio cleaner or will the bacteria enhancer and the betta conditioner will do the work?

[@lilhotdevil888]

BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION 👏👏👏 A+++++

[@DebTim]

HI D.. excellent video and very well explained!! Loved it.. I do as Colin does.. just use all my extra filters I have running but when you have just a tank or two you would definitely benefit from the right bacteria. Hope you are having a great week!! =D ♥♥

[@dmichaelsfishden]

DebTim A CANADIAN Girl thanks, Deb!! Yep, much easier to just use previous filter media or gravel - Have to tell you I was surprised at how many bacteria products are out now....😳. My buddy is starting from scratch so he needed a bottle and wow - every company has their own version now a days. But good to know the "good guy bacteria" is widely available 😀. Hope you are doing well, Deb! 😀

[@pauldeacon5615]

Thank you! That video was really helpful!! 😁

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Paul - Appreciate you watching!

[@Timtotheworld]

Very informative as always! Please keep on posting more!!!!!recently was given a master test kit and upon testing my water it appears my tank is not cycled . This tank has been going for over a year with a betta, Ammonia shows as between 0 and 0.15 ppm. I guess quick start would be the way to go but I'm puzzled as to how the betta has lived this long. I do have lots of plants and water change 1-2 times a week. Also added a Nerite snail after I seen your video on big john but maybe stress zyme would also help with brown algae/diatom. Not cycled is maybe why over the year I had battled fin rot but have stop it from progressing, no fin growth at all mind you. Sometimes all these products Make me wonder how much I over think as far as chemicals going in this little 2.6 gallon of mine,I already feel like I worry too much with fertilizer and CO2 booster. Anyways again thank you for another great video!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Tim - as always, thank you for the kind words! Many more vids on the way 😎 I think you are on to a few things here. #1, I think you are right on regarding over thinking chemicals. There are so many products on the market, all designed, of course, for profit, but I really think we only need half of them, if that. On a previous build on my 2.6 gallon (it's been through 3 redesigns), I didn't dose at all - just a little excel, and the plant growth was excellent. I've switched from EI dosing to simply dosing NilocG's Thrive twice a week - it's a fabulous all in one fert. Sometimes in the hobby, less is more....😉 Interesting about your tank....it should be cycled, but something is causing an ammonia build up...I would try to add Quick Start or one of the other products that offer Nitrifying bacteria. That may give your BB colony a boost. Your BB Bacteria will grow not only in your filter but in your substrate bed, on driftwood, rocks, etc...there actually isn't too much in the water column...they need something to grab onto (that's why bio media is rough and porous). How are your nitrite, nitrate readings? Glad you added a Nerite Snail!!! They are awesome, and Big John is still over here kicking butt for me 😀 The Stress Zyme mostly handles decomposing organic material - as algae and diatoms are living organisms, I'm not sure the Zyme will work, but certainly worth a try. Let your Nerite work a bit for you and see how it goes. Dosing a little excel will help stem the algae growth as well - of course, the best recourse with algae is to modify your lighting - perhaps cut back a little on the light duration, add a very small amount of Seachem excel, let your ol' Nerite work for you. Keep in touch on the tank! Sounds like you are doing everything just right - having a ton of plants help, FOR SURE. Try to add a little Quick Start - let's see if we can boost that BB colony 👍

[@Timtotheworld]

dmichaels fish den my lighting is on 3 hours in the morning and 4 in the evening. I dose .25ml API co2 booster (excel equivalent) every morning...Nitrate/nitrite read 0 The nerite is a crazy pooper, my rocks are so clean but he hasn't touched the plants yet. As for nutrients Fluval root tabs since you came out with tab video and leaf zone once a week. I recently reduce leaf zone to .50 a ml a week. But other then that I must pick some QuickStart up I guess. My water I always leave in a pre-made jug with the stress coat added but I don't think that would cause ammonia spike sitting around in jug

[@Timtotheworld]

another thought is I'm using API stress coat for water, Maybe switching to prime would be a good idea

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Tim - you are definitely cycled if your nitrate and nitrite readings are 0 - Interesting that your nitrate readings are totally 0 though. So here is a situation where you may need to add some Nitrogen to the water column, which plants do need - a lot of the time they soak it up through nitrates....I'm with you, less dosing is more, but in certain cases....it's there for a reason 👍 Nitrogen is one of the plant nutrient macros. You can add some of this by picking up a single bottle of Nitrogen liquid...Seachem has one, but NilocG Thrive also has a great all in one product. I know just dose THRIVE once a week - has the Nitrogen content you need as well. Your root tabs also Nitrogen in them, but you may need to supplement a bit more...We do want nitrates about 5 - 15ppm. Your tank sounds cycled but always safe to pick up some Quick Start and try to add a bit to get your colony going a little. Definitely use prime as your water conditioner though. It will help bind ammonia, making it non toxic, and it will get rid of any chloramine or chlorine in your water. Unless perhaps you are using well water? .....and yeah...the Nerites are big time poopers....💩 But at least you know he's doing his job, my friend!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

In my experience, I love Prime. Stand by it and am a loyal user. 👍 Not that Stress Coat is bad...works great too. Prime has just never let me down....so I've never changed 😀

[@gordonchoo429]

Great information, I’m so confuse about this two products. Even my local fish store told me to use stress zyme for nitrifying omg! Quick start only for start up a new tank😂😂

[@mastersantana]

Keep up the good work

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Sure will, Elvis! Thank you for your support!

[@jc49fishniner4lif7]

WOW thank you so much for doing the homework for us very useful info just like always great video ,,and for sharing 👍👍

[@dmichaelsfishden]

George Calderon thanks, George!! Glad you enjoyed it and I'm glad it was helpful. I sure got a good reminder from the experience! 👍

[@AussieAquatic]

First up, I must admit that I have never ever bought and used, bacteria in a bottle, in all my fishkeeping years. I have however always taken dirty filter media, or gravel, from other healthy established tanks. But either way, borrowed or bought, bacteria are vital folks!!!! Another great video production. :)

[@dmichaelsfishden]

colinbarsby thanks, Colin! As always, appreciate the kind words!! I'm with ya 👍. It's been quite awhile since I've started a tank from scratch without using gravel or media from another - hence my confusion 😳. Got a good refresher from my LFS owner...hoping this helps folks newer in the hobby that are starting tanks from scratch 😎 So many products out there. Every company has gone one of these...

[@Puma1Sunfire1]

Very nice

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Thanks for checking out the video and the kind words!

[@nuratiqahjaafar458]

hi.. please give your review on how good bacter gen F

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Used it once and it seemed like it got the job done really well. I used it to cycle a new tank, and it got the job done in about 4-5 days. I don't have a ton of experience with it, but I can tell you it works to cycle a tank 👍 I'm going to be doing a new tank soon, and I may try it and keep track of exactly how long it takes to cycle it. Continuum has a good reputation, and the guy that runs my local fish store uses their stuff all the time, and I trust him a lot

[@UnavoidableGarbage]

Thank you! I have the bio booster and it specifically says it’ll assist the nitrogen cycle so hopefully it’ll work

[@ItsTheBeautyBarbie]

very helpful, thanks!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Sully my pleasure! Apologize for the late reply!

[@cutactiontake9]

Wow so here's what I've done so far I have a 1 galloon tank I filled it up with water and I bought the API Stress Zyme + and put a drop of it in. Its been sitting for 11 days now I also bought some tetra aquasafe for bettas I havent put any in the water yet and know I found this video the idea is to cycle the water so i can put in a betta fish am I doing this right????

[@dmichaelsfishden]

So sorry for the late reply here. To cycle, you want to use nitrifying bacteria - something like Fluval Biological Enhancer, API Quick Start, Seachem Stability. The API Stress Zyme is great but it is sludge eating bacteria - great at eating organics, but we want to use the nitrifying bacteria to cycle the tank. What I would do is drop a fish wafer in the water (algae wafer, etc...). Let that start to decompose for a few days. That will create ammonia. You'll want to have a water test kit, like the Master test kit from API. Test the water until you see a spike of ammonia. If not you can add more food. After a day or two, you want to add the beneficial bacteria (nitrifying bacteria) each day, following the instructions on the bottle. Beneficial bacteria need ammonia to feed on. Keep testing the water - you'll have an ammonia spike, then a nitrite spike, then when you read 0 ammonia and 0 nitiries, you can put the betta in. Hope that helps!

[@cutactiontake9]

@@dmichaelsfishden I appreciate your help i'll get to it

[@ellamun-lai9676]

thankyou for this!! i have been looking for information for days. i was going to use the ammonia method but i have went to every store and visited every website and cannot find pure ammonia ANYWHERE. I’m going to use fish food instead i suppose. Is there a certain kind of fish food i should use? Should i use flakes or wafers? and for what species should the food be for? does it even matter?

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Ella - sorry for the late reply here - catching up on comments. My pleasure! Glad the video was helpful to you! Yes, fish food does the trick very well. I do prefer wafers for cycling a tank. Wafers are a denser food and provides a little more ammonia content when they break down. That being said after my tanks are cycled I tend to stay away from wafers except to feed my bristlenose pleco. The downside about wafers is depending on the type of fish you have, they expand quite a bit in water (you'll see once you use them and they start to dissolve). The problem is some fish that are aggressive eaters, may eat the wafers on the bottom right when they get into the tank, and of course, as fish do, tend to eat too much. Now they have a dense food that will expand in their stomachs causing constipation and bloat, which can lead to other problems. Once the tank is cycled, unless you have a lot of bottom feeders, I would go back to flakes for the fish (if you do have a lot of bottom dwellers, use wafers as long as you don't see the other fish feeding heavily off them)...OR my favorite substitute to wafers for bottom feeders and great food for your other fish - Repashy Food.kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnmXdn2kiNqaiMU Hope all that helps a little? Thanks for watching!

[@ellamun-lai9676]

dmichaels fish den cool, thanks! also i recently went out and got seachem prime and stability. if i’m using stability to add the bacteria, do i still need a source of ammonia? or is that in the stability?

[@poodle_pop1655]

Is the top fin bacteria supplement good for beneficial bacteria when cycling my tank

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Poodle_POP - Sure. The top fin will work, though you may need to use a little more of it. But really, all the supplemental bacteria products that supply you with beneficial bacteria do a pretty good job. I tend to like the API or Fluval brands a little more because I can get more "bang for the buck" with them. They seem to be a little denser and seem to have a little more bacteria per ounce, but you'll be just fine with the top fin supplement as well 👍

[@poodle_pop1655]

dmichaels fish den alright thanks, I will probably add a little bit more before I get my fish

[@dmichaelsfishden]

There you go! You'll be just fine....don't worry about it at all 😀

[@kratos8598]

Thanks man....!!!

[@syronmacasadia6405]

can i use both stress zyme and quick start on the same time?

[@eujin]

Hello! I'm new to aquascaping hobby. This guide is extremely helpful. I do have a question tho-- Is it better to use the two bacterias at the same time? (nitrifying & sludge eating)

[@jakubs6991]

OK so really quick question let's say you are starting a new tank and you've put all of your decorations, filters and heaters in and then you fill it up with tap water do you use the liquid that gets rid of chlorine etc that I forgot the name of and do you then use the quick start and then straight after a sludge eater or do you wait a few days and then use a sludge eater

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Great question. The reason we use de-chlorinator in the water is because chlorine, chloramine, etc...kill the beneficial bacteria in our tank (if your tap water has chlorine, chloramine - most tap water does). So you want to add the de-chlorinator before adding beneficial bacteria in the tank. Fill up with tap water, use the de-chlorinator (Seachem Prime, Hikari Ultimate, etc...) then use the quick start to begin putting in beneficial bacteria. However, beneficial bacteria need ammonia to "feed on" so they can multiply. So I like to just use some fish food - put a fish food wafer or two in the tank and let it "rot" and breakdown....that will create ammonia and will give the beneficial bacteria something to feed on to establish themselves. Add the beneficial bacteria every other day (the quick start). I wouldn't worry about the sludge eating bacteria until the tank is more established - that bacteria is great at further breaking down fish poop, plant matter, etc....so you can hold off on that until the tank is going. Once the tank is going, you can use the sludge eating bacteria once a week for maintenance. Hope that all helps!

[@jakubs6991]

@@dmichaelsfishden thanks alot for the info

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure!

[@calvinneoh9726]

Hi , please do video about API stress coat vs tap water conditioner? Thank you...lol

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Calvin - sure will! I'll put that on the list! Thank you for the comment and the suggestion - I hadn't thought of that before! Thank you for watching!

[@budiawan1784]

Thankyou Sir Would you mind give me suggestions to keep my liquid bactery starter? Take 1 litre a year ago, now smells awful.

[@anthonyragan2696]

Have you tried the Brightwell products? I admit my eye is drawn by good packaging, but they do have me curious, now.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Anthony Ragan I have!! But only their substrate. I use their FlorinVolcanit Rio Escuro F substrate. Absolutely love it. Not as many nutrients as Amano soil, but what does besides good 'ol dirt, right? Definitely going to get more into Brightwell. I've had such a great experience with their substrate 👍

[@nuratiqahjaafar458]

please give your review on how good bacter gen F

[@marmebanaag7444]

Greetings sir from philippines! I watch your video and very informative. Id just like to ask a question, is it ok to put nitrifying bacteria directly in new build filter? Or is it really neccesary to the pond? Or can i put in pond and filter? Which is which? TIA.. more power!

[@marmebanaag7444]

The pond and filter are new built. Newbie here!

[@trevorcole460]

Will nitrifting bacteria work in cold water tanks, I am sure I read along time ago that the water has to be warm for the bacteria to breed, and also need oxygen. I might be wrong though. Cheers for the video

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hey Trevor - thanks for checking out the video. Great question. The bacteria need oxygen, absolutely...as long as you have some surface agitation with oxygen exchange, no problem there. Of course, an air stone helps tremendously as well. The temperature question is a good one. I'm not sure how cold you are going, but I can share my experience - most of my tanks run 74 - 80 degrees (they all have heaters). I just started a new one - my take on a "cold water" tank. No heater. Runs anywhere from 69 - 75 degrees (gets hotter when the light has been on). It cycled beautifully. Nitrifying bacteria had no issues and multiplied quickly. So I can say you won't have any problem in the 69 - 80 degree range. If you are running colder than 68 or 69 degrees I don't think you will have a problem. I would test it first though - throw in some fish food and let it breakdown (that will create ammonia and something for the bacteria to feed on). Then add the bacteria and test it out at whatever temperature you are at. I'm guessing you won't have a problem cycling - hope that helps. I'm not well versed on the topic below 68 degrees...

[@sarenas.9679]

I saw in the comments on your video regarding fin rot that you suggested adding beneficial bacteria while treating a tank with Kanaplex and Jungle Fungus Clear. Which beneficial bacteria product do you recommend using during the treatment process?

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Sarena - My favorite is Fluval's Biological Enhancer (comes in a bottle with a red cap). I've tried all kinds from Microbelift's Nite-Out II to API Quick Start to Seachem Stability (also a good one), and the Fluval product bacteria just seems to colonize fastest. It has started tanks quickest in the past for me and has given the biggest boost to beneficial bacteria. It's also pretty darn well priced, not too expensive, so that would be my first go to. If not, Seachem Stability or Continuum's Bacter-Fen F. 😀Hope that helps!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

And Serena, btw - Seachem says the Kanaplex doesn't affect beneficial bacteria, but I do believe the JFC does - either way, I do always dose extra beneficial bacteria when medicating or using salt as a medication, just to be safe. Medications and even salt can affect the biological process

[@sarenas.9679]

Thank you so much for the information! You're videos have been super helpful in all aspects of fish keeping.

[@dmichaelsfishden]

@@sarenas.9679 my pleasure! Very glad they have been helpful! Just trying the best I can to share my experience 😀

[@suedunn8853]

@@dmichaelsfishden I've put my Fluvel cycle in for three days, i still have a slight reading of ammonia and nitrites, can I dose as it states on the bottle now on the fourth day?

[@Islander.1]

Hi I’ve had my aquarium going for around 2 years now. I used to use the first Fluval product you recommended. Do I need to buy a bottle of each for my aquarium? Also how often would you add them?

[@3o5richierich]

Thank you so much!! This is the step that I was missing and no one else talks about on the cycling videos.. All they say is use old use filter with established bacteria. Or how to add ammonia to a tank. But never say how or what to use to get the good bacteria going.. thank you for the breakdown I was using stress zyme because it had live bacteria, to cycle my tank but noting is going on..

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure! Glad the video was helpful! It certainly can be confusing....I still use Stress Zyme weekly (have for years and years) after each water change, and its great -but Stress Zyme includes spores of the sludge eating bacteria so its great for tank maintenance. The beneficial bacteria for cycling are a different species...that is the Nitrobacter and Nitrosomonas bacteria - so, all good stuff, all beneficial bacteria, just different species used for different applications 😀 Thanks for checking out the video! 👍

[@xXdeathnoteX0x]

really helpful

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Absent Minded - glad it was helpful to you! Appreciate you watching!

[@shilparaj9722]

Thank you so much for this video. It's helpful :)

[@dmichaelsfishden]

My pleasure, Shilpa!

[@Maddybo414]

I have a clownfish and I used api quick start

[@jenniferbrook1720]

My new tank is reading 0 ammonia but .50ppm nitrite and 20ppm. (No fish in the tank yet, just 2 small love java plants) at I doing something wrong ? Or I added the recommended amount of beta conditioner and quick start from their labels. It’s day 2. And the nitrite is still.50ppm. Should I add alil more quick start?

[@al4748]

I hope you get my message, I was wondering, if there is protein form forming on top of my freshwater aquarium should I do an immediate water change or add stress zyme and see how things go in about a week?

[@TheAussieReefer]

Great video, and excellent quality to your editing. I think you should definitely consider a career in voice over work. 😉

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Aussie Reefer - thank you for all the kind words! Really nice of you to say. Funny - a lot of people have suggested I consider voice over work as a career...guess it is time to finally look into that! :) Appreciate you checking out the video!

[@onellluke2755]

Hi thanks for this informative video! I would like to ask, im setting up a new tank, So first do i run the water and put seachem prime and then stability for 7 days. Do i put the prime just on the first day only or do i need to still put in prime everyday? Thanks good sir

[@GuitarDudeBoii]

Its been over three weeks and the ammoina levels in my tank won't go down. If anything its increasing. I was doing water changes everyday, but after seeing that it wasn't really working I stopped. I have a 40 gallon with one 4 inch Smallmouth bass. I don't even feed him that much. HELPPP!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi GuitarDude - sorry I'm so late on this....I didn't see the comment originally come through. Do you have beneficial bacteria in the tank (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter) - stuff like Fluval Biological Enhancer, Seachem Stability, API Quickstart, etc...Is it a new tank? I wouldn't do water changes everyday, as you need to let the beneficial bacteria colonize....Also - have you tested your water? Is there ammonia in your tap water? A lot of municipalities use it and it is in chloramine, which is also in a lot of water supplies. I would test your tap water first. If there is ammonia in your tap, you may be putting ammonia in the water after each water change...

[@thomasvolpe9472]

Have u read about rid x , just a pinch works wonderful

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Thomas - I sure haven't. I'll have to look that up. Thank you for sharing! No idea about Rid X

[@elxie2849]

Im setting up my first tank (all guppy tank). I love to do research so I hope to have nothing but the best for my fish. what should I use to first set up my tank? I thought it was the first bacteria that cycle the tank but im just a little confused 😅😂🤔

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi sun flower - so sorry for the late reply here. Congrats on the first tank!! Love it! So to cycle your tank, this is what I do - I think this is easiest and it always works well for me. Once you have your gravel, substrate, plants, rocks, etc...all set up, put a little bit of food in the tank. I like to use wafers and any wafers will work. Two or three will work great. Then you want to buy some beneficial bacteria. I like using Fluval Biological Enhancer (comes with a red cap). For a day or two, let the food break down and "rot" a little in the tank (no fish in the tank at this point). As the food breaks down it will create ammonia in the water, which is the food source for the bacteria. On day two or so, start adding beneficial bacteria (just follow the instructions on the bottle) every other day. Make sure to buy a water test kit, and you'll need to start testing the water. You can add a little more food after 3 or 4 days so your bacteria has a continual food source. When you test the water, you may see an ammonia spike right away. Eventually, that will go away and you'll get a nitrite spike....that's normal. Once both happen, go away, and your tank is not registering any ammonia or nitrite, then it is safe to add fish. But I would add 3 or 4 at a time, not too many right away. Does that help a little? Let me know if I can help further and congrats on the new tank!!!

[@toykidstv9345]

@@dmichaelsfishden how many days a proper cycle period?

[@debangagoswami1679]

I ordered mircolife S2 beneficial bacteria for my aquarium...I have a 14-15 gallon tank...i do see my fishes get effected by parasites and louse..i have anti ich and paracidol too but don't have exact idea how to use them and how often..I plan to do 25% of water change every week and then put dechlorinator...if i put the beneficial bacteria wil it also help in the growth of unwanted parasites?? Also if you could give a solution for parasites, how often and how much paracidol should i use...please HELP !

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Debanga - the paracidol is copper based and does a great job getting most parasites. Really any copper based med will knock out the majority of parasites. The Anti-ICH med can be effective, and I know it is with ICH, but I'm not sure how broad spectrum it might be with other parasites. ICH is easy to spot, so if the fish don't have ICH and if it is other parasites, my first try would be the paracidol. However - if you have any invertebrates or scaleless fish in the tank, that may be an issue. You would have to isolate the fish effected by the parasites in a hospital tank to treat them. Copper based meds will be toxic to invertebrates and aren't good for scaleless fish. The 25% water change once a week is great - but I would follow the directions on the back of the paracidol bottle on dosing - If you do a water change of 25%, once a week, and lets say the paracidol lasts 2 weeks, I would put back 25% more of the paracidol so you maintain a full dose. You'll also want to take any activated carbon out of your filter as that will soak up the paracidol. It's great you are adding the beneficial bacteria - unfortunately, they won't do much to help with the parasite growth, but they will give you a nice healthy beneficial bacterial colony! To get the parasites, you'll have to wipe them out with the copper based med. Hope that helps a little!

[@PeiN361]

Question. Can I use stability, stress zyme and quick start at the same time during water change

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Jon - stability and quick start are essentially the same thing, so you wouldn't want to double up there. If are testing your water and your ammonia still reads after a water change, I would just add the stability (nitrifying bacteria) and the stress zyme (sludge eating bacteria). Or you could use Quick Start - but I would pick one or the other...either stability or quick start. Once you start to get 0 ammonia readings (and nitrites), then you can stop dosing the stability - but I would still keep it, of course, just in case, in the cabinet. After that, it doesn't hurt to keep adding stress zyme after each water change for maintenance. Hope that helps! 👍

[@PeiN361]

Thanks again I really do appreciate ur reply and the info provided it was very useful. Many people have no idea that api stress zyme are not for biological cycle but for sludge bac. Pet stores just want to sell products without a deeper knowledge of their true purpose

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Jon - my pleasure and I couldn't agree more....A lot of the employees at the chain stores aren't really fish people - they have to know about so many different departments they don't really focus on just fish....sometimes there are some really good "fish nerds" that work in the chains, but it is rare.....and you're right...they really just need to push the products they have. Glad the video and information was helpful!

[@vidishadas5842]

Hi.. I really love your videos they are so informative seems like am in aquarium school and learning 😊... I was shocked with myself after watching this video. I realised I did a mistake . I didn't cycled the tank the very first day I brought my betta . I can already see stress, fin rot and fin nipping by himself even after adding stress coat and aquarium salt. And I don't have any beneficial bacteria. Can you pls help me? It's been same way for 1 month from the day I brought my betta. I was changing water weekly with dechlorinator and salt but I feel it's nothing improving ,he is still nipping his fins madly😫. Can I add quick start or stability now like next when I change water? Or should I change 80percent and then add the same ? .. will be really grateful if you can advise me as am very new to this hobby and really want my betta to have a healthy environment. Will eagerly await for your reply ! Thank you!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Hi Vidisha - thank you for the kind words and thanks for watching! Glad the videos are helpful! My apologies for the late reply here. For now, I would absolutely focus on getting the tank cycled before anything else. If there is any ammonia or nitrite in the water that will stress and irritate your betta, making him more susceptible to other infection. You want to get some good beneficial bacteria - if you have stability that works great. I'm not sure how big the tank is, but I would start with a 50% water change to reset things a little, then I would follow the directions on the bottle of stability for setting up new tanks. I would do a daily 20% water change, adding the stability each day. You do want to start testing the water (API Master Test Kit works great). Keep adding the bacteria until you see 0 ammonia or nitrite. It will take 4 to 5 days. I would keep adding the beneficial bacteria (at a smaller dose - the bottle will guide you) for another week so you know you have a strong beneficial bacteria colony. That would be the first priority. Any/all other issues will be easier to deal with once the tank is cycled. Hope that helps 👍

[@vidishadas5842]

@@dmichaelsfishden Thank you so much !!! I will follow this now ! 🙏

[@here_4_the_commentz]

So all I need is quick start and stress zyme to start and maintain my freshwater tank? I’m so confused because there are sooooooooooo many products.

[@aspen_the_shark_lover]

I have been doing a fishless cycle on my 36 gallon tank, and the water is staring to get a bit cloudy. Is this normal? I’m using API QuickStart, but I’ve also used the Stress Zyme because I thought it would help cycle the tank. Will it help to get the fish, or will that be harmful? After watching the video I’m not sure what the right thing is to use. Thanks!

[@dmichaelsfishden]

Madison - you are on the right track! The water getting a bit cloudy is likely a beneficial bacterial bloom. This is exactly what you want. Your beneficial bacteria is starting to reproduce, creating a colony. That's what is in the API Quick Start. The Stress Zyme has a different bacteria in it - it's the sludge eating bacteria....so that is also good to use, but generally, it is more useful after your tank is already established and you've accumulated more mulm and organic waste in the tank. Right now, all you really need is the API Quick Start - the quick start is the same thing as Fluval Biological Enhancer, Seachem Stability, etc....they all do the same thing. So keep doing what you are doing! Once your tank is a little more established, I've found it is helpful to add a little Stress Zyme after each water change for maintenance. I've been doing that for years. Hope that helps!

[@larryfinke6133]

What food do these bacteria eat while sitting on the store shelf in bottles?

[@granddeluxe123]

Thanks

[@alexis11factor]

Hello. Im a first timer, I bought a 5G tank, to set it up I added the TopFin Water Conditioner plus the API Stress Zyme (Sludge Bacteria), then I added a zebradanio fish on Day 3, added a Betta fish and 1 nerite snail on Day 6, Returned the zebradanio on Day 10 because she was bothering the Betta and he was getting stressed out. Now its been 3 weeks, the Ammonia is good, but the Nitrate and Nitrite Levels are always high for the past 3 days, I ordered the API API quickstart from Amazon so i can put some in my 5G but I'm afraid it will kill my betta because of the reviews, and I know I shouldve started the tank the proper way, but I dont know any better. I thought I was doing the right thing, please let me know if it is a good idea to add the API Quickstart to my tank with the nitrate/nitrite levels that it has now? Maybe add it little by little? Maybe one drop at a time? I feel like my Betta is a little sluggish right now, and maybe his immune system is week I don't want to make it worse for him! :(