One and Only Freshwater (DrTim's Aquatics One and Only Freshwater, 2oz)

Started 3 29 gallon tanks for a research project in biology. Tank 1: Plain Water with ammonium chloride as ammonia source. Tank 2: APIs Quick Start with ammonium chloride as ammonia source. Tank 3: DrTim's One & Only with ammonium chloride as ammonia source. Ammonium Chloride was purchased from Amazon (DrTim's Ammonium Chloride Solution for Fish-less Cycling). Each tank was prepared with a standard dechlorinator (It is important not to use any product that binds or "locks" ammonia, as it is required for the cycle to progress). Water was allowed to rest for 24 hours, filters and heaters running, temps set to 80.5F, 30 LBS of standard gravel in each tank. Each tank received an initial dose of ammonium chloride of 29 drops (one drop per gallon), which raised ammonia to ~2.0 PPM. Caveats: If you use an API test kit, you will likely see about half the expected ammonia concentration. The test is not accurate at low levels, and does not measure the type of source used as well as other master kits. Be concise with the dosing and you are fine. You can use a Nutrifin NH3/NH4 test or other high grade ammonia detection kit that measures NH3 and NH4. Do not adjust water parameters or add water for several days. If you must adjust water parameters, do so slowly. Water should only be added if it has been allowed to rest after 24 hours once treated with dechlorinator. Results at 6 days: Tank 1: Barely detectable amount of ammonia reduction, zero nitrites, zero nitrates. Tank 2: Some reduction in ammonia, zero nitrites, ~20PPM nitrates. Tank 3: .50 PPM Ammonia, zero nitrites, 50 PPM nitrates Tank 3 has had one water change already, and is ready for the second due to rising nitrates. It is processing enough ammonia at this point to equal ~11 inches worth of fish. Ammonia has been added to this tank daily to sustain the cycle, as fish were never going to be introduced. I will be adding fish to this tank however, and reducing ammonium chloride dosing. Decided to keep this tank. Myth 1: There are many posts on the Internet about fish-less cycling. Many of which suggest the use of off-the-shelf ammonia that you find in your local grocery or hardware stores. While some of these sources might be safe, most are not. The ammonium chloride is cheap, and will cycle many, many tanks. Consumers are generally unaware of the fact that not all ingredients need to be listed on products not intended for human consumption. Therefore, they see water and ammonia listed on a label and assume there is no surfactant in the off-the-shelf product. This is simply not the case. Most of these products do in fact contain other ingredients that are not safe for fish, and will destroy the bacteria needed for the aquarium cycle. This can be seen in one of the other reviews. The result was, the tank did not cycle as anticipated. If you want good results and have gone to the expense of purchasing a bacterial additive, spend the extra couple of dollars and get a pure source of ammonia. Myth 2: Some postings on the Internet suggest that these products use terrestrial strains of bacteria. All nitrifying bacteria need soil or other surface. Therefore, all can be considered terrestrial. They are commonly found on the bottom of lakes and streams. Our filters and substrate mimic this environment. While evidence in my experiment suggests that not all products are created equal, some products do work -- and work exceptionally well. Myth 3: The cycle will crash because it isn't the right bacteria. Fact: If the bacteria were unable to sustain, we would not see the substantial growth noted in tank 3. In order for the ammonia to be processes and nitrite to nitrate, a large colony has to exist. Once these bacteria undergo binary fission (how they multiply), there is no logical argument that would support this cycle failing. If you have an environment where they will multiply, that will continue until there is no food source. Any crashing would be the result of that food source not being adequate for the colony. Another possible source of crashing, high nitrates (more than 50-75 PPM) as this will kill the bacteria. It is also possible that once the cycle begins to establish, that the consumer adds too many fish before the colony is large enough to sustain. If you opt for fish-less cycling, use a pure source of ammonia (ammonium chloride). If you opt for fish-in, make sure you do not use an ammonia binding product to dechlorinate the water. Let the water rest for a full 24 hours before you add fish and the product. You may test for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate -- but only adjust your parameters if the results show >2.0PPM Ammonia or >50PPM Nitrate. Other than that, leave it alone for at least a week. If you do need to reduce any of the parameters via a water change (25%), fill your bucket the day before and add your standard dechlorinator to the water and let it rest for a complete 24 hours before adding to the tank. Keep your filters wet at all times (bacteria will die). I consider this product a 5-star purchase. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Dr. Tim’s Aquatics Freshwater One & Only Nitrifying Bacteria has been a game-changer for my new fish tank. This product has exceeded my expectations in various ways. Setting up a new aquarium can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to establish the right balance of beneficial bacteria. Dr. Tim’s Aquatics One & Only made this process a breeze. It quickly kick-started the nitrogen cycle, allowing me to introduce my fish sooner than I expected. Not only did it facilitate the establishment of a healthy biological filter, but it also acted as a disease treatment. It provides added protection for my fish by removing toxins and promoting water clarity. I particularly appreciate that this product is eco-friendly, which aligns with my commitment to responsible aquarium maintenance. In conclusion, Dr. Tim’s Aquatics Freshwater One & Only Nitrifying Bacteria is an exceptional product for anyone with a new fish tank. It’s efficient, eco-friendly, and a true lifesaver for both your fish and your peace of mind. I highly recommend it for any aquarium enthusiast.

I have left my original (1 star) review below, but I must revise my opinion. I used this product to cycle a tank after moving house and I am delighted. Perfectly cycled in under a week. This was in February. My previous experience with Dr. Tims was in a VERY hot summer and involved ground shipping. In the back of a brown truck it probably hit 130F or above. This liquid contains living organisms harmed by extreme temperatures and must be handled like livestock. Previous review: "It is possible that organisms introduced by this product helped my fish tank cycle properly, but I do not think so. I followed the instructions carefully, though a fishless cycle was not an option. Basically it made the water cloudy, not unexpected, but the chemistry of my tank did not improve and for several days got worse. With ammonia readings climbing steadily but nitrite and nitrate remaining near zero. It then took about three weeks of daily extreme (40 - 60%) water changes to get my tank cycled while still keeping it within safe parameters after adding this product. Pretty sure that's what I would have gotten if I added a two ounce bottle of distilled water. Because I ordered this late summer it is possible that this product being shipped in very (VERY) hot weather was exposed to high temperatures that damaged or killed the useful organisms en route. I admit to being an aquarium amateur, maybe others have had success with this."

Some people are iffy about this because they did it either incorrectly or there was a high chance that the bacteria died during shipping (it can get really hot out there). I left it at room temperature before adding all of it and in a few days I started seeing ammonia go down and nitrite steadily going up over the week. Keep in mind there are factors to play like temperature, decorations and substrate (which help it find a place to colonize) and I didn’t have much so it probably would’ve went faster if I did have more, but this still helped me finally get the cycle start moving so I’m really grateful. My cycle will probably finish sometime this month.

It worked for me but took 15 days to cycle, from what I've read a cycle without using Dr.Tims can take 30 days or more. Maybe it would of been faster if I didn't use Fluval shrimp and plant substrate because it lowers the PH and I had to constantly be checking the PH and doing small water changes to get the PH to 7 or more. I didn't know anything coming in but I did research and this will work but there are rules. 1.Ph cannot go below 7 if it does the cycle will stall so you can get it kickstarted again by doing partial water changes. 2. Do not let your ammonia and Nitrite go over 5ppm or that can kill some of the good bacteria and stall the cycle, you can correct this by doing partial water change. 3. Please buy a api master kit or something like it because they are more accurate then strips and please follow directions of each test bottle for accurate results, if it says shake the bottle for 1 minute then do it, shake for 30 seconds do it. 2. Shake the bottle well of Dr.Tims Bacteria, this is a must. 3. Do not gravel vac or disturb the substrate. Do not clean the filters, do not change the filters. This is for freshwater I didn't do a saltwater tank but if you have Filter socks or UV lighting they must be removed for the 1st 48 hrs when you add dr.tims bacteria. Filter socks is not the average filter so don't remove your filter thinking it's a filter sock, look it up to see the difference. 4.Use a water conditioner that does not remove ammonia.5.if you are doing a substrate free tank this will take your tank longer to cycle because the only thing your benifical bacteria will have to grow on is your filter and maybe your tank walls and decor.6. You need a source of ammonia to feed the bacteria which Dr.Tim makes as well, do not add ammonia if you have fish, these are instructions for a fishless cycle, if you have fish the fish will produce ammonia for you when they use the restroom and the uneaten food will be producing ammonia for you.7.use a heater and crank it to 82 degrees again without fish in the tank. This will help bacteria grow faster, kind of like how hot tubs are breeding grounds for bacteria. 8. Don't add ammonia until you get a reading of 2 ppm just add 2 ppm ammonia by following directions of the Dr.Tims bottle which the newer bottles say 4 drops per gallon will equal 2ppm ammonia so if you do the 4 drops per gallon and you get your test and it says 1ppm on the test then that is okay don't add more ammonia to get it to 2ppm on the test, the reason it's not showing 2ppm is because the good bacteria is already working and doing it's job. This only applies to the 1st application. The equation is already done for you if you buy Dr.Tims Ammonia when doing a fishless Cycle 4 drops per gallon is 2ppm ammonia no matter if the test says 1ppm on first dose. Dr.Tim has a recipe for when you should check the ammonia and has a youtube explaining the do's and do nots, so that really helped me, check it out. 9. If you are not using Dr.Tims Ammonia then it will be very hard to figure out what 2ppm ammonia is and if you buy ammonia from the store you have to make sure the ingredient is only ammonia and possible water but if it says any other ingredient then no don't but it because it will contaminate your tank with soaps, perfumes, and other stuff. 10. If either or both ammonia and Nitrite are above 1ppm do not add ammonia. Look up Dr.Tims fishless cycle recipe and you will be shown when to check ammonia and other directions that way you are not wasting time and test liquid. Good luck, Dr. Tim can also be asked questions on YouTube and on his site, but it takes a while for an answer on YouTube try his email maybe it will be faster that way. Good luck

I spent a ton of time on the internet trying to find out if this stuff works could possibly work. I can tell you that, without a shadow of a doubt, that this stuff works.. Within one week I have a fully cycled tank. I keep the water temp around 85F and I have plenty of media but everything in my tank was brand new, as in, out of a plastic bag "new". I did buy my first batch from Amazon when I was a complete noob and I don't really know what the outcome was for that tank (long story) but, after further researching I bought it directly from Dr. Tim's website (since they supposedly store the bacteria in more hospitable conditions) We had to take an axolotl before we were ready so while we were doing multiple daily water changes for him, we bought this stuff in hopes that it would expedite our cycling of the main tank. It did! The ammonia was fully turning into nitrites within 3 days and within a week, the nitrites were fully turned into nitrates. Tremendous buy.

I am not fully prepared to say this product did not work. Ammonia levels stayed the same after dosing with the companion ammonium chloride product from Dr. Tim's. After about 6 days i saw the ammonia budge ever so slightly, but no nitrite. No nitrate. PH plummeted and TDS soared. Fungus bloomed off my driftwood, and brown sludge was starting to carpet my beautiful substrate. The glass slimed up and I was getting frustrated. But I am experienced enough to know these things happen. I adjusted my PH back up to 7, reduced the lighting, and did a small water change. A few days later, ammonia down a tad again, almost unperceptible on the API test. I excitedly checked nitrite.....hmm none. Okay, how about nitrate??? 2 minutes of shaking later...... I could swear it was registering some. Not yellow but not orange either. IDK maybe I am looney. Maybe they buggies just grew up from my tap. Maybe Tim's is great. I honestly have no idea. Maybe it did work super great, it's possible. From my experience there is usually a stall in the nitrite faze where you have to adjust parameters to get things moving again. Never seen a fast forward to the end game. Who knows. I loved reading all of Dr. Tim's articles over the years. I have a hard time believing that he is not genuine about his products and their effectiveness. In this world of instant gratification some things just can't work faster.

Well Dr Tim did it once again. My boyfriend bought a 125 gallon aquarium and we wanted to speed up the cycling process, this worked out better than we hoped. The water is clean and ammonia free. The fish are healthy and a more than great value for the money. We were able to put fish in the tank within 1 week. All still alive and were months later! FYI we used 2 bottle for 125 gallon tank.

Did the job for me 👍

I tried bac bombs , biological enhancers and all sorts if other stuff whilst emergency cycling with a sick fish .. no2 n 3 n amonia just would not level fast enough . 1 bottle of dr Tims all at once levelled amonia a d no2 to 0 so fast i was amazed they didnt go back up either(make sure you watch the how to use video by dr tim on Youtube). Best stuff ever, will always have a bottle ready to in case of an emergency

It didn't start working on few first days until after doing a little bit of research that I realized I needed some nutrients in my tank to provide enough energy for the bacteria to reproduce. The problem is my case was lack of enough phosphorus and magnesium in water. So, check your local water for traces of these elements if your fishless cycle has stuck and then add pinch of ground fish food into your tank in case of lacking of them in your fish tank water. Check your fish food to make sure it has these two before doing so. If you need more information, search for fishless cycle phosphate block and you'll find more information on this.

Did absolutely nothing. States you can’t overdose so on setting up a brand new 20l small tank I followed all instructions on there website, purchased Dr Tim’s ammonia as well, did everything step by step. The quantity I used of the live bacteria should have ensured great results, but absolutely nothing even though I’ve tested water daily since. Completely ineffective product and waste of money for me.

I was skeptical at first, having cycled tanks previously taking a minimum of a month i didnt think that this bacteria would do as advertised. However, i recently set up a small 60l aquarium, followed the instructions and less than 24 hours later my ammonia is almost nil. Nitrites still need to drop but usually takes at least 2 weeks for ammonia to drop to nil so already definately worth the money.