Anybody out there use stability, stabilize, cycle etc for established tanks during water changes, adding fish or changing media?
Does it really help or is it a waste. Which one is best?
Thanks for your input------

To me its just a waste of money. The only chemical I add to my tanks is prime during water changes.

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SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY YEARS, NOT MONTHS!!!
220 Tank build
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/sta...late-3253.html

Thanks for your info. I have used stability in the past when adding new fish but feel the same way you do. Just a poor use of money. I think water changes are the best way to keep your fish healthy.

+1

And plants, too

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Officially fishless until after the move....tune in later for details!

I don't use any chemicals, water changes, or mechanicals of any kind.

Just the plants.

my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Yeah, but beaslbob - you're not telling the guy you don't beieve in changing water! That's a key chunk of info.

I do change water, but have old fashioned chlorine in my tapwater. So I use no additives - the chlorine dissipates with air contact and changing between 25 and 40% seems no problem. I ran out of sodium thiosulfate 15 years ago, and have never looked back. If I had chloramine in my municipal supply, I would have to neutralize it, and a product to condition tap water would be a necessity.

Only Prime. No need for anything else.

I only use weekly water changes and Prime to keep tanks healthy. I live in a high-nitrate area so the Prime is necessary since I use a python to add tap water directly to tank.

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10g lightly planted with vals, crypts, anubias and one female betta.

75g lightly planted with 8 neon tetras, 7 black-skirt tetras, 7 Swartz' cories, 1 Bolivian ram, dozens of rcs, hundreds of mts, and four assassin snails.

I use prime or stress coat the other stuff can be summed up in two words.... Rip off.

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Hoopman
Sunny Orlando FL
55G W/Angel, loaches/cats, tetras, rasboras, Two Bio Wheel 350's (8 cartridges and 4 wheels) Dual T5 ATI bulbs which are blue & blue-plus (white), give a saltwater tank look/moons. - 37G w/Angel, Mystery snails, tetras/cherry barbs. Dual 24 inch T5 with same ATI bulbs/moons. Bio wheel filter (dual cartridges and one wheel) and Aqueon single filter Bio cage cartridge, both designed for larger tanks. n