# Marine Bio Spira FS



## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I have 2 - 3oz packages of Marine Biospira for sale. Info found here.  $22 each, plus shipping / or pickup. (you decide shipping method).


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Just curious . . .

A couple of questions.

On the linked web site, it appears that special 1-day sir shipping is needed for these. This is a live product, of course (a nitrification bacteria culture), but is it refrigerated or something that requires a quick shipment? Does it have a specific shelf-life?

The other question is, what is the difference between the freshwater and the marine product? Are the bacteria for each environment a different species adapted to that particular environment? I guess what I'm asking is if you could use filter media from a freshwater tank to start a marine tank or vice-versa.

I don't need any of these products, as we have a pretty good system of getting new tanks established, but it's always good to know more about the hobby.


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I'm not aware of a shelf-life on this. It is refrigerated currently and when in transport. 

I don't know the exact differences between the freshwater and marine, but I'm sure there's some, since it's marketed separate.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

I would imagine that this is the better product for adding the good bacteria to a tank. Some products are not refrigerated and just sit on a shelf in stores until they are purchased. I would think that refrigeration would sort of put the bacteria in a suspended animation state, or at least slow them down so that they can survive a long time in the package. Some of the products out there get pretty bad reviews and apparently do nothing at all. Some get some good reviews. I haven't followed which ones are the good and which are the bad ones and don't remember where I saw the reviews.

If you have an established tank, it's not a real problem with water changes since most of the bacteria are on surfaces like the gravel, bio-media, the glass tank itself, filter surfaces, filter floss, etc. As long as they don't dry out or sit too long in a filter without water flow they'll still be there when you add the water back. 

But this could be a great way to speed up the cycling of a new tank. With plants taking care of the ammonia right off the bat, that bacteria culture would help get things established quickly, possibly fast enough that you wouldn't need to do as many water changes in the beginning. And the name on the package looks like one that can be trusted.


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

t2000kw said:


> put the bacteria in a suspended animation state


That's my understanding.

I've not used this product until recently. I was helping a friend set up a 180gal tank. Added the appropriate amount of bio sprira, and added fish (feeder gold fish) not 15 mins later. It pretty much cycled the tank in less than 2 days.


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## t2000kw (Jul 29, 2006)

Was it a planted tank?


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

not at the time


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