# Worthless Products



## zabak80 (Mar 31, 2007)

As I become more and more experienced in fish keeping and live plant keeping, I can't help but look back on all the worthless "snake oil" products that are out there today.

My favorite: BETTA WATER! http://www.petco.com/product/12059/Betta-Water.aspx

"Super oxygenated water is the solution for small, non-aerated fish bowls. Betta water is the pure and healthy water that makes water changes simple and easy. Slightly alkaline pH. Cleanses your pet's skin, promotes better gill function, and promotes wound healing."

There is just so much wrong with that product description.

So, what is your favorite example of this?


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## Snow Prince (Jul 22, 2007)

Some water conditioner that tells you you only need to make water change every 6 months or never have to. Forgot the brand but I am sure many of you know what I am talking about.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

Melafix. 

A medication that relies on you doing water changes in order to help the ailing fish when, in fact, the water changes alone would have done the trick. People live and die by the stuff though.


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## yoink (Aug 31, 2005)

Snow Prince said:


> Some water conditioner that tells you you only need to make water change every 6 months or never have to. Forgot the brand but I am sure many of you know what I am talking about.


That is made by tetra, easy balance I think it is called. I also laughed at the 6 month water change recommendation.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Cycle or any of those products that are supposed to instantly cycle a tank so you can add a full load right away. Bio-spira (never tried it myself, but heard it's the only one that really helps), established stuff from another tank and/or live plants are the only things that come close to helping out a new tank.

Sludge remover (forget the brand) is another one that is supposed to magically get rid of the waste in your tank without lifting a finger.

I guess you have lazy people, so these things keep selling.


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## bencozzy (Jun 2, 2006)

the heterotrophic bacteria based products(liquid gravel vac and waste control) do something but by no means is it a magicly product that will correct in proper maintance of the tank.


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## epicfish (Sep 11, 2006)

That Aqua-Equalizer thing with magnets. Forget what it's called.


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## kiwik (Apr 3, 2007)

at petco today, for the first time, i saw they were selling water in like 4-6 liter bottles for $6!!! i think the concept is the same as distilled water, which is 1 dollar for 4 liters. on the bottle it says a bunch of crap, overall summary is: it has absolutely NOTHING in it.


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

Algone.. Bought that stuff when I first started a planted tank and didn't know much about how to keep them. It never did anything for a greenwater problem I was having at the time. I assume it's probably just some carbon in a fancy bag.


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## Skelley (Mar 4, 2006)

Algaefix. I tried it once when I first started aquariums. Killed my fish not the algae.

The refill packages that go with the CO2 ladder kits...baking soda and yeast.


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

Skelley said:


> The refill packages that go with the CO2 ladder kits...baking soda and yeast.


+1. I forgot about those. That has to be the most overpriced yeast on the planet. If you check the dates of the packages on the shelf in most stores, they are long past the expiration date.


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## KRiley (Jun 30, 2005)

I thought the Algone was a good product! It worked well for me....

Riley


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## russell (Dec 7, 2004)

nothing specific comes to mind, but i know exactly what you are talking about. you see it every day. even we fall victom to this in some degree. 

they talked about the yeast packets being overpriced, look at the price of pre mixed ferts in a fancy bottle. i would bet that there is little difference in those and the dry chems you can buy except maybe preservitives and price. im sure some are great even near perfect, but i can buy a 2 year supply from greg for 15-20 bucks. 

but on to more obvious stuff, you see it at all of the big stores and lfs. only diff is lfs people tell you how good it is. thank god for apc and places like this. without it we might all be buying betta water.

russell


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

Melafix- some guy that wholesales fish spoke at a meeting I went to a couple weeks ago and he told us that %99 of fish are immune to the antifunal treatment in melafix, because apparently most aquarium raised mold and fungus can keep up with the times and become immune to many of the common treatments, melafix being the most common


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

_written as an attempt at humor;_

looks like a great idea, right?



accept what shows up is a flimsy lift tube with a sharp edge thin plastic tray stapled to
it's side that flops down along your tank glass, instead of holding up to catch the food.

ThatFishPlace is hurting it's reputation by selling such an obvious POS :-x 
and it's such a cheap product that few bother to RMA it back to them.

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every painted aquarium ornament that's claims to be safe to submerge,
only you find paint chips coming off after only a few Months of use.
most people don't notice it because the chips get lost in their gravel.

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Aquarium Silicone Sealant that does not have a good till use expiration date.
guess what people, if you use it 18 Months after it's packaged, it will leak!

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Here's another winner for people sucker'ed enough to buy organic foods;
If you wanna spend this much on liquid ferts, may I suggest Pfertz.com



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BioBalls for Canister filters; guess what geniuses, most of them will never fit!

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Algae or Spirulina fish food is worthless. my snails eat it cause my fish won't touch it.
and yes, I mean all 2 dozen of my different omnivorous/vegetarian fish/invertebrates.

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Knock Knock, who's there? Diffuser, Diffuser who? Diffuser is a $25 airstone!
and it has so many elbows and glued joints that most of them end up leaking.
and what the hell are those 4 plastic cups on the bottom for? Nobody Knows!



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Trading Moss: Taiwan, Xmas, Peacock, Weeping.
guess what everyone, it's all the exact same moss!
it simply grows differently in different peoples tanks.
every time some Taiwan photog shoots his moss in
a new way, suddenly a new moss hit's the market.


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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

Anything marketed to betta owners is a thorn in my side. That Betta water takes the cake though.


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## mikenas102 (Feb 8, 2006)

How about the "aquatic plants" that come in a tube that Petsmart and Petco are replacing their plant tanks with.


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## ringram (Jan 10, 2005)

yeah, most of those plant tubes are terrestrial plants that would die within a week or two. Most folks who go in and buy those kinds of things are clueless anyway, so therein lies their market: Ignorance


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

never tried it, but this looks pretty bogus.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4136+4000&pcatid=4000

Did try the Marc Weiss Bacter Vital, did nothing at all, at least it did not kill anything, but it didn't do a thing and is said to "Cycle a tank it 2 days".


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

the aquachargers are pretty much the same a zeolite, just a medium for bacteria to grow, thats it


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## goalcreas (Nov 20, 2006)

Right, but they claim they are PRE colonized


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## jaidexl (Jan 20, 2007)

I can wipe my foot on the ground and it'll be precolonized, bacteria is on everything. The question is, are they ready to populate a tank as fast as biospira does? Only time will tell, chances are, if it doesn't have to be refrigerated, then it doesn't work.


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

chances are if its dry, it's not REALLY precolonised, it might have something in it to boost colonization, but i doubt by much


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