Liquid Gravel Vac

[FinalPhaze987]

Has anyone used this product? Its by Tropical Science. It claims to remove detritus by using bacteria. I have a buddy SWEARING by it...im pretty cautious in what i put in my tank and just wanted to get whatever input you guys may have...Thanks again..

 

[Anonymous]

Dump out your buddy's junk, and put some saltwater in the bottle, and he will swear that it still works like a charm....

Seriously, I am a bit skeptical about these products. There is no substitute for good tank maintenance.

 

[Anonymous]

I also have zero faith in any "magic" product.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, all detritus is eventually removed by bacteria, right? It may take years, though. Does the bottle have a list of ingredients?

I am not a big fan of bottled bacteria products. I figure I can get my husband to pee in the tank and get live bacteria, why would I put in bottled (which has to be dead because it has no o2) stuff?

(Yeah, don't beat me up. I know urine is sterile)

Let us know the bottles ingredients?

 

[Mthompson]

Come on.... you all know damn well that the ingredients are a magical trade secret!! Therefore, not likely to be so haphazardly strewn on the label for all to see. :lol: :wink:

 

[FinalPhaze987]

yea i figured...what i question about the product is that it claims to "increase oxygen availability" ...but if it is a bacterial supplement dont the bacteria require O2? and lots of it....

 

[FinalPhaze987]

Well, all detritus is eventually removed by bacteria, right? It may take years, though. Does the bottle have a list of ingredients?

I am not a big fan of bottled bacteria products. I figure I can get my husband to pee in the tank and get live bacteria, why would I put in bottled (which has to be dead because it has no o2) stuff?

(Yeah, don't beat me up. I know urine is sterile)

Let us know the bottles ingredients?

i dont have the bottle on hand but from looking at the label on the internet the only things i can get from it is that is says "100% chemical free" and that is uses aerobic bacteria...

from what i remember from microbio, a bottle that big with live bacteria would require the same amount of O2 as 3 full grown people..

the product is also kept on a shelf instead of a frige so if there are any "live" bacteria in the bottle theyre for sure dead due to lack of oxygen..

 

[Anonymous]

So I think it is bunk. To be aerobic (meaning with o2), it must be able to consume o2. In a sealed bottle, that can only happen until the available o2 is consumed.

Plus, the amount of bacteria in 3 grown humans could not fit into a bottle!

The hobby needs an FDA.

I totally agree with your analysis, until the company can explain the discrepancies. Makes me think of Weiss products.

 

[Mthompson]

The company bases the claim of "increasing available oxygen" on their other claim of "removing detritus". Detritus in the tank uses oxygen when it breaks down. In a system (tank or in nature) the total amount of oxygen used by all processes is known as the Biochemical Oxygen Demand or BOD. This can actual completely deplete the oxygen in some cases (i.e.- in a river where the waste water treatment effluent enters the river).

Basically they claim to remove detritus, which (if it does do that) would probably also decrease the BOD. But this is highly unlikely. I still say it is bunk.