Quick Question

Question
I put some Stress Zyme in my tropical tank after changing 25% of the water and vacuuming the substrate.  I followed instructions the next morning the water looked cloudy.  Can Stress Zyme do that to the water?  The water was clear prior to that.  I used it because the guy at the Aquarium told me it is good for the fish.  Tank has been set up for a couple of months.  About 60 litres I think.(I wrote to you before this used to be an axie tank till my daughters axie died). Seven fish very small fish. ph is neutral. Water is changed 25% weekly.  I am getting a bigger tank soon as we will be buying a bigger house with more room. In the mean time they are stuck in the smaller tank with regular water changes. I have not checked the nitrite or nitrate levels I am not sure why the people in the aquarium say that it is not that important.  But looking at this web page it looks like it might be very important to the health of our fish.
Thank you for your help
Veronica

Answer
Hi Veronica;

It is important to monitor the levels of ammonia and nitrite for sure, especially in a newly setup tank that's so small and crowded. If there are any traces of ammonia and/or nitrite your tank needs a partial water change to protect the fish. Even if it means a daily water change, your fish need it. Nitrate isn't as toxic as the other two but it is good to monitor it too. It should be under 40 ppm, under 20 is better if you can get it that low. It's the end result of your biological filtration and is only removed by water changes.

Stress Zyme really is a waste of money, in my opinion. In my experience, as well as the experience of other experts, it just doesn't work. It does seem to give tanks that nice smooth "milky" look though. (Yuck) The "enzymes" or "bacteria" that are supposed to be in that bottle cannot live in a sealed container without being refrigerated. I am surprised they are allowed to label it the way they do. The only product that is proven to work is called Bio-Spira and is kept in the refrigerator all the time. It is difficult to find though because these bacteria colonies grow very slowly so it takes a long time to produce it. Some countries such as Canada don't allow it over their borders from the USA because it is "live bacteria". They do allow Stress Zyme to come in though. Does that tell you anything? ;-)

I hope everything turns out okay for your fish. They will love their new tank. Good luck on your new house too!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins