Microbe Lift Special Blend

Fishcrazy06 · 10/05/2014, 12:19 PM

Who here uses it? Why do you use it? Success stories with using it? Or horror stories? Looking for any and all information on this product specifically. Did a search and it comes up in different threads but not discussed exclusively.

Thanks in advance.

bertoni · 10/05/2014, 08:25 PM

No takers? I don't use bacterial supplements, so I can't comment.

Bryopsis · 10/06/2014, 11:13 AM

I've used it, but I really didn't take too much notice. Everything seemed well, I guess detritus was a little more non-existent?

I would like to see a comparison about this versus Bioptim...

SPotter · 10/06/2014, 11:16 AM

I used it a couple of years ago for a cyano outbreak that I had in a relatively new tank. I repeated the dosage two times and cleared my tank of the red nuissance.

rale2001 · 10/12/2014, 01:45 AM

my LFS says they changed the formula and they have people who use this stuff regularly and have 0 nitrates and has not done a water change in 5 years

bertoni · 10/12/2014, 05:24 AM

There are all kind of claims about every sort of problem, but a zero nitrate level is fairly easy to achieve, in my experience.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 10/12/2014, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rale2001

my LFS says they changed the formula and they have people who use this stuff regularly and have 0 nitrates and has not done a water change in 5 years

There are also lots of people who do not do water changes and don't use this product, but IMO, this product cannot achieve (and does not claim to achieve) some of the benefits of water changes, such as keeping trace elements such as copper from accumulating too high or keeping the various major ions from drifting away from NSW levels (or at least away from the levels in your salt mix).

ReefRealEstate · 10/27/2016, 10:31 PM

What about using it for new start up?

bertoni · 10/28/2016, 07:38 PM

I am skeptical about most of these products on average. It probably won't hurt, but it might not do much of anything. If you are starting with all dead rock, in theory, a bacterial source might speed the process a bit.

ReefRealEstate · 11/06/2016, 02:20 PM

I looked at this stuff under microscope and nothing is alive. Anyone know if it is supposed to be or have I bought an expired bottle? Or is it dormant and activates in Saltwater?

bertoni · 11/06/2016, 04:00 PM

If there's anything that's going to grow, you should be able to see it in the microscope, but it might be difficult to get a sample with a bacterium or a spore. Do you see anything under the microscope?

ReefRealEstate · 11/06/2016, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

If there's anything that's going to grow, you should be able to see it in the microscope, but it might be difficult to get a sample with a bacterium or a spore. Do you see anything under the microscope?

There wasn't anything moving. There was stuff but nothing that looked like an organism. I was looking to see if anyone had real knowledge of special blend that can explain what should happen with this bacteria on the scientific level. Will it turn into living organisms? Should I be able to take a sample out of the bottle and see what is alive under the microscope. If this stuff has a limited shelf life then why isn't there an expiry date on the bottle. How are we supposed to know how old it is, I could have purchased a bottle that's 5 years old. I have to take the word of the LFS.

jason2459 · 11/06/2016, 06:36 PM

What were you looking to see and at what magnification?

bertoni · 11/07/2016, 03:20 PM

I'm not sure what to think. You could try a few more samples, but it's possible that there was nothing live in the bottle. Could you post a few pictures?

jason2459 · 11/07/2016, 11:09 PM

Well, I can positively say Microbe-Lift Special Blend is full of bacteria of various kinds.

Either it was bad bottle or not looking close enough.

Will be updating the our tank's biology up close thread shortly

hbrochs · 11/10/2016, 09:23 AM

I used it to help cycle my tank in the beginning.

I've also used it when my nitrates get over 10. I'll dose like 10 or 15ml of the bacteria and then I'll dose some NoPox 10 or 15 minutes later as a carbon source. I believe this helps me get my nitrates back down, and then I don't use it when Nitrate is where I want it. I like NO3 to be between 2 and 5.

10/05/2014, 12:19 PM	#1
Fishcrazy06 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,568	Microbe Lift Special Blend Who here uses it? Why do you use it? Success stories with using it? Or horror stories? Looking for any and all information on this product specifically. Did a search and it comes up in different threads but not discussed exclusively. Thanks in advance.

10/05/2014, 08:25 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	No takers? I don't use bacterial supplements, so I can't comment. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/06/2014, 11:16 AM	#4
SPotter Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Mt. Pleasant, SC Posts: 5,691	I used it a couple of years ago for a cyano outbreak that I had in a relatively new tank. I repeated the dosage two times and cleared my tank of the red nuissance. __________________ Steve Am I really doing all of this for a fish tank?????? Current Tank Info: 360g Envision Acrylic Tank, Closed Loops, Vectra L1's, MP40QD's, 400w Radiums, Regal 300ext, Dastaco Ext3 CaRx, Controlled by GHL Profilux

10/12/2014, 01:45 AM	#5
rale2001 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Memphis, Tn Posts: 429	my LFS says they changed the formula and they have people who use this stuff regularly and have 0 nitrates and has not done a water change in 5 years __________________ 90g Reef Octo BH2000 Tek 8x54 T5s 100 lbs of fiji rock Tangs; Magnif foxface; clowns; bar goby; chromis; Cardinal Frogspawns; zoas; scroll; acans; red and blue people eaters; RBTA and Carpet Nems Current Tank Info: 90g and 36g Bow

10/12/2014, 05:24 AM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	There are all kind of claims about every sort of problem, but a zero nitrate level is fairly easy to achieve, in my experience. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/06/2014, 11:13 AM	#3
Bryopsis Registered Member. Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 275	I've used it, but I really didn't take too much notice. Everything seemed well, I guess detritus was a little more non-existent? I would like to see a comparison about this versus Bioptim...

10/27/2016, 10:31 PM	#8
ReefRealEstate Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 127	What about using it for new start up? __________________ 64"x32"Hx30"D starphire glass. 2 Kessil AP700 ATI 250sk. Rock refugium, Calc, carbon, and pellet reactors, Apex Gold. 4 Jebao RW-15 Jebao 12000 pump. RO system for ATO tank & ASMWC - 30G QT Current Tank Info: New Build 270+- gallon

10/28/2016, 07:38 PM	#9
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I am skeptical about most of these products on average. It probably won't hurt, but it might not do much of anything. If you are starting with all dead rock, in theory, a bacterial source might speed the process a bit. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/06/2016, 02:20 PM	#10
ReefRealEstate Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 127	I looked at this stuff under microscope and nothing is alive. Anyone know if it is supposed to be or have I bought an expired bottle? Or is it dormant and activates in Saltwater? __________________ 64"x32"Hx30"D starphire glass. 2 Kessil AP700 ATI 250sk. Rock refugium, Calc, carbon, and pellet reactors, Apex Gold. 4 Jebao RW-15 Jebao 12000 pump. RO system for ATO tank & ASMWC - 30G QT Current Tank Info: New Build 270+- gallon

11/06/2016, 04:00 PM	#11
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	If there's anything that's going to grow, you should be able to see it in the microscope, but it might be difficult to get a sample with a bacterium or a spore. Do you see anything under the microscope? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/06/2016, 06:36 PM	#13
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	What were you looking to see and at what magnification? __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank

11/07/2016, 03:20 PM	#14
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'm not sure what to think. You could try a few more samples, but it's possible that there was nothing live in the bottle. Could you post a few pictures? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/07/2016, 11:09 PM	#15
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	Well, I can positively say Microbe-Lift Special Blend is full of bacteria of various kinds. Either it was bad bottle or not looking close enough. Will be updating the our tank's biology up close thread shortly __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank

11/10/2016, 09:23 AM	#16
hbrochs Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Westchester, NY Posts: 439	I used it to help cycle my tank in the beginning. I've also used it when my nitrates get over 10. I'll dose like 10 or 15ml of the bacteria and then I'll dose some NoPox 10 or 15 minutes later as a carbon source. I believe this helps me get my nitrates back down, and then I don't use it when Nitrate is where I want it. I like NO3 to be between 2 and 5. __________________ 80 Gallon Innovative Marine long shallow reef 30 Gallon tank for raising baby clownfish Current Tank Info: Innovative Marine SR-80