Dr Tim's - all I can say is WOW

[ilikefish69]

Went to LFS to get some more dry rock to add to my sump. I was told by LFS to put the dry rock in a 5 gal bucket and pour the Dr Tims (I have 75g, bought the 60g recommended, I'm cheap I know...) in with the new dry rock and let it sit for 24 hours before you put it in the sump. I wasn't going to buy the Dr. Tim's, but I ended up getting it.

My tank is about 2 months out from finishing cycle. It's currently in the "if you turn the lights on, you will grow a crap ton of diatoms" stage. I don't have any issue with the diatoms, I was told it was similar to a tank's "puberty" stage. I have $65 worth of Reef Cleaners CUC coming today, which should also help tremendously.

After 2 days of the dry rock being in my sump, all the diatoms are gone. Ran the lights 8+ hours yesterday, and no new diatom growth. All the water is clear, and my 2 clownfish seem happier? I can't say exactly how/why they are happier, but their swimming pattern has seemed to change and be less frantic. They never seemed stressed, but they swam around the tank so fast everywhere like they had extra energy to get out. Now they have become more docile and relaxed, and hang out in their front corner of the glass more often.

Is Dr. Tim's the reason my tank has cleaned up so quickly? If so - should I buy more, and add in another 60 gallon treatment to it?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I really doubt Dr. Tim's did all that...

 

[ilikefish69]

I really doubt Dr. Tim's did all that...

Would a stabilizing copepod population have any effect? My copepods are multiplying so fast, my glass is basically covered in the morning before the lights come on

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Would a stabilizing copepod population have any effect? My copepods are multiplying so fast, my glass is basically covered in the morning before the lights come on

A stabilizing copepod population could be a sign of a tank getting closer to maturity so possibly...I really just don't think there are any "miracles in a bottle" so to speak although the manufacturers would have everyone believe different

 

[ilikefish69]

A stabilizing copepod population could be a sign of a tank getting closer to maturity so possibly...I really just don't think there are any "miracles in a bottle" so to speak although the manufacturers would have everyone believe different

I was sold on the whole "this bacteria is from fresh/saltwater colonies" while all the other bottled bac is harvested from human waste water plants. It sounded like I was adding a bacteria into the tank that would not have naturally occured, so I have a nice mix of different bacteria strains that I would not have got with just normal bacteria development

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

... while all the other bottled bac is harvested from human waste water plants...

What?

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I

I was sold on the whole "this bacteria is from fresh/saltwater colonies" while all the other bottled bac is harvested from human waste water plants. It sounded like I was adding a bacteria into the tank that would not have naturally occured, so I have a nice mix of different bacteria strains that I would not have got with just normal bacteria development

I mean I don't want to discourage you from buying the product, just there are very few if any miracles in this hobby that occur. I really doubt other bacterial additives are harvested from human waste as well but idk for sure where they come from

 

[doubleshot00]

Went to LFS to get some more dry rock to add to my sump. I was told by LFS to put the dry rock in a 5 gal bucket and pour the Dr Tims (I have 75g, bought the 60g recommended, I'm cheap I know...) in with the new dry rock and let it sit for 24 hours before you put it in the sump. I wasn't going to buy the Dr. Tim's, but I ended up getting it.

My tank is about 2 months out from finishing cycle. It's currently in the "if you turn the lights on, you will grow a crap ton of diatoms" stage. I don't have any issue with the diatoms, I was told it was similar to a tank's "puberty" stage. I have $65 worth of Reef Cleaners CUC coming today, which should also help tremendously.

After 2 days of the dry rock being in my sump, all the diatoms are gone. Ran the lights 8+ hours yesterday, and no new diatom growth. All the water is clear, and my 2 clownfish seem happier? I can't say exactly how/why they are happier, but their swimming pattern has seemed to change and be less frantic. They never seemed stressed, but they swam around the tank so fast everywhere like they had extra energy to get out. Now they have become more docile and relaxed, and hang out in their front corner of the glass more often.

Is Dr. Tim's the reason my tank has cleaned up so quickly? If so - should I buy more, and add in another 60 gallon treatment to it?

Im so confused by your post.

You have the new dry rock in a bucket with Dr tims but you have no diatoms in the DT but the rock is now in the sump and it cleared up the diatoms?

 

[ReefGeezer]

No. If anything, you are only delaying the inevitable and possibly making it worse. You'll soon find that there is nothing in a bottle that alters the course of a tank started with dry rock. Embrace the process.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Im so confused by your post.

You have the new dry rock in a bucket with Dr tims but you have no diatoms in the DT but the rock is now in the sump and it cleared up the diatoms?

I'm glad it wasn't just me.

 

[doubleshot00]

I'm glad it wasn't just me.

Yeah IDK what is going on here.

 

[ilikefish69]

Im so confused by your post.

You have the new dry rock in a bucket with Dr tims but you have no diatoms in the DT but the rock is now in the sump and it cleared up the diatoms?

Lol sorry - I put the dry rock and Dr. Tim's in a bucket, with aquarium water from DT for 24 hr, then moved the dry rock down into the sump of the DT (where it was going to go anyway) after letting the bacteria soak into the rock for 24 hr.

Currently has overflow going into the sump tank, where the rock is, and then being pushed back into the DT from two return pumps in the sump tank.

The question is, did Dr. Tim's bacteria eat the diatoms in a day?

 

[ilikefish69]

Yeah IDK what is going on here.

Whenever I am involved, this is usually the case...

 

[hubble]

Huh......................

 

[ilikefish69]

No. If anything, you are only delaying the inevitable and possibly making it worse. You'll soon find that there is nothing in a bottle that alters the course of a tank started with dry rock. Embrace the process.

Embrace the process.... this sounds ..... very interesting.

 

[doubleshot00]

Lol sorry - I put the dry rock and Dr. Tim's in a bucket, with aquarium water from DT for 24 hr, then moved the dry rock down into the sump of the DT (where it was going to go anyway) after letting the bacteria soak into the rock for 24 hr.

Currently has overflow going into the sump tank, where the rock is, and then being pushed back into the DT from two return pumps in the sump tank.

The question is, did Dr. Tim's bacteria eat the diatoms in a day?

So you have diatoms in the tank?

I mean I'm sure it helped but i bet something else triggered it to go away. I know when i do 20-30% wc mine go away for a few day even weeks. I bet they will be back.

 

[ilikefish69]

So you have diatoms in the tank?

I mean I'm sure it helped but i bet something else triggered it to go away. I know when i do 20-30% wc mine go away for a few day even weeks. I bet they will be back.

I am kind of hoping they come back, at least a little bit, as the CUC showing up today will need some diatoms to graze on.

I don't think I will purchase anymore Dr. Tim's. I will continue to change 10% water every Friday. Hopefully I didn't waste money on Dr. Tim's but it sounds like there is no real way to know if it was as effective as I am giving it credit for.

Also, sorry for all the confusion I caused... haha..

 

[Jwise]

Im using dr tims on my new 125 set up when i get water in about 2 and a half weeks from now i have used it before and it has helped to correct problems i was facing in the past and i would recomend it for a cycling aquarium. To keep bacteria populations up and healthy.

 

[ReefGeezer]

Embrace the process.... this sounds ..... very interesting.

It is interesting... and frustrating, and infuriating! Your tank will go through phases in its road to maturity. The organisms that process nutrients and provide food are mostly missing from your tank. Nutrients will rise. Nature will provide things to use those nutrients that you won't like i.e. numerous Cyanobacteria, Diatoms, Hair Algae, Turf Algae, Sheet Algae, and possibly Dino's. As the tank matures, and organisms grow to compete with the stuff nature stuck you with, things will get better. You job during this process is just to keep things from getting out of hand until the phases pass. Manual removal of the bad stuff, limiting nutrient levels, and possibly limiting light are good methods of controlling these pest organisms.

Read the article linked below my post. It proposes a different way to start a tank and some won't apply to you, but It might help you think about the processes occurring in the tank differently.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Went to LFS to get some more dry rock to add to my sump. I was told by LFS to put the dry rock in a 5 gal bucket and pour the Dr Tims (I have 75g, bought the 60g recommended, I'm cheap I know...) in with the new dry rock and let it sit for 24 hours before you put it in the sump. I wasn't going to buy the Dr. Tim's, but I ended up getting it.

My tank is about 2 months out from finishing cycle. It's currently in the "if you turn the lights on, you will grow a crap ton of diatoms" stage. I don't have any issue with the diatoms, I was told it was similar to a tank's "puberty" stage. I have $65 worth of Reef Cleaners CUC coming today, which should also help tremendously.

After 2 days of the dry rock being in my sump, all the diatoms are gone. Ran the lights 8+ hours yesterday, and no new diatom growth. All the water is clear, and my 2 clownfish seem happier? I can't say exactly how/why they are happier, but their swimming pattern has seemed to change and be less frantic. They never seemed stressed, but they swam around the tank so fast everywhere like they had extra energy to get out. Now they have become more docile and relaxed, and hang out in their front corner of the glass more often.

Is Dr. Tim's the reason my tank has cleaned up so quickly? If so - should I buy more, and add in another 60 gallon treatment to it?

diatoms are super competitive when they have a lot of silicates to eat. Dr tims is useful when treating some things, but moreso for stuff like cyano and dinos than diatoms. Also is the tank cycled or not cycled? if you are doing a fish in cycle for some reason, the bottled bac may have helped to reduce the ammonia that is/was killing/burning the clownfish.

The act of sitting and being moved around in an bucket may have helped remove some silicates. Although better to have diatoms then to leave space for other things IMO.