StartSmart Complete:
Tips and Tricks for Getting the Best Results
Starting a New Tank Whether freshwater or saltwater system, getting your tank cycled is necessary to keep your fish safe. Fish excrete ammonia, which in a closed system (like an aquarium) the ammonia can build up to toxic levels. A “cycled” tank has enough of the needed ammonia oxidizing and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (AOB and NOB) to eliminate toxic ammonia, converting it to the less toxic nitrite, then to relatively non-toxic nitrate.
StartSmart Complete includes massive numbers of AOB and NOB (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter) in live but dormant form. When you dose StartSmart Complete to your aquarium according to directions, the tank instantly has enough AOB and NOB to start the cycle.
Within 1 to 7 days of dosing StartSmart Complete, your aquarium will be completely cycled. Without adding StartSmart, it can take a month or longer for the needed microbes to populate your tank.
What Else to Add During Start Up? Always follow the instructions of your local aquatic retailer, such as dechlorinate and detoxify your water, set up recommended aeration, get your aquarium up to temperature, adjust the pH, etc. Remember that different fish have different requirements, including the level of salt in the tank. Be sure to take this into account.
The serious aquarium hobbyist will use a test kit to perform the standard tests: pH, Phosphate, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and others. Use of StartSmart Complete does not mean you can stop testing your tank. Rather, you will find that all of your numbers remain right where they are supposed to be, and for so much longer!
Where Is StartSmart Complete Actually Dosed? After shaking the product well, open the cap, then pour the
required dose directly into the aquarium. It helps somewhat to spread the dose around the surface as much as possible, but many users get great results by simply pouring the product in at one spot.
Are there any Obvious Changes Right after Dosing? StartSmart Complete is highly concentrated. When using the Instant Cycling dose or the dose for improving water clarity, you may see some tubidity (cloudiness) in your tank. This is completely normal, and comes from the small particles of microbes in the product.
This turbidity will clear up is 24 to 72 hours, and is nothing to be concerned about. In most situations, the turbidity is gone the day after dosing.
What about Water Changes Water changes are performed when the tank has reached poor or dangerous levels by some test measurement. In general, 10 to 20% of your tank water is removed, and then is replaced by “conditioned make up water”.
Make up water is always adjusted to match desired aquarium levels in pH, temperature, etc. Whenever adding back make up water during a water change, always follow the procedures for conditioning the make up water.
You will find that the need for water changes is drastically reduced by up to 50% or more! This saves you valuable time while keeping your fish safe and healthy!
What About Protein Skimmers or UV? Whenever you dose StartSmart Complete, turn off your protein skimmers and UV system for 4 to 8 hours after dosing. If you dose without turning these units off, the beneficial microbes might be removed or killed. However, by going 4 to 8 hours with these units turned off, the added microbes will populated the zones where they are needed AND where they are largely protected from skimmers and UV. As long as you follow these directions, StartSmart Complete use is perfectly compatible with protein skimmers, UV, etc.
What About Freshwater and Saltwater Formulas? If you have a freshwater aquarium, use the freshwater formula. Or if you have a saltwater aquarium, use the saltwater formula. However, if you make a mistake, do not worry. The standard dose of either product, going into the wrong type of aquarium (SW product into a FW aquarium for example) will not hurt your fish. The species of microbes in the FW product will work at full capability in up to brackish water (halfway between FW and SW salinity). However, the cycling ability of FW StartSmart Complete in a fully SW system is reduced by about 75%. The same holds true if you add our SW formula to a FW aquarium. StartSmart Complete will not work as well as it should if added to the wrong salinity. But it will still help, and will not hurt. However, to get the best performance, always use the proper formula that matches the salinity of your aquarium.
What Storage and Shelf Life? StartSmart Complete is stabilized with a unique, non-toxic matrix that gives the product a very long shelf life.
- Your product does NOT require refrigeration
- Store at room temperature
- Shake well before use, always dosing per directions
- Once shaken, opened, and the first dose is performed, the product is at full strength for 6 months!
- Once you are at 6 months after first use, the product begins to lose potency, until about one year after opening the product is down to about 25% of normal strength
- You can extend shelf life to a full year after opening by refrigerating the product when not in use
- In general, purchase a supply that will last 6 months, and you will have no worries about shelf life
Dosing After Power Outage, Loss of Aeration, or Applying Medication to Your Aquarium StartSmart Complete will be extremely beneficial in these situations. Whenever the aquarium experiences a sudden change, immediately apply DOUBLE THE MAINTENANCE DOSE. If the upset condition persists for multiple days, repeat this dose once a day. But generally, only one emergency dose of StartSmart Complete will be needed.
Dosing After Adding New Fish to Your Aquarium Whenever adding new fish to your tank, the ammonia load will increase. Adding a “Maintenance Dose” will ensure that the microbe population is boosted enough to handle the extra load.
This may not always be truly necessary, but the extra dose ensures that you do not put your fish in jeopardy!