Organic Aquariums

I'd be interested on views of this process which is being pushed by FishFX in Dun Laoghaire. It allows the full compliment of fish to be added from day one and, with maintenance and a monthly 25% water change, claims to keep the aquarium in top condition.

I have decided to try it and added 10 fish to my 65 litre tank. They suggested 20 fish straight off, but I feel that would be over stocking from what I've read. I have two Tetras, 6 Guaramis and 2 small cats (not exactly sure if their names).

Here the manufacturers web site in South Africa:

www.organicaquariums.co.za/

I asked for some feedbact from people on the UK TropicalTank forum and the general concensus was that I have been conned and that the tank stocking is all wrong. Several people suggested I should bring the fish back and start cycling the tank as normal.

I checked the Ammonia and Nitrate levels last night after 24 hours of adding the fish. Ammonia was 0.1 which is the lowest level on the Interpet test kit and Nitrate was 10. I'll keep a close eye on these over the next few days.

I'd be interested in opinions as I'm confused at this stage and want to avoid loosing fish.

You definitely havent been conned.

Ive been using it and although it seems to go against everything fishkeepers have thought in terms of the nitrogen cycle.

I was using the old fashioned method for a 260 Litre cichlid thank
and was doing weekly waterchanges but my nitrates were HUGE
and off the scale.

So when i converted to organic aquariums I did a 75% water change.
Cleaned all my filters (under the tap) to kill off the bacteria and added
the product.

I think how it works from reading on cichlid-forum.com is that it maintains the water by converting amonia, nitrite etc into a gaseous form and then with the use of an airpump(essential) it just gets rid of it from the tank and never builds up.

It seemed to help in that my fish were no longer scratching, they started spawinging (c. moorii) and generally seemed more healthy.

However my nitrates still seemed huge but i think that test kits might not work with organic aquariums. Im not sure about this.

For more reading see this thread:

www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.ph...ht=organic+aquariums

Thanks for the reply. It's good to hear that others are using it with good results.

yes I've used the organic stuff 4 the last 6 mths 2 an' I've noticed no algea in my tank at all, its really good stuff.

it is also an natural antibiotic so all those treatments 4 white spot etc are not needed anymore!

the only problem I had was that it doesn't work in a ph range less the 6.8 it seems that lower phs break down the organic but if u do have bogwood an' stuff in ur tank best way to keep ph above 7 an' still keep the bogwood effect in ur tank is 2 put some coral sands into a pop sock (womens tight kinda sock things) an' put it into the filter an' this will help keep the general hardness up an' stop the ph from droppin bellow 7 an' just change it every 6 3 or 4 mths or an' ur grand.

I got 10-15 bigish fish in a 125 litre tank no stress coat, mthly water change with the organic an' no probs at all except 4 a bit of fightin among fish but thats there normal behaviour!

so I recommend 1000% organic stuff it is revolutionary! trust me

I was using it and have now stopped. I was noticing high spikes in ammonia and nitrite. I was over feeding initially and did a complete water change and restarted the process.

However, nitrite was still spiking and went to 2.0 ppm at one stage. My test kit recommended an immediate 50% water change to reduce this as it was at very toxic levels. My PH is 7.6 and the tank was well ventilated so it should have been dealing with the nitrite.

I have heard that it does give readings off the scale on test kits, but people do feel it works. However, I wasn't willing to risk it and am now cycling my tank as normal by watching levels and doing daily water changes.

I'm also not sure if this process is worth tying yourself into at least €12 per month on the OA maintenance kits when a properly cycled tanks is free to maintain. I know my water changes will be weekly instead of monthly but I don't see that as a big deal.

If this stuff is truly revolutionary, I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more about it in the future.

tetrafin now have a similar (cheaper) product out now called safe start where you can put the fish in on the same day as buying a tank.haven't tried it yet but I imagine there must be something in it if tetrafin have put their name to it.

I was down in Kilkenny Aquatics today and they're flogging the OA stuff off at a reduced price. The starter kits are down from €14.99 to €9.99. They're obviously wasn't much interest in it.

These products essentially "lock out" ammonia and nitrite so it isn't harmful to fish. It's still detectable on test kit though.

I don't like the idea of them. A cycled well maintained tank is more stable and cheaper as I don't have to pay money to my LFS every month for a "fix" of this stuff.

I would certainly be interested in anyone haveing problems with this product.
I have been selling it successfully fot the past two years and know steve quite well in fish fx.
I would stake my reputation on the fact that this products works, but it is not the product for the more avid fishkeeper. There is no substitute for cycling a tank & correct water changes & analysis.

However I rent tanks to buisnesse & just dont have enough time to complete the old recycling method, so I use the organic soloution & I dont have any clients that have not endorsed it. The savings are massive when it comes to overall cost af all aquarium products used.

Now knowledge is the first strategy when deciding if this prioduct is for you.
this is an analysis written by me with the author & maker of organic aquariums sa in order to enlighten people of its properties.

It may be of interest & you may disagree voilently with it.
Either way I would appreciate your comments.




Here is a short explanation of the product.



The 3 products work together as a bio-filter, by good balanced micro-life being activated and contained to balance and control healthy water quality in a closed system.

B-Bac
_____

Why is it relevant ? Fanatics at the trade have long professed there is only one-way to do the job. That’s by the age-old tank cycling system (of course this age old cycling method has always had problems with new water syndrome). In Short. Get fish to make ammonia(natural occurring waste from fish & all other animals), grow nitrasamonas(ammonia eating bacteria, nitrifying bacteria) and turn ammonia into nitrite. Then grow Nitrobacters(nitrite eating bacteria, de-nitrifying bacteria) & turn that into nitrate. Then remove the nitrate buildup by changing water for low nitrate level water. Thereby keeping water almost perfect, free of ammonia & nitrite

Hopefully this product will level out the peaks & troughs involved in this cycle that are responsible for fish wipeouts due to ammonia & nitrite poisoning on the peaks.

New tank syndrome. What is it? It is the peaks & troughs in ammonia & nitrite densities that cause fish loss & wipeouts

What does b-bac do to help this? Promotes rapid growth of beneficial bacteria in a very little space of time, by activating dormant bacteria in the product, immediately combating the ammonia waste from fish. It’s like an ammonia filter. Contains dormant nitrosomonas that combat the high ammonia levels associated with fish loss

De- activates chlorine & other harmful chemicals in tap water almost immediately, by combating chloramines & releasing them into the atmosphere from the tank water. Takes harmful elements from the water & disperses them via gasses to the atmosphere

releases natural oils into the water to coat fish, enhancing a natural protection to combat naturally occurring pathogens(bad bacteria that causes fish diseases)in the water.

Thereby combating "New water syndrome" ( the fact that even new water can contain harmful as well as beneficial bacteria)



General treatment.
_______________

Contains nitro-bacters including nitrosomonas to reduce peaks in the nitrogen cycle, by bacterial dissolution of waste fish products & evening out the peaks & troughs in the Nitrite cycle, thereby helping natural bacteria levels to grow at a constant, maintaining a more streamlined cycle.

Contains a natural additive to release toxic waste from the water via natural dissolution of gasses out of the water & replacing them with oxygen gasses generated by the nitrification process , more suited to beneficial aspects of the fish keeping cycle.

Acts against fungus, by starving bad bacteria of their food ( no food, bacteria starve to death & cant live)
In the same way controls algae growth, by denying chlorophylls the right to naturally occurring food such as dead nitrosomonas & dead nitrobacters.

By removing & processing dead bacteria, leaves no residue in the water to cause cloudy water.




Health treatment.



Mixture of minerals and plant materials. H.T. is active against dangerous protozoa types and against different fish pathogens. Cleanse wounds and prevents infections. Causes a mucous layer to cover the wound while it heals. Positively active on the skin membrane enhancing health and coloration.

Forms a wall of mucus on the fish to repel bacterial diseases & therefore adds to the fish health by prevention & not cure.

Why you should use this product.

Every fish keeper will understand losing a fish, mostly through no fault of his or her own. Now Most of know that’s "not true".
If we had done this or that then "it" would not have occurred.
Most fish salesmen are very happy that fish losses are heavy as they sell more fish.

This product is designed to help to more unfortunate of us that make mistakes, by eliminating them.

It is not a substitute for tank cycling unless used on a daily basis & that’s not what most of us want to do.
We want less maintenance, less time spent trying to answer complicated problems & more time enjoying the watching syndrome that
enthralls us all.

Does not eliminate completely the need for vast surface areas to grow beneficial bacteria(filters or aggregate beds), more adds to the natural cycle to speed up the process


Add this product on a weekly basis (2 minutes a week) chucking the right amount of this stuff to suit our tanks.
This will ensure that whatever you do wrong reduces fish loss to the absolute minimum.

Whether you use this product or a similar product it is packed in handy quantities & eliminates overdosing or under dosing each month by using a new pack.

Startup pack.
This carries larger doses of ammonia decreasing bacteria & therefore must only be used the first 28 days.

Maintenance pack.
This carries the correct doses of continually needed bacteria.& thus maintains a continually healthy bacterial balance in the water & should be used on a continuing basis.


As always there is a cost.
Small to medium tank 4-6 euro per week.

medium to large 6-8 euro per week

larger 10 euro per week.


When you don’t have time to do the natural cycling (1 hour or more per week) then it’s a small price to pay for keeping your fish healthy

boroughmal,

I think your assessment is spot on. There are enough independent endorsements to prove that this stuff does work.

However, as fish keeping is a hobby for me, part of the interest is understanding the chemistry behind it and managing my fishes environment accordingly.

The OA stuff is certainly more appealing in a commercial environment where time is money and maintenance needs to be kept to a minimum. I read one account of an avid fish keeper who had run into health problems and couldn't physically manage the maintenance on his tanks. He found OA to be a godsend.

OA could improve their literature and explain that test kits will show high levels of ammonia and nitrite, however, the OA process renders it harmless to fish. I've read of a few fish keepers who tried it and then immediately reverted back to the traditional method after testing the water.

Does your company manage the tank in the Crowne Plaza hotel in Santry? I was up there a few weeks ago and suspected that it was converted to OA as there is disconnected piping for an Eheim external filter in the tank (which is obviously no longer there) and now there are just several small internal filters oxygenating and polishing the water.

I am an avid fishkeeper & research is what makes it work.
But Results count, when being counted.
I will find out who keeps the tank in question but I am sure that you are right anyway.#
Dont do away from the basics It does not pay, but if you dont have time this is the man 4U
Wwell done
Mal

This is a more acedemic qualification of this product & other products from the same company.
It took us a long time to get it right but I think this is now a fair assessment of the product & what it does,straight from the horses mouth(the manufacturer)

Table of Content Page


1. Introduction 2

2. Vision 2

3. Organic Aqua Offers 3

4. Our Natural Products 3

Fresh Water Aquarium Range 3

5. Start up Kits 4

6. Maintenance Kits 4

7. Marine Aquarium Range 5

8. Pond Range 5

9. Beat “New Water Syndrome 6

10. B-bac 6

11. General Treatment 7

12. Health Treatment 7

The New Look 8

13. Start up Kit 8

14. Maintenance Kit 8

15. New Product 9

Plant Treatment 9

16. Conclusion 9

17. Organic Aqua Contact Details 10








1. Introduction

Who are the founders?

n Dave and Amanda Gaybba

n Founders of:
¨ Organic Aqua
¨ Life Source
¨ Organic Water Solutions
¨ Life Giving Enterprises

n 30 years of intensive research in the field of Aqua-marine, botany and herbal medicine.

n The last 4 years of development have been purely organic.

n Pioneering visionaries of healthy living and organic lifestyles.




2. Vision

n To lead the way in innovative and successful fish keeping. Using only natural ingredients.

n Organic Aqua’s Natural water treatments are designed to combat pollution and improve water based environments, creating a natural balanced ecology for a perfect and healthy existence.




















3. Organic Aqua Offers

n As nature evolved, Organic Aqua evolved fish keeping into a natural successful state by instantly creating a balanced equilibrium in your closed system.
n We offer:
§ Instant natural ecology for ponds and aquariums, for immediate stocking
§ A better service to your customers as they can now purchase a tank set up and fish stock in one sale on the same day.
§ Far less maintenance
§ Easy application
§ Effective products that reduces complicated problems
§ Allows one to use far less surface area (filters or aggregate beds), to grow beneficial bacteria and adds to the natural cycle speeding up the cultivation process. General Treatment actually uses water as a medium and is used as a liquid bio-filter.
§ Recruit monthly customers and build customer relationships.
§ Stronger, healthier and more beautiful fish.
§ Only 100% natural products (no chemicals).
§ And of course more time enjoying the watching syndrome that enthralls us all.

4. Our Natural Products

Organic Aqua has 3 product ranges for:
1. Fresh Water Aquariums
2. Marine Aquariums
3. & Ponds

All 3 ranges each contain the same 3 products adapted to suit their individual requirements:

1. B-bac:
Balanced, beneficial bacteria activation and water conditioner.

2. General Treatment:
A Mixture of different plant extracts & essential water soluble oils, that will reduce toxic gases (ammonia, nitrite) & instantly create a natural, balanced ecology.

3. Health Treatment:
Essential minerals, combined with plant materials that together boost the fish immune system, brighten their colours and act as an excellent preventative to all stress related diseases.








5. Fresh Water Aquarium Range

n These products are packed in handy quantities & eliminate overdosing or under dosing each month by using a new pack.

n Start-up kit
Whether one has an existing tank or has just purchased a tank one will start with the Organic Aqua Start up Kit.

New hobbyists can now buy fish straight after they have set up their new tank. They no longer need to wait 2 to 3 weeks for their tank to mature. And they no longer need to worry about cleaning out their tank every 2 weeks. All they need do is replace 25% of the tanks water once every 4 weeks and wash the mechanical filter out if necessary.

The Start-up kit contains the right amount of General Treatment; B-bac and Health Treatment to start up on Organic Aqua for 4 weeks. This carries larger doses of ammonia decreasing bacteria & Health Treatment therefore must only be used the first 28 days.

Add General Treatment on a weekly basis (2 minutes a week), the right amount of the product to suit the tank capacity. B-bac and Health Treatment will be added only once every 4 weeks. This will ensure healthy fish and reduce fish loss to an absolute minimum. No more weekly / bi-weekly water changes and tank cleanouts needed.

6. Fresh Water Aquarium Range
Maintenance kit
This carries the correct doses of continually needed bacteria & thus maintains a continual healthy bacterial balance in the water & should be used on an ongoing basis.

n The right amount of General Treatment; B-bac and Health Treatment to maintain on Organic Aqua for 4 weeks.

n The Organic Aqua Maintenance Kit should be applied after the customers has completed the Start-up Kit. Every 4 weeks there after a new maintenance kit should be applied. Important to remember to apply the kit after 25% of the water has been taken out of the tank, but before the new tap water is put in the tank.

n Having these convenient all in one kits at 1 great price is exactly what hobbyists are looking for. The hobbyists return every month for their maintenance kits which builds up wonderful customer relationships.








7. Marine Aquarium Range

n Our Organic Aqua Marine products are designed to treat 4 000 litres of water.

n These products are not sold in kits, we give the customer the versatility to add the products when ever they chose allowing them to replace water at any time and so on. As we all know salt water aquariums are more sensitive than fresh water Aquariums.

n We continue to have great success with our marine products, as the old saying goes the proof is in the pudding.
















8. Pond Range

The Organic Aqua Pond Range small and large each contain: B-bac, General Treatment and Health Treatment. These can be purchased separately.

n Our Organic Aqua Pond Range is suited for small and medium to large ponds.

n The small set treats 20 000 litres in total e.g. treats a 2500 litre pond for 8 weeks.

n The large set treats 150 000 litres in total e.g. treats a 25 000 litre pond for 6 weeks.













9. Beat “New Water Syndrome”

n New tank syndrome. What is it?
It is the peaks & troughs in ammonia & nitrite densities that cause fish loss.

n Why is Organic Aqua relevant ?
Fanatics at the trade have long professed there is only one way to do the job. That's by the age old tank cycling system (of course this age old cycling method has always had problems with new water syndrome).

In Short: Get fish to make ammonia (natural occurring waste from fish & all other animals), grow nitrasamonas (ammonia eating bacteria, nitrifying bacteria) and turn ammonia into nitrite. Then grow Nitrobacters (nitrite eating bacteria, de-nitrifying bacteria) & turn that into nitrate. Then remove the nitrate buildup by changing water for low nitrate level water, thereby keeping water almost perfect, free of ammonia & nitrite.

n Organic Aqua will level out the peaks & troughs involved in this cycle that are responsible for fish wipeouts due to ammonia & nitrite poisoning on the peaks.



10. B-bac

n B-bac: This unique product is a cultivation of bacteria grown in & amongst carefully selected non-toxic plant materials.

n How does B-bac prevent “new water syndrome”?
Promotes rapid growth of beneficial bacteria in a very little space of time, by activating dormant bacteria in the product, immediately combating the ammonia waste from fish excretions. Its like an ammonia filter. Contains dormant nitrosomonas that combat the high ammonia levels associated with fish loss.

n De-activates chlorine & other harmful chemicals in tap water almost immediately, by combating chloramines & releasing them into the atmosphere from the tank water. Takes harmful elements from the water & disperses them via gasses to the atmosphere

n Releases natural oils into the water to coat fish, enhancing a natural protection to combat naturally occurring pathogens (bad bacteria that causes fish diseases) in the water.

n Thereby combating "New water syndrome" ( note that even new water can contain harmful as well as beneficial bacteria)








11. General Treatment

n General Treatment: Contains enzymes and nitrobacters including nitrosomonos (extracted from plant fibers and materials and cultivated in our own unique way) to reduce peaks in the nitrogen cycle, by bacterial dissolution of waste fish products & evening out the peaks & troughs in the Nitrite cycle, thereby helping natural bacteria levels to grow at a constant, maintaining a more streamlined cycle.

n Contains a natural additive to release toxic waste from the water via natural dissolution of gasses out of the water & replacing them with oxygen gasses generated by the nitrification process, more suited to beneficial aspects of the fish keeping cycle. The amount of dissolved 02 is incredible that this product release.

n Acts against fungus, by starving bad bacteria.

n Controls algae growth, by denying chlorophylls the right to naturally occurring food such as dead nitrosomonas & dead nitrobacters.

n By removing & processing dead bacteria, no residue will be left to cause cloudy water.

12. Health Treatment

n Health Treatment is made from a mixture of different minerals and plant materials.

n Active against dangerous protozoa types and against different fish pathogens.

n Cleans wounds and prevents infections. Causes a mucous layer to cover and protect the wound while it heals.

n Positively active on the skin membrane enhancing health and sensational colouration.

n Forms a wall of mucus on the fish to repel bacterial diseases & therefore adds to the fish health by prevention & not cure.

n Boosts fish immune system

n Health Treatment can not filter out your water. Once It has dissolved in the water one only needs to top up with Health Treatment when replacing water.








13. THE NEW LOOK
Organic Aqua Start-up Kit



Pics are omitted for e-mailing purposes
















14. Full instructions on box
Organic Aqua Maintenance Kit




Pics are omitted for e-mailing purposes







15. New Product

Organic Aqua Plant Grow

n We are launching this new product that will be sold as a separate unit.

n Aimed to enhance plant growth, health and colouration.

n The product works at its optimum in conjunction with the other Organic Aqua products but is still very effective without.

n Organic Aqua Plant Grow will be sold in small and medium sized bottles suited for all aquarium types.






16. Conclusion

n Organic Aqua brings a breath of fresh air to fish keepers. Striving to refresh and enhance the hobby while improving customer satisfaction.

n Our products consist of only carefully selected natural substances that have health enhancing properties.

n We strive to deliver the best customer service to our clients and look forward to building strong relationships within the industry.

n Organic Aqua will strive to improve on itself in every area in order to provide a naturally complete solution to fish keeping.















Contact Details:

Organic Aqua
www.fishkeepingsupplies.com