Please help guys

Reefertime · Aug 31, 2020

Hey guys been in the hobby for like 10 years now just started up a new tank dry so I thought I’d go to percolate and get a bottle of IO bio spira which I’ve had no experience with using before usually use live rock this is my first dry rock setup, but it seems live rock is hard to get now I guess so I got real rock, anyways I added the bottle to my tank I’m starting and it looks like a bottle of detritus!! So I’m thinking it was used and returned anyone have this experience lmk thanks I just started this tank and now since I don’t know what it is I may have to start all over!!

Reefertime · Aug 31, 2020

Here is another picture

Biglew11 · Aug 31, 2020

I've seen bottled bacteria do this before, not quite to that extent. I don't think it is something you need to worry about. Just keep an eye on your levels. And add a new bottle if you have to. Or you can wait out a normal 4 6 week cycle.

Biglew11 · Aug 31, 2020

Some bottled bacteria are also dormant until added to the water.

ReeferWarrant · Aug 31, 2020

Maybe contact the company that sent it/made the bottle?

Reefertime · Aug 31, 2020

Biglew11 said:
I've seen bottled bacteria do this before, not quite to that extent. I don't think it is something you need to worry about. Just keep an eye on your levels. And add a new bottle if you have to. Or you can wait out a normal 4 6 week cycle.

thank you for your reply I was thinks by maybe somebody used the bottle and returned it with a bottle of detritus from another tank but it cleared now

Reefertime · Aug 31, 2020

ReeferWarrant said:
Maybe contact the company that sent it/made the bottle?

I went back to petco and got a refund seems like a lot of trouble to got through filing claims and such for such a little bottle

ReeferWarrant · Aug 31, 2020

I mean the bacteria feed off of everything that creates nitrates and phosphates, so it might make sense to have some means of food for them.

Good luck on your tank by the way!

vetteguy53081 · Aug 31, 2020

It may not be abnormal and should dissolve on its own.
HOWEVER. . . .
Contact Instant Ocean @ 800-822-1100 and have them verify its not an issue. They may send you a fresh bottle in the process.

Reefertime · Aug 31, 2020

ReeferWarrant said:
I mean the bacteria feed off of everything that creates nitrates and phosphates, so it might make sense to have some means of food for them.

Good luck on your tank by the way!

Yeah I was just terrified some jerk returned the bottle with water from his tank but if you guys have seen similar things before I’ll trust you guys as I have no experience with bottled bacteria, I’m just paranoid about marine velvet so I’m trying to start as sterile as I can and other peoples tanks are unknowns because I just got out of the hobby a few months ago and sold all of my Marshall island because of velvet and I told myself I’d never return but here I am again...