Frequently Asked Questions
How should One & Only be added to the aquaria?
Before adding One & Only to your tank make sure the water has been dechlorinated. Research has shown that One & Only can be safely used with DrTim’s Aquatics AquaCleanse tapwater detoxifier. Other dechlorinators can be used but some are actually harmful to One & Only. Do not use any product that contains aldehydes in its formula. UV-sterilizers and protein skimmers should be turned off before adding One & Only and remain off for 36-48 hours after dosing.
It is important to shake the bottle well before adding One & Only. If you see only a clear liquid you have not shaken One & Only well enough. Pour the One & Only over the biological filter media in your biofilter. If you do not have dedicated filter media, pour the liquid into the fish tank water.
When should One & Only be added?
One & Only should be added after the tank has been set-up. At this point the water should have reached the proper temperature and been dechlorinated. Start the filter and make sure it is functioning properly and then add One & Only. Fish should be added within 24 hours of adding One & Only nitrifying bacteria. An alternative to adding fish is to add some ammonia to the water, otherwise known as "fishless cycling."
How many fish can I add to the aquarium after dosing with One & Only?
This is the hardest question to answer because every situation is different. One & Only will dramatically reduce the time it takes to establish a biofilter in your newly set-up aquarium. However, even One & Only has limits.
For instance, if you set-up a saltwater tank and use un-cured live rock, One & Only may not be able to initially control the ammonia concentration in the water because there will be too much decay of organic matter from the un-cured live rock. If you grossly overfeed the tank, One & Only will not be able to maintain low levels of ammonia and nitrite. Also some fish species are very sensitive to any amount of ammonia in the water so these fish should be added to the tank in the first 20 or so days after set-up.
In general, you can add one giant danio-sized fish per gallon when initially dosing with One & Only. Feed normally and monitor ammonia and nitrite levels in the water. You might see a little ammonia or nitrite for a day or so but this will quickly disappear. You can then add more fish to the aquarium.
How is One & Only different from other bacterial additives?
One & Only Nitrifying Bacteria is different than any other bacterial mixes on the market today for a variety of reasons:
Does One & Only ALWAYS have to be refrigerated?
No. However, One & Only should never be frozen, nor should it be kept at temperatures above 95°F. Normal room temperature will not harm the bacteria in One & Only. One & Only will last for 6 months at room temperatures (65 to 85°F). At colder temperatures (around 50°F) One & Only will last one year.
How should One & Only be treated in relation to temperature?
The best way to handle One & Only is to treat it the same way you would treat your fish. You wouldn’t keep the bag of fish you just bought at the fish store in direct sunlight in your car for hours while you continued shopping nor would you let that bag of fish freeze -- the same goes for One & Only. Keep One & Only in moderate temperatures and it will be perfectly fine when you get it home and are ready to use it.
What about the longer term storage of One & Only?
At a temperature about 50°F One & Only will be viable for one year. Each bottle is stamped on the back with the words “best used by” and then a month and year.
When should I use One & Only?
Use One & Only when setting up a new tank and after major environmental changes to your aquarium. Examples of major changes include a disease treatment with antibiotics or chemicals that are harmful to the nitrifying bacteria, after a major gravel cleaning which can disturb the bacteria on the gravel and after a failure of the filter.
Can One & Only be used for fishless cycling?
Yes, but there is no real reason to do fishless cycling with One & Only. However, if you choose to go that route you need to add ammonia to the water after dosing with One & Only because the bacteria need some source of ammonia to start growing a bigger population. Dose ammonia to an initial concentration of 2 to 4 ppm which should disappear quickly with nitrite increasing a little then disappearing. Dose one or two more times with ammonia and after your test kits show no ammonia and nitrite it is safe to start adding fish.
How can bacteria live in a bottle and not die for 6 months or a year?
A common misconception about bacteria in general is that they die if they are not fed. From a human being point of view this sounds perfectly reasonable: if you don’t eat, you die. However, bacteria are not human beings. Bacteria operate much differently than people and have a variety of ways to deal with those times when resources are not available for them to grow and reproduce. Some bacteria when stressed (from say lack of nutrients) form spores and go into a resting stage waiting for conditions to improve. Nitrifiers do not form spores but have other mechanisms to deal with nutrient deficient periods. For nitrifiers, one way to deal with stressful conditions is to forming a protective "shield” called EPS. EPS stands for extracellular polymeric substances and is, in simplistic terms, an organic protective shield that research shows inhibits various organisms from attacking and breaking open the cell wall of nitrifiers. Nitrifiers belong to a very old line of bacteria (millions of years) and they have developed ways to cope with very long periods of “drought”. Because the nitrifiers in DrTim’s One & Only are grown on a substrate they can form EPS when needed and last 6 to 12 months in a bottle.
I have a Brackish water tank - which bacteria for me
The choice of whether to use the freshwater One and Only or the saltwater One and Only bacteria in a brackish water tank depends upon the salinity or specific gravity (S.G.) of your water.
I added One & Only and the next day the aquarium water was cloudy or milky
Cloudy water is not caused by nitrifying bacteria. They cannot multiply fast enough to reach a population level that would turn the water cloudy. Cloudy water is generally caused by a bloom of heterotrophic bacteria in response to elevated levels of organics in the water. This can be reduced by thoroughly washing the gravel, rock and other items before placing them in the aquarium. The best way to control cloudy water is to do a partial water change and limit feeding. The water will usually clear up after a day or two.
I added One & Only to my tank which already had high ammonia (nitrite) and the concentrations did not drop
If the ammonia or nitrite concentration in the aquarium is above 10 ppm (as nitrogen) or 10 mg/L-N you should do a partial water change before adding One & Only. The reason is that these bacteria prefer low concentrations of ammonia/nitrite and can actually be inhibited by high levels of these chemicals. Thus, a tank which already has high ammonia (or nitrite) will not see results as fast as if you had added One & Only at the beginning. There are two solutions: 1) change water or 2) add more One & Only while reducing feeding until the situation resolves itself.
Before adding One & Only to your tank make sure the water has been dechlorinated. Research has shown that One & Only can be safely used with DrTim’s Aquatics AquaCleanse tapwater detoxifier. Other dechlorinators can be used but some are actually harmful to One & Only. Do not use any product that contains aldehydes in its formula. UV-sterilizers and protein skimmers should be turned off before adding One & Only and remain off for 36-48 hours after dosing.
It is important to shake the bottle well before adding One & Only. If you see only a clear liquid you have not shaken One & Only well enough. Pour the One & Only over the biological filter media in your biofilter. If you do not have dedicated filter media, pour the liquid into the fish tank water.
When should One & Only be added?
One & Only should be added after the tank has been set-up. At this point the water should have reached the proper temperature and been dechlorinated. Start the filter and make sure it is functioning properly and then add One & Only. Fish should be added within 24 hours of adding One & Only nitrifying bacteria. An alternative to adding fish is to add some ammonia to the water, otherwise known as "fishless cycling."
How many fish can I add to the aquarium after dosing with One & Only?
This is the hardest question to answer because every situation is different. One & Only will dramatically reduce the time it takes to establish a biofilter in your newly set-up aquarium. However, even One & Only has limits.
For instance, if you set-up a saltwater tank and use un-cured live rock, One & Only may not be able to initially control the ammonia concentration in the water because there will be too much decay of organic matter from the un-cured live rock. If you grossly overfeed the tank, One & Only will not be able to maintain low levels of ammonia and nitrite. Also some fish species are very sensitive to any amount of ammonia in the water so these fish should be added to the tank in the first 20 or so days after set-up.
In general, you can add one giant danio-sized fish per gallon when initially dosing with One & Only. Feed normally and monitor ammonia and nitrite levels in the water. You might see a little ammonia or nitrite for a day or so but this will quickly disappear. You can then add more fish to the aquarium.
How is One & Only different from other bacterial additives?
One & Only Nitrifying Bacteria is different than any other bacterial mixes on the market today for a variety of reasons:
- It is the only mixture currently available to the hobbyist that is grown and certified by Dr. Timothy A. Hovanec, expert in nitrifying bacteria.
- The ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in One & Only are grown together as a microbial community of bacteria which means they work together more effectively.
- The bacteria in One & Only are grown on a microstructure, not as “free” cells in water which helps the bacteria stay active for a longer time period.
Does One & Only ALWAYS have to be refrigerated?
No. However, One & Only should never be frozen, nor should it be kept at temperatures above 95°F. Normal room temperature will not harm the bacteria in One & Only. One & Only will last for 6 months at room temperatures (65 to 85°F). At colder temperatures (around 50°F) One & Only will last one year.
How should One & Only be treated in relation to temperature?
The best way to handle One & Only is to treat it the same way you would treat your fish. You wouldn’t keep the bag of fish you just bought at the fish store in direct sunlight in your car for hours while you continued shopping nor would you let that bag of fish freeze -- the same goes for One & Only. Keep One & Only in moderate temperatures and it will be perfectly fine when you get it home and are ready to use it.
What about the longer term storage of One & Only?
At a temperature about 50°F One & Only will be viable for one year. Each bottle is stamped on the back with the words “best used by” and then a month and year.
When should I use One & Only?
Use One & Only when setting up a new tank and after major environmental changes to your aquarium. Examples of major changes include a disease treatment with antibiotics or chemicals that are harmful to the nitrifying bacteria, after a major gravel cleaning which can disturb the bacteria on the gravel and after a failure of the filter.
Can One & Only be used for fishless cycling?
Yes, but there is no real reason to do fishless cycling with One & Only. However, if you choose to go that route you need to add ammonia to the water after dosing with One & Only because the bacteria need some source of ammonia to start growing a bigger population. Dose ammonia to an initial concentration of 2 to 4 ppm which should disappear quickly with nitrite increasing a little then disappearing. Dose one or two more times with ammonia and after your test kits show no ammonia and nitrite it is safe to start adding fish.
How can bacteria live in a bottle and not die for 6 months or a year?
A common misconception about bacteria in general is that they die if they are not fed. From a human being point of view this sounds perfectly reasonable: if you don’t eat, you die. However, bacteria are not human beings. Bacteria operate much differently than people and have a variety of ways to deal with those times when resources are not available for them to grow and reproduce. Some bacteria when stressed (from say lack of nutrients) form spores and go into a resting stage waiting for conditions to improve. Nitrifiers do not form spores but have other mechanisms to deal with nutrient deficient periods. For nitrifiers, one way to deal with stressful conditions is to forming a protective "shield” called EPS. EPS stands for extracellular polymeric substances and is, in simplistic terms, an organic protective shield that research shows inhibits various organisms from attacking and breaking open the cell wall of nitrifiers. Nitrifiers belong to a very old line of bacteria (millions of years) and they have developed ways to cope with very long periods of “drought”. Because the nitrifiers in DrTim’s One & Only are grown on a substrate they can form EPS when needed and last 6 to 12 months in a bottle.
I have a Brackish water tank - which bacteria for me
The choice of whether to use the freshwater One and Only or the saltwater One and Only bacteria in a brackish water tank depends upon the salinity or specific gravity (S.G.) of your water.
- If the salinity is less than 10 ppt (1.007 S.G.) then use the freshwater formula.
- If the salinity is greater than 10 ppt (1.007 S.G.) then use the saltwater formula.
I added One & Only and the next day the aquarium water was cloudy or milky
Cloudy water is not caused by nitrifying bacteria. They cannot multiply fast enough to reach a population level that would turn the water cloudy. Cloudy water is generally caused by a bloom of heterotrophic bacteria in response to elevated levels of organics in the water. This can be reduced by thoroughly washing the gravel, rock and other items before placing them in the aquarium. The best way to control cloudy water is to do a partial water change and limit feeding. The water will usually clear up after a day or two.
I added One & Only to my tank which already had high ammonia (nitrite) and the concentrations did not drop
If the ammonia or nitrite concentration in the aquarium is above 10 ppm (as nitrogen) or 10 mg/L-N you should do a partial water change before adding One & Only. The reason is that these bacteria prefer low concentrations of ammonia/nitrite and can actually be inhibited by high levels of these chemicals. Thus, a tank which already has high ammonia (or nitrite) will not see results as fast as if you had added One & Only at the beginning. There are two solutions: 1) change water or 2) add more One & Only while reducing feeding until the situation resolves itself.
