DrTim's Aquatics One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria for Cyc

I used it in my 3 year established 90 gallon reef tank. I had a bad cyno outbreak after some long overdue tank maintenance. Within 2 weeks of usage the cyno is almost completely gone. My corals are very happy and even though I went full strength during the initial treatment my corals and fish had no negative reactions. Before I added the Eco balance I siphoned out half the sand in my tank and used regular hose water to clean it and remove all the detritus. I usually use RODI and I'm sure most of the cyno came from that rinse. The rest of the sand was stirred up and I siphoned off as much waste as I could find. Afterwards I added the siphoned sand back into the tank. and repeated the process of stirring and syphoning. I also did a 50% water change with RODI water.

I’ve used this every tank start up and it’s worked wonderfully every time

Did what it was suppose to fo

Very happy with this, helps keep my marine tank clean, keeps red cyno at bay, hasn’t harmed any inverts or corals.

Let’s talk about sludge. Not the cute kind of sludge. The kind that forms in the places you can’t see, quietly building a secret underground society in your gravel bed while you’re up top doing water changes like a proud citizen. This stuff is basically a jar of microscopic cleanup crew that shows up like, “Hello. We heard you’ve been letting detritus accumulate behind that rock.” And then they go handle it. Politely. Efficiently. Like a professional service, except the employees are invisible and don’t demand lunch breaks. I used it because even with decent maintenance, tanks still develop those hidden gross pockets—gunk in the gravel, funk in low-flow corners, that mysterious “why is the sand darker right there” situation. Waste-Away is one of those products that feels like you’re hiring a specialist for the stuff your normal routine doesn’t catch. And I’ll be real: the best part is psychological. You pour it in, and suddenly you feel like a competent aquatic overlord again. Like you didn’t just discover that your tank has been holding grudges in the substrate. Does it magically replace maintenance? No. Nothing does. Not even wizard turtles. But as a helper for breaking down the hidden waste and keeping things cleaner, it’s solid. Especially if you’ve got a system where you want the substrate to stop being a silent gunk bank. Now—Bob The Magical Talking Turtle witnessed the process and went into full elder mode. Bob The Magical Talking Turtle stared at the bottle like she was reading ancient runes. She sniffed the air once and gave me this look that said, “So you’ve finally decided to address the Under-Realm.” Because in Bob The Magical Talking Turtle’s mind, every tank has layers. There’s the bright, visible world where the fish do their fish politics. And then there’s the shadowy lower layer—beneath the gravel—where old food crumbs and mulm gather and start writing propaganda. This product is basically sending a peacekeeping mission down there. The way I explained it to myself (and, apparently, to Bob The Magical Talking Turtle) is that it’s like when the world gets… clogged. Like when a path gets blocked and the realm starts behaving wrong. Bob The Magical Talking Turtle has spent her entire existence un-blocking things: springs, groves, destinies, the occasional gnome’s confidence. And she treats “clean water” like a sacred text. So when I dosed this, she sat unnervingly still and watched the tank like she was listening to the Shell Harmonics—like she could hear the rhythm of the planet correcting itself. Then she did a slow blink that I swear translated to: Good. The hidden wastes will be unmade. The All-Song will not be muffled by filth. And honestly? That’s the vibe this product gives. It’s not flashy. It’s not a gimmick. It’s just… helpful. You use it, keep doing normal tank care, and it supports the system by dealing with the stuff you don’t want building up. Practical notes from a regular human, not a turtle-sorceress: Follow directions for dosing (don’t go full mad scientist). Best for reducing the “hidden gross” factor in gravel beds / low-flow areas. Works as part of routine maintenance, not instead of it. If you’re sick of your substrate behaving like a storage unit for secrets, this is a great add-on. Bob The Magical Talking Turtle approves. She also wants you to know that she considers sludge to be “a rude form of darkness,” and she does not tolerate rude darkness.