FritzZyme MONSTER 460 | 946ml

Yes, these heterotrophic bacteria form spores which can survive freezing. Let the product defrost gradually, shake well and use as directed.

Not directly. What the bacteria in FritzZyme will do is compete with algae for the organic nutrients that act as a fertilizer for algae. Thus, over several months, you will see algae growth gradually recede and become less of a nuisance. However, if you have extreme algae growth in your aquarium when you start to use the FritzZyme products, you will likely have to take other measures to reduce algae in the aquarium.

Nothing negative. These bacteria are beneficial and naturally occurring and won’t harm anything and unless there was a truly massive overdose (20x or more) there will be no problems. The bacterial populations will only be as large as can be supported by the food source, so the worst that happens is they die back to levels that are sustainable.

No. Over time, you will find that you can reduce water changes but this product is not intended to replace water changes. Your test kits (nitrate in particular) will indicate when you need water changes.

FritzZyme introduces beneficial heterotrophic bacteria into your aquarium. When added to the aquarium, these bacteria are still in protective spore form. On entering the aquarium, they emerge from spore form but still need time to settle on a surface area and form colonies before getting to work. That’s why we recommend turning off UV sterilizers, etc. for 48 hours after adding. Even after forming colonies, it takes time for the bacteria to reduce the waste in the aquarium. Most users report improvement within two weeks and significant improvement over the course of a month.

Not directly. However, they do consume organics that become nitrates in the aquarium, this slowing the accumulation of nitrates.

Yes, Fritz has not conducted formal, rigorous studies of this. Over time, the bacteria in FritzZyme 460 outcompete cyanobacteria for nutrients causing the cyanobacteria to recede. But with that said, this does not happen overnight.

This is a great question, and it is a little complex to answer because it varies from aquarium to aquarium. Each person’s aquarium will have slightly different chemical and biological composition and ecology. Some factors in play are:

• Other bacteria species prey on the heterotrophs in FritzZyme requiring the addition of more colonies over time.
• As food levels (organics) are reduced by the bacteria in FritzZyme, they die back somewhat. But the aquarist is constantly adding more nutrients to the aquarium in the form of food for fish. Adding more FritzZyme keeps population levels relatively stable in the aquarium.
• Power outages, medication usage and aquarium moves all impact bacterial populations.
• Changes in the amount of livestock in the aquarium increase waste levels.

Sludge removers are not necessary in new systems because there is no organic material for them to break down. However, in established systems, they are beneficial; they will break down the organic material trapped in the biofilter. This trapped material cuts down the flow of oxygen-rich water to the nitrifying bacteria “the real workhorses of the aquarium.” Fritz offers sludge remover, FritzZyme 360, a freshwater biological aquarium cleaner, for this purpose. Thus you can provide nitrifying bacteria and sludge removing bacteria as needed in your system.

The only product we have that can be sold in Canada is our FritzZyme 360 & 460. These are biological products that will compete with cyano.  Although not a quick fix like Erythromycin, using as a regular part of maintenance will help prevent cyano breakouts.

Chlorine must be removed before adding FritzZyme (chlorine kills bacteria). FritzGuard or Fritz Chlorine Remover may be used for this purpose. Fritz pH blocks for pH control, Fritz Super Salt for marine systems, Fritz Super Clarifier and Fritz Trace Elements may also be used without any adverse effect to the biofilter.