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Hey guys... I emailed Marineland a few days ago. Hopefully, they'll change their site finally; they've been telling people about the room temp thing for a while now.


I thought I'd include my question

Hello, Marineland...
I belong to an online message board dedicated to fresh and saltwater aquariums. A few weeks ago, the question came up as to whether or not Bio-Spira actually has to be refrigerated. The bottles and the website still insist that it's important your product stay at a cool temperature, but I've been told that a stable room temperature is good enough to keep the product viable. In fact, I've been in a pet store where it was stored on the shelf instead of being refrigerated.

Please email me back with an answer that I can post on our discussion board; several members are hesitant to use the product because of the language on the packaging. After hearing and seeing what I have in the pet store and at home, I'd like to reassure them that it's possible to store the bacteria at a stable room temperature.

Thank you!


The reply:
It recently has been found that Bio-Spira can live in a sealed package at room temp for 6 months. In an unopened refrigerated package, it lives for one year. After it has been opened, it will live 6 months, refrigerated or not. I hope this helps!


Thank you!
Marineland, Aquaria Inc.

You have to ask the correct questions...

"What is the percentage of degradation of Bio Spira when it sits unopened and unrefrigerated over a certain time frame??"

"What is the percentage of degradation of Bio Spira when it sits, after opening, at room temp over a certain time frame??"

Marineland, no matter what type of reply you received, still states:

"IMPORTANT: BIO-Spira is a "live" bacteria culture that is sold refrigerated and must be kept refrigerated until used. It can not be overdosed. Repeated dosing of your aquarium with ammonia removing liquids (such as BIO-Safe, Amquel, Ammo-lock and Aqua-Safe) can inhibit the beneficial action of BIO-Spira. Ammonia removing liquids should only be used to initially treat tap water. It is normal to have a small (<2 ppm) amount of ammonia or nitrate during the first few days after set-up. These concentrations are not harmful and will quickly drop to zero with proper use of BIO-Spira."

In my experience with live bacteria, unless a preservative is employed or a cold environment is provided to slow down growth, bacteria will degrade to a point of total non-benefitting amounts.

Those stores that are not providing refrigeration for the product risk the chance of selling half-dead or next to useless bacteria after a prolonged period of shelf storage.

By the time a year passes unrefrigerated, or perhaps a much shorter period of time, the degradation of live bacteria sitting in a solution, in my opinion, would be severe.

--garyroland.







Last edited by garyroland at 02-Dec-2004 11:51

In an unopened refrigerated package, it lives for one year. After it has been opened, it will live 6 months, refrigerated or not.

So be sure to open it in time and it will live longer???

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So here I am once more...

I know, Gary, I thought the same thing when we were first told that it was okay to put the stuff on the shelf. They haven't changed their packaging since they introduced it on the market, from what I can tell... I guess it's time.

Like I said before, I've used it several times at room temp with no problems, but you have a point in getting more specific. My guess is that it's still somewhat viable after the six-month mark, but the numbers of bacteria still alive probably drop a lot after that time. I'm going to email Marineland again and see if we can get someone to post on this thread so it doesn't degrade to a bunch of guesses.

"So be sure to open it in time and it will live longer???"

Actually, that does make sense, since it'll need oxygen eventually.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

My guess is that unrefrigerated viable bacteria die way before the six-month time frame...

Bio Spira, as far as I know, is delivered refrigerated, a mandatory requirement for live viable bacteria.

--garyroland.

Last edited by garyroland at 03-Dec-2004 09:58

It does last twice as long if refrigerated. . . the cooler temperature probably just slows down metabolism. It's probably best to refrigerate it but maybe not exactly NECESSARY. . . at least that's my understanding.

Call me dense but why the continuing argument?







Last edited by trystianity at 03-Dec-2004 11:29[/font]

We don't argue...we debate...

I'll have a better understanding when Marineland changes its website and claims the product requires no refrigeration.

--garyroland.

You might have a point there Mousling!

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So here I am once more...

doesnt this mean that if it freezes, the bacteria will die?