Any opinions on Tropical Science?

[Deleted]

Greetings All,

Hubby and son are napping (too much turkey, I guess).... I just ordered some Tropical Science water conditioner - just out of curiosity.

I am not posting this here to promote Tropical Science... Just wanting an opinion from any one who has tried the products. I looked to see if there was a review in the article on water conditioners - and couldn't find any mention of Tropical Science products.

Copied from the site where I ordered it:
Tropical Science Complete Care is a one-stop water conditioner that removes harmful chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals, detoxifies ammonia quickly and safely, prevents infections and heals injured fish, and replenishes slime coat during stress.

I think this is just an older product in a new bottle.... When I "Googled" it, I saw the old style bottle on Amazon.

Another site has Immune Plus (probably an old product repackaged in a new style bottle). Copied from that site:

* Helps protect freshwater aquarium fish against disease

* Natural preventive against diseases such as ich, aeromonas, and vibrio

* Beneficial, probiotic bacteria conditions aquarium water naturally and safely

Immune-Plus' all-natural probiotic formula works quickly and safely to protect your freshwater aquarium. Biological additive protects against a number of fish diseases, including ich, aeromonas (Hole in the Head), and vibrio. Also effective against body fungus and closed fins. Immune-Plus incorporates 5 different strains of probiotic bacteria to help reduce fish loss in your tank. Fish-safe formula contains no chemicals, pesticides, or copper.

Hmmmm...Very interesting... I just went to Tropical Science website and the style bottles I am familiar with are shown there. 
www.tsbiolabs.com/category_s/48.htm

I used Tropical Science Nitromax in my upstairs aquarium until the bottle was gone...Can't say if it was any better/worse than other products.... It did work. That product had to be refrigerated. I also tried Detox 2 when I had an ammonia problem -- that was really a low KH problem. Once I fixed the low KH problem and pH, I didn't need anything to remove ammonia again (from my 75 gallon). 

Well... my Black Friday shopping is done. I ordered fish supplies for my aquariums and my son's.... Both sites had great Black Friday discounts. I only ordered products I can not get from AAP (smile). One company is an Ohio company - a partner company to the pet stores where I buy my fish (so I do like to support them...Plus their fish expert has helped me a lot).

Carl, once my powdered RO Right is gone. I am switching to Replenish. I think a liquid product is just easier. I quit getting the RO Right liquid because their style cap (a pop-up top) always leaked into my supply bin. The Replenish cap screws on tightly (I am assuming anyways). I do have a list for my next order right by my machine.

Well... I hear football on the TV now... Hubby is awake. Wait till he sees how much fun I had while he was napping. 

Cheers,

Judy D

[Carl]

We used and sold their products in our store many years back, but we had very mixed results and sales were not all that good

Just as importantly, one of the larger suppliers of "high end" aquarium products (they also service most aquarium maintenance pros too) discontinued the Tropical Science line of products many years back due to poor and slumping sales in part due to poor feedback from retailers.
This tells me a lot

Carl

[Deleted]

Thanks Carl,

Now I will have very low expectations for the two products (grin). I suspect the new bottle design is a hope to gain new customers? This is the first time I had seen that style bottle, but neither online retailer has it listed a "new". I have never seen any Tropical Science products in stores.

My son was low on conditioner, so I gave him my new full bottle of Nova Aqua+. It will be impossible to tell if the Tropical Science conditioner is any better or worse (it didn't cost any more than the Kordon product)... I just assume it works to dechlor. I use RO water anyways with most- if not all- chlorine removed by the carbon filtration process.

There are very few reviews for these two Tropical Science products.

Cheers,

Judy

[Carl]

Personally I would give Prime a try, as I have had the best results with this over any other conditioner I have used.

In fact while Aquatronics was still a viable company and the company of choice for most of my aquarium/pond treatments & conditioners, I was told about Prime by another Aquarium maintenance person and found better results not only as a chlorine remover, but for chloramines, ammonia, and temporary Redox reduction.
Before this I relied mostly on Aquatronics and Kordon products, so this was my initial introduction to SeaChem (whom I use the most since the loss of Aquatronics)

Carl

[Deleted]

Thanks Carl,

My bottle of Prime was purchased in 2011....Probably still good....but....
I will add a bottle to my next order from AAP.

Judy D.

[Carl]

Nov 28, 2014 20:00:48 GMT -5 @judy4fish said:

Thanks Carl,

My bottle of Prime was purchased in 2011....Probably still good....but....
I will add a bottle to my next order from AAP.

Judy D.

Your current bottle should be perfectly fine!

BTW, some of the false anecdotal comments circulating on the Internet about Prime and its affect on oxygen are likely based on the fact most aquarium keepers do not understand aquarium Redox very well, if at all. This is not meant to be a judgment by me on others in the hobby, only based on reading forums, emails, and other comments about aquarium Redox.

With correct understanding of Redox, one would know that a product that has a more positive affect on Redox Reduction when used as a typical water conditioner is going to have more benefits for the fish as per natural slime coat regeneration and general fish immune response.

Reference:
www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Redox_Potential.html

Carl

[Deleted]

Thanks Carl,

By the way...I sent a piece of a Wonder Shell home with my son - and will give him more next time I do a water change. This piece is small enough that it can just be left in (he has barbs and other softer water fish -- that will need to be introduced gradually, like my barbs have been).

Judy

[Deleted]

Well folks... No way I will order the Tropical Science Complete Care again.... Once opened it has to be refrigerated. I prefer to have my water condition right by the water source. Description doesn't say anything about refrigerating after opening.

Also, there isn't any lot number of any kind on the bottle. The product does have Vitamin C added....so I am assuming it would have a two to three year shelf life (similar to ATM Paradigm mentioned previously in the forum).

I do plan to write to Tropical Science about this (no lot number/no expiration) and will post if I hear anything back (just edit this post). I am going call the online retailer I purchased from, too.

Funny thing.... I ordered the Complete from the Ohio company -- and the Immune Plus from Drs. Foster and Smith on the same day - just a few minutes apart. I got my order from the Ohio company today.... and my Drs. and Smith order just shipped today (four days from when order was placed). Drs. Foster and Smith used to do better than that! Drs. Foster and Smith was purchased by Petco recently. (The Immune Plus is on back order, but they could have shipped the rest of the order. I am pretty sure Immune Plus also has to be refrigerated, so I will end up cancelling that). Can't take up too many spaces with fish care products in fridge door. Hubby has to have room for some beer, at least. I will have the Complete in there, and already have Boyd's Vita Chem and Garlic Guard (don't think Garlic Guard has to be refrigerated, I just do).

Cheers,

Judy

[devonjohnsgard]

Dec 1, 2014 20:24:36 GMT -5 @judy4fish said:

Well folks... No way I will order the Tropical Science Complete Care again.... Once opened it has to be refrigerated. I prefer to have my water condition right by the water source. Description doesn't say anything about refrigerating after opening.

Thanks for sharing your experience, even if it's kinda a poor one. I couldn't image shipping 4 days after the purchase day.

[Deleted]

Yep...None of the products I ordered are needed immediately. The Good Doctors had a sale on my trusted products so I ordered one of each. Better to order now before it gets too cold. I don't order any liquid products over the coldest winter months.
Tracking has my order arriving to me Thursday so that isn't "horrible" I guess.

I try to not run out of products.....but I gave my son my back up bottles a couple weeks ago - so did order bottles for me from Amazon (two day FREE Prime shipping) - product I received was made in 2013.

The Good Doctors have product made in 2014.....Other sites - including Amazon - are selling product made in 2013 (still good....but.....).

I called the Ohio Company last night and talked to their fish expert (told him to update in description for Tropical Science Complete -- I would not have ordered if if I knew it needed refrigeration - he chuckled about that, too. Who has a fridge next to their water supply for their aquariums?). He has actually tried to get them to start carrying my trusted products.... The "powers that be" won't go along.... I told him they would get more money from me if they did. I did buy two KH Booster (which is in their pond section) - one for me and one for my son.

Here is another funny.... My last order from the Good Doctors was supposed to include a free 4 oz. bottle of API Stress-Zyme.
I didn't get a free 4 oz bottle... didn't want it anyways.

The Ohio company and the Good Doctors had super Black Friday offers.....extra discounts on top of more sale prices. I still have my list to order from AAP.... and will do that order soon. I want to see how my son's fish are doing first and will be doing his water changes next Tuesday. I will probably order him some small Wonder Shells as those can be tucked in behind rocks/plants etc (and just left there). I know for a fact he would not put the large Wonder Shell in (grin). He actually didn't even put in the chunk I gave him... His girlfriend did yesterday. Grrrrr

I am also taking down some Algone (the large size). It will mean he (or his girlfriend) will have to replace the pouch in a couple of weeks. I am only doing one water change for him in December.... The Algone will help keep my Grand-fish safe. If he does replace the Algone with the other pouch.... I will be needing more Algone, too, as I will give him my box for Christmas which will help the fish over the winter months.

Cheers,

Judy

[angelminx]

Hi, Judy!

Isn't that aggravating?  It seems as if everything has to be refrigerated these days !  You need a separate refrigerator just to keep your condiments, cooking supplies, pet products, etc, so you have a place to store your foodstuffs/leftovers  (since I'm usually just cooking for me, and sometimes my Mom, I make full recipes and "package" them for later meals)--the freezer doesn't have enough room, either!  When I was sick a few years back, I had to buy bagged ice because I was going thru it so fast (just couldn't stomach even refrigerator-temp water/etc.), and that left me about the size of 2 shoeboxes worth of space for anything else in there.  That refrigerator has since died, and the one Housing replaced it with has a little more room...I've even got a shelf now!  [The problem now is that I'm having temperature issues with it:  Last week they replaced the thermostat, but the refrigerator still reads ~20 degrees, and the freezer 10-15 degrees...My ice cream is falling off the stick, and some of the food in the refrigerator is freezing !  At least the frozen fish food I bought recently seems to still be frozen .]

Angelminx

[Deleted]

Well.... You will not get any feedback from me on Tropical Science Immune Plus....I cancelled the back-order. My Microbe-Lift products arrived today FROZEN. They aren't any good if they freeze, so I have to dump them. Drs. Foster and Smith issued me store credit. It is a lot colder in Wisconsin so the Immune Plus would freeze, too. This is the first time I had anything arrive frozen from the "Good Doctors". My last orders for anything liquid are usually placed before it gets too cold.