CRS Benibachi set up disaster.

[Aquadream]

Hi to all experts.

Two months ago I have started a brand new Denerle 60L nano cube for a CRS tank.
I used only new products in there.
The substrate was new Shirakura, with Benibachi Bee max and Benibachi Mineral powder.
The substrate system was set up according to Benibachi recommendations.

Additional products that I have used were;
Benibachi Black Control, Benibachi Nitrate Remover, Benibachi Amonia Remover all used only with the recommended amounts or a bit less than that. I never over dosed any of them.

I used also a small amount of filter bacteria from Easy Life to speed up the cycling time.

The water was only RO with Mosura GH booster.

Water parameters were;

GH – 5
KH – 0
Cond. – up to 200 uS
TDS – up to 150 ppm

This tank went anaerobic in just two months and the substrate smelled like blahblahblahblah hole.

Can anyone suggest what could possibly have gone wrong in there?

 

[Radik]

I had bee max too and did setup once with akadama and once with seachem sand. I have got also very foul smell in fresh setup too. No other additives have been used. So it seems that's the problem. Personally I never had ever such smell in fresh setup but was not linking it to bee max but seems it could be issue. I did lot of water changes after that but it took good 2-3 moths to be habitable after. After that I did setup plenty shrimp tanks and without any additives and guess what all is good

 

[Aquadream]

I had bee max too and did setup once with akadama and once with seachem sand. I have got also very foul smell in fresh setup too. No other additives have been used. So it seems that's the problem. Personally I never had ever such smell in fresh setup but was not linking it to bee max but seems it could be issue. I did lot of water changes after that but it took good 2-3 moths to be habitable after. After that I did setup plenty shrimp tanks and without any additives and guess what all is good

I also think the problem commes from the Benibachi bee max. may be the amount used should be much less, but they do not use any more accurate figures than "add a thin layer".