A tank does not need help growing bacteria. It needs the solids taken out periodically. Those are different problems.
Additives are marketed to reduce how often a tank needs pumping or to revive a struggling drainfield, and both claims are worth looking at directly rather than taking on faith.
Anaerobic bacteria are already present in ordinary wastewater and already break down organic material in the tank. That process runs on its own, with or without a product added to help it along.
Some are biological, adding extra bacteria or enzymes. Some are chemical, marketed as degreasers or field-unclogging treatments, and a few of those are corrosive enough to be a concern in their own right.
An additive does not remove solids from a tank — at best it changes how fast some organic matter breaks down. Sludge that has already settled is not going anywhere on its own, and inorganic solids never break down regardless of what gets added.
Some chemical additives sold to unclog a drainfield can damage soil structure further rather than restore it, and there is no additive that fixes soil that has physically clogged. A field in that condition needs diagnosis, not a jug from the hardware store.
On pumping at an interval that matches your tank and household, which is the one thing proven to remove solids rather than promising to manage them.
Additives are a marketing category built around a maintenance task people would rather not schedule. Scheduling the pump-out costs less and does something real.
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