Dosing Bacteria

[liam]

Hi,

Just curious if there's any effect of over dosing bacteria like(MicrobLift or Nutrafin Cycle) on flora or fauna?

Like if there was an abundance of nitrosomonas and nitrobacter would it also cause an imbalance after nitrification?

[Goondoo]

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On 6/4/2003 1:34:34 PM

Hi,

Just curious if there's any effect of over dosing bacteria like(MicrobLift or Nutrafin Cycle) on flora or fauna?

Like if there was an abundance of nitrosomonas and nitrobacter would it also cause an imbalance after nitrification?
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I'm using some Bio-31 but not as much effectivenessas what the LFS claims, basically Nitrates starts detectable after 1 week. (assuming its the Nitrocycle working and not Nitrates I'm adding)

I got a close friend whom swore by Cycle, claiming he got 0 fish death from his 20++ mixture of fish after adding it to a new setup non-planted tank the same day. He's working in KL with me and he IS that kind of lazy chap unlikely to change water every week. Last I heard was like once a month? He already got his tank till now for about two years and still 0 death I heard.

[OUTLAW]

I'm using the Nutrafin Cycling Bateria Supplement, and i think they're quie good, no fish deaths too.

The bottle says "Safe for animals and humans, there is no fear of overdosing" .. so i guess there will not be too much harm in overdosing it right? ..

[Goondoo]

Yea.... my that friend actually advised me to pour the whole bottle into my tank, but was out of stock when I went to the LFS that day.

[OUTLAW]

Lol[:0] [], but the bad thing is do not leave them out of the refrigerator for too long.. If not the whole bottle is wasted

[loupgarou]

don't they sit in the shop for months on end outside the fridge?

don't all living things (animals/bacteria) require oxygen + energy? (or in some cases, sulfur + nitrate)

I'm skeptical. anyone got spare cycle left over? conduct an objective test.

3 test containers/tanks. each sterilised with hydrogen peroxide + nuke in the microwave.

to each , add 1/2 teaspoon of ammonia (buy pure ammonia from hardware shop eg: ace hardware/ homefix etc)

one to act as control, nothing added except plain tap water.
one to add some filter squeezings from a mature tank
one to add nutrafin cycle.

test ammonia test kit every 2 days or so. and graph the results.


http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u...?article_id=74

read towards the end

[OUTLAW]

dont know leh, the bottle reads KEEP REFRIGERATED AFTER OPENING .. yeah, puzzled why they can sit on shelves for so long too ..

[Goondoo]

bacteria eggs? haha

[liam]

heh heh...microb lite is a little more ex. will switch to cycle later. but never mention about refrigeration after opening.

if cycle needs refrigeration, i am not keen. imagine all the fresh fruit and vege and what not sitting next to a bottle of cycle...

but must admit i love dosing bacteria...water crystal clear and fish seem fine. I dose the very first day i started my tank...

[jacian]

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On 6/4/2003 1:34:34 PM

Hi,

Just curious if there's any effect of over dosing bacteria like(MicrobLift or Nutrafin Cycle) on flora or fauna?

Like if there was an abundance of nitrosomonas and nitrobacter would it also cause an imbalance after nitrification?
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Define 'over dosing'. If you can keep a fish alive in a bottle of Cycle, you are safe to say that there is no effect on over dosing.

[Plantbrain]

Why in tarnations would you buy bacteria?

You know someone with a tank? Go vacuum a section and save the settled dirt(detritus/mulm) in the bottom. Add this to the bottom 1/2 of you substrate and add some to your filter sponge etc.

You now have a cycled tanks with fresh bacteria, not refrigerated dormant spores.

Plant roots and leaves are often covered as well with bacteria.

Plants if you take care of them will remove every bit of the NH4 and any other waste the fish might produce.

I've never been able to measure any NH4 in my tanks.

There is no "cycle" in a properly set up plant tank.
Plants do the work, the bacteria are just around in case you don't take care of the plants, they are simply a back up.
Bacterial densities take a little time to even out with the supply of "food" but the plants go right after the NH4.

If the plants are healthy, they will do all the work and the bacteria are only providing a secondary role for filtration.
Bacteria and fungi are good for the breaking down of organic material and when the plant's are growing well, they produce lots of O2 which also help the fungi and bacterial decompose this.

Folks don't need to use NH3 for cycling or any of that. They never did. Simply get the mulm from a friend, another tank, the LFS etc.

It adds exactly what in an established planted tank beside the gravel, plants etc.

Regards,
Tom Barr

[loupgarou]

and one last bit of logic here.

you know how you guys are all afraid if your filter stops running, the bacteria in your filter dies?

how does one keep a bottle of bacteria alive? super saturated O2? plenty of NH4 for it to eat to stay alive? (oh wait, won't more O2 and more NH4 result in faster bacteria growth, resulting in NH4 being converted to no2 faster?)...hmm.

[liam]

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On 6/5/2003 10:17:28 AM

and one last bit of logic here.

you know how you guys are all afraid if your filter stops running, the bacteria in your filter dies?

how does one keep a bottle of bacteria alive? super saturated O2? plenty of NH4 for it to eat to stay alive? (oh wait, won't more O2 and more NH4 result in faster bacteria growth, resulting in NH4 being converted to no2 faster?)...hmm.


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this is exactly what i am wondering. if ammonia is held constant, would an increase in bacteria cause an over nitrification or faster conversion, hence more No2 and No3?

if so then water change (more frequent that is) is called for to get rid of accessively high No2 and/or No3?

[Plantbrain]

Why buy eggs when you can have chickens for free?

I mean the stuff they have in the bottle is simply resting stage spores of the bacteria. Getting the live stuff from an established tank(That detritus in the gravel/filter sponges etc) is fresher and will seed the tank with no cycling period at all.

You add what is lacking in the new tank from that of an established tank, everything is essentially the same except for the bacteria in the gravel and filter.

Bacterial population will adjust to whatever food source there is. It'll balance out. It's important to note that large populations of bacteria will drain the O2 levels, high levels of plants will increase the O2 levels.

Regards,
Tom Barr