Bacteria Aroebic or Anarobic?

[marke]

I am looking to consider adding bacteria to my sps system a couple times a year. Which bacteria? Those that need oxygen or the no oxygen type. Those selling them seem to sell booth. How do I know whats in the bottle? Are they alive? How long can they stay alive in a bottle? Will my vinegar/carbon feed them better? Whats your thoughts?

 

[jason2459]

My thoughts would be to save your money.

Dosing a carbon source is a good method to increase the bacteria already in your system.

The kinds we are feeding with sources like vodka, vinegar, or both are facultative anaerobic. Meaning they can use oxygen if present and be aerobic but if oxygen is lacking can switch to become anaerobic.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My thought is to ask what you want the bacteria to accomplish to answer what type.

I have been surprised by the very wide range of types of bacteria claimed in these products.

 

[marke]

Randy the goal is to aid in reducing no3 and po4 by from time to time adding different bacteria strains to the system. From what I have read, and I would appreciate any articles you favor in this area, Nitrobactor and Nitrosommas need oxygen and are better denitrifiers then the bacillus gang which seem to be no oxygen types. I know how you feel about multiple strains of bacteria in a system. That is eventually the faster growing will dominate or outcompete the slower grower. The Nitro brothers being the slower grower, but possibly the more valuable one in denitrification. Problem I see is the Nitro brothers die in a bottle on the LFS shelves. They dont go to seed and regrow as I think the bacillus family do. Bacillus has a much longer shelf life. I have never used bacteria other than to start a new system; however some systems maybe bacteria deficient for many reasons. Adding once or twice a year maybe beneficial to establish new strands? Thoughts and reading list? Thanks

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

Biodigest, zeo's bacteria, Dr Tims, Biospira(Dr Tim left and made his own, but it's still semi-valid), and uhh Microbe Lift Special Blend is another I believe is anaerobic based.
I'm a firm believer that unless you're near the coast, you will never see the same air-profile for bacterial strains as what the reefs see. After all bacteria is all around us, but because of climate and weather patterns, not all make it everywhere around the globe in significant amounts.

 

[jason2459]

You underestimate wind currents.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy the goal is to aid in reducing no3 and po4 by from time to time adding different bacteria strains to the system. From what I have read, and I would appreciate any articles you favor in this area, Nitrobactor and Nitrosommas need oxygen and are better denitrifiers then the bacillus gang which seem to be no oxygen types. I know how you feel about multiple strains of bacteria in a system. That is eventually the faster growing will dominate or outcompete the slower grower. The Nitro brothers being the slower grower, but possibly the more valuable one in denitrification. Problem I see is the Nitro brothers die in a bottle on the LFS shelves. They dont go to seed and regrow as I think the bacillus family do. Bacillus has a much longer shelf life. I have never used bacteria other than to start a new system; however some systems maybe bacteria deficient for many reasons. Adding once or twice a year maybe beneficial to establish new strands? Thoughts and reading list? Thanks

So the question arises as to whether denitrification is not happening sufficiently before dosing anything because bacteria are being limited by numbers and/or species, or by the organic molecules available to the bacteria. Same sort of question relating to bacterial degradation of organics. What is limiting it?

The fact that organic carbon dosing works may suggest that the numbers can be driven up by carbon dosing alone BUT many tanks may end up with undesirable species being the result (like cyano) and IMO that is a great time to get some new bacteria started, either from a friends tank (preferably dosing the same organic, if you do) or from natural seawater (I occasionally collect some primarily for the bacteria) or from a commercial product that will (hopefully) contain species that will thrive in your tank.

I can't say whether adding more bacteria whose benefit is to degrade organics is necessarily beneficial in all cases, but it might be in some, and many people believe that products such as MB7 benefit their aquaria, and this may be why.

 

[Kungpaoshizi]

You underestimate wind currents.

Ahh, but even they have their limitations!
In thinking about this, I checked out some random stuff, someone has a similar type of question, and at first glance the response seems pretty sound.. Good stuff though, at least it's a template for perhaps mapping travel patters so you could essentially "map out" the Earth and maybe where you're on the receiving end.. heh
I honestly thought the distances would be much further..

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/where-do-you-get-your-bacteria-the-air.239254/

 

[AquamanE]

Following along.