Bacteria: What are your thoughts on adding "bacteria" to your reef tank?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

There has been a lot of discussion regarding adding certain types of bacteria to your reef tank and today I thought we might talk about it some more!

1. Do you add any type of bacteria to your reef tank and if so what and why?

2. What changes have you noticed in your reef tank from these additions?


image via @Abood

 

[Topekoms]

When I setup my tank I used several kinds to jump start it

 

[Arabyps]

1. Do you add any type of bacteria to your reef tank and if so what and why? Yes - MicroBacter 7. I do this with water changes and whenever I add more than 1-2 fish to the mix. It does no harm, and is a prophylactic regimen (not unlike those who treat quarantined fish with copper/prazi when no disease is present - juts in case).

2. What changes have you noticed in your reef tank from these additions? None but healthy livestock and peace of mind.

 

[Paul B]

1. Do you add any type of bacteria to your reef tank and if so what and why?

2. What changes have you noticed in your reef tank from these additions?

1 Just the bacteria that is under these snails.

2 It has worked forever

 

[ca1ore]

Got plenty of bacteria in my tank. Last time i counted them it was well over 5 million.

 

[Chrille26]

1. Currently yes, I dose Vibrant once a week to combat hair algae and Valonia.
I also add Microbacter7 in the hopes of mitigating the Cyano issues that some seem to get from using Vibrant.

2. It is too early to see any changes yet, but the evidence is overwelming so I count on seeing improvements in the coming weeks!

 

[brandon429]

I like to see it this way:



no matter how we begin a reef, or add to it, water shear and natural space competition and biofilm creates limitations on how much your live rock can hold...being post cycle means they're full, live rocks are full on bacteria post cycle and don’t stack higher or thicker with more bioload, as the masses would claim.

whats not adhered gets skimmed as aggregate, or lodged in a sink, its not helping tremendously to dose more vs simple manual cleaning of clogging waste, re exposing work surfaces to waste water, and upping your actual nitrification through cleaning and not through repeated retail purchases. Extra bacteria are lowering surface area if they stack, and compete for 02 in excess and don’t increase contact with wastewater


export is where bacterial management is at in my opinion
zoos regulate their giant filters by backflushing largely

export.


these tanks self regulate their own bac if you de clog them


not that specialized additives don't exist, but in 2021 what they do well is quick cycling, any of the maintenance stuff is getting ur cash

the microbial world is full of opposites.

export helps you manage bacteria the best, not import. clear out the proteins and slicks competing bacteria want to capitalize on so that your sheerest cleanest surface area is exposed to wastewater, and the nitrifying communities always adhered to that surface no matter how well you clean will be doing the best nitrification you can possibly attain.

our focus is always on bacteria in the hobby because that's the cash driver, they've already sold us the surface area.

the bottle bac they keep reselling us has no more vital space to attach, so its becoming exported as it floats in suspension

we tend to leave the whole particulate behind, this is the channel clogging material we should eject

we need to be managing our surfaces for a strong reef... it’s not always about the additives

one way is free and one way isn’t, which one gets the most writing and board promotion

 

[Crashnt24]

I use Aqua Forest Pro Bio S and NP Pro.

I dose daily and my acros are loving this stuff. I have seen faster growth than I have ever seen before. It made me a believer

 

[ReefOnTheBayou]

Microbacter7 1 cap weekly

 

[kels64]

There has been a lot of discussion regarding adding certain types of bacteria to your reef tank and today I thought we might talk about it some more!

1. Do you add any type of bacteria to your reef tank and if so what and why?

2. What changes have you noticed in your reef tank from these additions?


image via @Abood

I am a firm believer in using the Dr. Tim’s method to cycle a tank instead of putting some poor hapless fish into it. I use the ammonia and then also the one and only to cycle. I also occasionally add some one and only when I increase livestock or change filters. I’ve had consistently stable tanks and I really believe in the product.

 

[kenchilada]

Yes I feed lots of fresh seafood from the market. Sometimes I cough in the tank too.

 

[Kevan Sharp]

Normally I don't but I've had a couple bouts of cyano invasion that take time to resolve. I used Dr. Tim's (Waste Away) to help if that occurs. I've tried feeding with pellets twice and both times resulted in massive cyano attack. Lesson learned for me, go back to frozen cubes.

 

[zanthian]

Added Fritz Turbo start to kick off the cycle.

 

[inktomi]

I just made a video all about the microbes in our tank and the promises we're seeing with them in the wild.

 

[EchoStar]

I add vibrant every water change. I have found this reduces the algae in the tank and keep the glass looking clean.

 

[Back where it all began]

I have used aquavitro remediation for a long time and I've never had any problems.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

I was doing Biodigest on my older system, seemed to help with nutrient exportation.

 

[Nhjmc]

Add Seachem "Stability" when I do water changes and or add new live stock.

 

[uhgster1]

I add after cleaning my glass or once a week. It keeps my rocks beautiful and clean. No algae whatsoever in my display and it stopped my recurring battle with cyano.

 

[StKi1da]

In battling dinos, I dosed atm colony, phyto and copepods (1 sachet a day) which worked a treat and back to clean sand.