Diversity in Bacteria Strains

[gonefishin]

I read that it's beneficial to have different bacteria strains in your reef tank. So should I dose different bacteria bottles during the initial cycle. Currently cycling Dry Marco Rock with a shrimp and MB7. Thinking of dosing Fritz, Bio Spira, and/or Dr Tim's as well. Thoughts?

 

[sghera64]

I’ve tried the cocktail of bottles approach: Vibrant, Dr Tim’s. But it is pricey. I’m also doing algae swaps with other reefers and shops (chaeto, Ulva). What I find to be cheapest is to feed frozen foods that includes whole fish parts (e.g. stomach, intestines). LRS is good. But now I buy shrimp, clams, other fish from different area grocery stores. Assuming they have different suppliers, or the catches are from different parts of the ocean, there should be some biodiversity.

I suspect that our tanks will tend to prefer, or present an advantage to, one species over others when it comes to bacteria. Things in our tank change or exhaust and shift the advantage. Meaning, this diversity thing is not a one-time activity. We have to keep importing a variety of bugs.

 

[gonefishin]

I’ve tried the cocktail of bottles approach: Vibrant, Dr Tim’s. But it is pricey. I’m also doing algae swaps with other reefers and shops (chaeto, Ulva). What I find to be cheapest is to feed frozen foods that includes whole fish parts (e.g. stomach, intestines). LRS is good. But now I buy shrimp, clams, other fish from different area grocery stores. Assuming they have different suppliers, or the catches are from different parts of the ocean, there should be some biodiversity.

I suspect that our tanks will tend to prefer, or present an advantage to, one species over others when it comes to bacteria. Things in our tank change or exhaust and shift the advantage. Meaning, this diversity thing is not a one-time activity. We have to keep importing a variety of bugs.

Never thought about adding different foods from different grocery stores. Great idea!!! I'm wondering if these bottles have different bacteria strains for sure. Did you see any difference in the initial ugly period?

 

[sghera64]

Never thought about adding different foods from different grocery stores. Great idea!!! I'm wondering if these bottles have different bacteria strains for sure. Did you see any difference in the initial ugly period?

My system is about 15 years old. I began experimenting with Vibrant last November to treat Cyano. It completely wiped the Cyano out - - but really hit my macro algae too.

I bought Dr. Tim’s Refresh and his Waste-away too. I’m adding those about 1x per week and I use maybe 20% of the recommended dose. I don’t run my skimmer for 24 hours after dosing.

My chaeto and Ulva are starting to come back. I will keep adding Dr. Tim’s and the Vibrant in very small and spread out doses just to help with bio diversity.

Yes - the strains of bacteria really are different. Dr. Tim does do his research and the bugs are different and behave differently.

I have a deep sandbed in my Oceanic 135 Gal DT. That’s where the cyano was. It did return after about a month of weening my system off of Vibrant - - and before the chaeto and Ulva starting coming back. After reading Paul B’s post about putting lots of “nasty germ invested” things to build out the bacterial cocktail in our tanks, I switched to LRS frozen and then started grocery store hopping. The cyano pretty much (maybe coincidently) faded away. Bacteria competition? Mmmmmm, maybe - - or maybe not. I do use an Asian spider strainer on my sand now about every 3 months - - doing 25-33% of the sand each week for 3 weeks. Below is a pic of the tank as of right now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I read that it's beneficial to have different bacteria strains in your reef tank. So should I dose different bacteria bottles during the initial cycle. Currently cycling Dry Marco Rock with a shrimp and MB7. Thinking of dosing Fritz, Bio Spira, and/or Dr Tim's as well. Thoughts?

I've never seen any evidence, or even heard a convincing theoretical reason to think that diversity of bacterial is somehow better.

It may be for reasons that are not clear, but it should not (IMO) be assumed to be true.

It also should not be assumed to be true that adding different carbon sources or even different strains of bacteria ultimately ends up with more diversity than not doing those things. Again, it may be true, but may not be.

 

[ShellSea]

What the h**l is an Asian spider sand sifter?

 

[gonefishin]

My system is about 15 years old. I began experimenting with Vibrant last November to treat Cyano. It completely wiped the Cyano out - - but really hit my macro algae too.

I bought Dr. Tim’s Refresh and his Waste-away too. I’m adding those about 1x per week and I use maybe 20% of the recommended dose. I don’t run my skimmer for 24 hours after dosing.

My chaeto and Ulva are starting to come back. I will keep adding Dr. Tim’s and the Vibrant in very small and spread out doses just to help with bio diversity.

Yes - the strains of bacteria really are different. Dr. Tim does do his research and the bugs are different and behave differently.

I have a deep sandbed in my Oceanic 135 Gal DT. That’s where the cyano was. It did return after about a month of weening my system off of Vibrant - - and before the chaeto and Ulva starting coming back. After reading Paul B’s post about putting lots of “nasty germ invested” things to build out the bacterial cocktail in our tanks, I switched to LRS frozen and then started grocery store hopping. The cyano pretty much (maybe coincidently) faded away. Bacteria competition? Mmmmmm, maybe - - or maybe not. I do use an Asian spider strainer on my sand now about every 3 months - - doing 25-33% of the sand each week for 3 weeks. Below is a pic of the tank as of right now.

I think getting different seafoods from different places is a great idea. But do you think bacteria survived if the food has been frozen? Amazing tank btw.

 

[hart24601]

Dr Tim posted in a thread about his gel released product and made some good points. What I thought was interesting is he maintains that it’s more about how many strains simply are removed from out systems via socks, skimming and predation and that even if reintroduced are not rock colonizing so they are eventually removed again. These stains can be used for nutrient reduction however I find them more interesting to out compete other organisms that we find undesirable such as cyano and dinoflagellates.

FWIW I started using the gels and my dino issue stopped of course I also tried a few other things so like many things in the hobby I can draw strong conclusions. I should note however several months after I stopped using the gels dinos came back, I added another gel and they receded. Not saying it eliminated the dinos but it’s enough evidence for me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think getting different seafoods from different places is a great idea. But do you think bacteria survived if the food has been frozen? Amazing tank btw.

Many bacteria do survive freezing.

 

[sghera64]

I think getting different seafoods from different places is a great idea. But do you think bacteria survived if the food has been frozen? Amazing tank btw.

Depending on on the species, yes. And I believe most, in this case do.

NASA is so concerned about this with their space exploration, that they have a whole team dedicated to *not contaminating space or places they explore*. This team is constantly developing protocols for decontaminating ships, probes and landers before they leave earth. Obviously, and without complete proof, NASA is of the opinion that some microbes could survive the harshness of outer space.

 

[sghera64]

What the h**l is an Asian spider sand sifter?

Oooooo, the way you ask makes it sound like an exotic, and probably already banned, member of our CUC. [emoji2957]

But alas:
Bamboo Handle S/S Coarse Skimmer (5") https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E62WTJW/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_jqeFCbTK20N66