MicroBacter7 and BioFuel Dosing

[Rob.D]

I have started dosing the club frag tank with MicroBacter7 and BioFuel today, I am following the package dosing quantities for 30 gallons.

BioFuel: 60 drops

MicroBacter7: One cap full plus 20 drops

The tank was cycled around August 2012 and I have been running the tank as a nutrient rich system, so far this has worked out fairly well in regards to Paly/Zoa growth but the constant nuisance algae growth is becoming a burden to me.

If any decline in coral health is observed, I will do a large water change and will discontinue the use of the two products.

I will photo document all the corals in the tank, along with my perception of coral health, coral coloration and presence of nuisance algae.

As of now, Zoa/Palys are colored nicely but SPS coloration is suffering.

 

[SLUF681]

I've dosed every tank I've had with microbacter7. I've never seen any ill effects.

 

[EpicWin]

I dosed with both fir a long time. I never saw any ill effects nor any benefits.

 

[Rob.D]

I've dosed every tank I've had with microbacter7. I've never seen any ill effects.

Can you attribute any positive affects from the MicroBacter7?

I dosed with both fir a long time. I never saw any ill effects nor any benefits.

Did you have a low or high nutrient system?

 

[EvilMel]

The ultimate goal of Microbacter7 is to produce an ULNS, right? I've heard people have good results with it as long as you keep it up. I'm assuming the biofuel is to give the bacteria a carbon source but Rob, I thought (and I could definitely be wrong) that you dose the bacteria (the Microbacter7) ahead of the carbon source until you get the nutrients way down...THEN you dose the carbon.

Is that not right? Bacteria first, decrease nutrients, then dose bacteria and carbon.

I wonder why the SPS coloration would already be suffering.

Man, I hadn't thought of it but I should totally start dosing microbacter7.

 

[Rob.D]

I wonder why the SPS coloration would already be suffering.

.

The high nutrients are the cause of poor coloration.

 

[EvilMel]

OOOh. Gotcha. Yeah, that'll do it.

 

[EvilMel]

Sorry, I thought you were saying the added bacteria were causing the poor coloration! That's why I was confused.

 

[Rob.D]

That's why I was confused.

That appears to happen easily with people in your age group.

 

[SLUF681]

Oh snap!

 

[Dapple]

You know I've been dosing a squirt of microbacter7 once a week plus phytoplankton 2-3 a week since I started the 125 gallon tank. Plus I dose calcium and alkalinity diy solutions daily. And you know , I haven't had a coraline algae explosion like I did in the 75 gal. Wonder why?

 

[SLUF681]

You know I've been dosing a squirt of microbacter7 once a week plus phytoplankton 2-3 a week since I started the 125 gallon tank. Plus I dose calcium and alkalinity diy solutions daily. And you know , I haven't had a coraline algae explosion like I did in the 75 gal. Wonder why?

Were you ever able to figure out how to test your alkalinity and calcium levels? Since you have a considerable amount of hard corals, you may need to up your dosages each day to keep up with uptake. Test your pH, alkalinity, and calcium. If they're all within acceptable parameters, break the tank down and set it back up at my house! I'll try to remember to bring my test kits with me and come over in the am.

 

[EvilMel]

That appears to happen easily with people in your age group.

You're a donkey.

 

[Dapple]

You know good and well my tank will not fit through the door ways. Lol. Besides Susan would put a bullet in you if you brought another tank home.

 

[EvilMel]

I am suspicious of any of these "bacteria" supplements because I know about the shelf-life of bacteria. I can't see how the bacteria in these supplements stay viable. I mean, in the lab, if you have a culture and just let it sit on the bench without aeration...that stuff dies...quickly. There will be a very small number of bacteria that live but it's not for a really long time and it's not a huge percentage of them that live. These are marine bacteria, which have a longer doubling time (and therefore probably a longer time that they could survive) but they still need oxygen.

Having said that, we did used to grow our cyanobacteria cultures on the bench. But we'd mix them up every day so that they were suspended at least a little bit.

I'm just leery of any supplements that add bacteria...especially those ones that "instantly cycle" a tank. That sounds like a load of poop to me.

 

[SLUF681]

I've gotta say Mel, I've set up 4 tanks here total, and I've never seen the ammonia spike indicative of a cycle. I've dosed Microbacter7 each time. I DID have good rock (fresh from another tank) that I've moved around. Perhaps the rock is the reason I never saw a cycle. I did get the diatom bloom though. Always tested zero on all other parameters.

 

[EvilMel]

Ammonia spikes are very short-lived, sometimes less than one day especially with good cycled live rock. Microbacter7 is not the reason you didn't see the ammonia spike.

 

[Bushmaster]

Most of it does seem like snake oil to me. An all natural approach along with frequent water changes and letting nature run its course has always been my path of choice. But different people prefer different things.

 

[EvilMel]

I mean, I'm not saying I think these supplements are harmful, ya know? I'm just saying that the science doesn't seem really SOUND to me so I'm really leery of it.

 

[k2parkstar]

I mean, I'm not saying I think these supplements are harmful, ya know? I'm just saying that the science doesn't seem really SOUND to me so I'm really leery of it.

Who do you think you are a scientist?! Lol