Randy: is microbacter 7 a scam?

[Miami Reef]

Aside from cycling, I'm not sure there's a benefit to adding bacteria to existing reef tanks unless shifting microbial populations is the actual goal.

For example, in a cyanobacteria situation, adding a different (and less unsightly) species to out outcompete it may have some benefit.

Hey. This is what I wanted to know! So MB7 CAN help! My goal was to shift the microbial population.

 

[elorablue]

Randy, I think someone would like to move into your house.

 

[brandon429]

if you're lonely there's apps for that though

 

[brandon429]

MiamiReef what about the UV going back online vs doser option it really seemed like you had better results before it was pulled

 

[Miami Reef]

Randy, I think someone would like to move into your house.

Are you referring to me? lol

if you're lonely there's apps for that though

Umm…..

MiamiReef what about the UV going back online vs doser option it really seemed like you had better results before it was pulled

No more UV for me. I’m not having any problems. It just takes time. I just wanted to understand bacteria.

 

[brandon429]

mb7 pales in comparison to inputting a coralline covered live rock from a fallowed system for sure. In every way it’s better

agreed if you’re done managing by subtraction then uv gets skipped


get a bag of mixed refugium charger pods from alg barn

 

[amoore311]

I’ve been using microbacter 7 since it was released nearly 10 years ago. I started using it shortly before the original vodka dosing article was released by Genetics on reef central.

I haven’t seen cyano in my systems in nearly that long. Yeah yeah, large claim to make, etc. I think it’s crazy too but it’s the truth. Not one spot of cyano on ten years.

Maybe it’s not MB7, but I don’t add anything else to my systems but kalk, brs balling method, Acro power, and Mb7.

Its proven itself to me, to be an effective tool in keeping the microbiome in balance and stable. It’s also cheap enough to where it’s not really on the radar for me to try and run a system without it. A big jug lasts me months, and I’m dosing 400ish gallons worth of systems with it weekly.

 

[Miami Reef]

Can I use microbacter 7 without a skimmer?

I have 19 fish in my 250 gallon tank. I grossly overfeed nori and LRS frozen and my nitrates dropped from 7ppm to 1ppm. Phosphates are pretty low as well.

I run my filter socks and skimmer and change them out very very often which might be the problem.

I stopped the skimmer but I still continue the socks because I don’t want my sump to become gross.

anyone?

(My reasoning for wanting to use microbacter 7 is to shift the bacterial population away from cyano.

 

[elorablue]

Can I use microbacter 7 without a skimmer?

I have 19 fish in my 250 gallon tank. I grossly overfeed nori and LRS frozen and my nitrates dropped from 7ppm to 1ppm. Phosphates are pretty low as well.

I run my filter socks and skimmer and change them out very very often which might be the problem.

I stopped the skimmer but I still continue the socks because I don’t want my sump to become gross.

anyone?

(My reasoning for wanting to use microbacter 7 is to shift the bacterial population away from cyano.

Of course you can.

 

[brandon429]

Its been a week and I cant shake this!

About a week ago I noticed my water had begun to get cloudy. I have done a couple water changes but nothing seems to help. Last week I did move the clowns into the display tank from the hospital tank. I am not sure if its the bio filter trying to catch up or what. Nothing seems like it is upset. ...

www.nano-reef.com

In all fairness to mb7 which I have compared to the effectiveness of prune juice that use stands out. Legit it seemed to clear the guys tank, he got his clear water results before I could try and earn another rip clean. The change in clarity does seem tied to mb7 at least there, good job mb7

I have no idea how it may or may not work on dinos but in fairness to them that doser above got the desired effect.


ps I still think a capful of refrigerated molasses cycles a reef faster.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree. I do not see a reason a skimmer is needed for adding bacteria.

Let us know if it does anything useful.

 

[Miami Reef]

Will do. I mainly asked because it says on the MB7 bottle that it removes organics. It reminded me of how vinegar dosing works.

 

[Just a Wrasse.]

I can't find it anywhere in Ireland, but I'd like to know if its worth searching for!

 

[Miami Reef]

@Randy Holmes-Farley look at #3. It looks like it works like carbon dosing which is why I asked if I needed a skimmer.

 

[fushi]

What is your opinion on microbacter 7? A lot of people keep recommending this product for Dino’s and cyano. Does this actually have any effect on those organisms?

Slightly off topic: when people say dose phytoplankton to outcompete with Dinos/cyano, do they mean live or dead phyto? Is there actually a difference?

If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think phyto directly feeds/outcompetes with dinos etc. I think it feeds copepods which feed on Dino’s? But then, if copepods can feed off Dino’s then there wouldn’t be a purpose of dosing phyto?

I have a lot of gaps in my knowledge about this subject.

I believe MB7 has a carbon source in it that stimulates bacteria growth, but lowers nutrients.

Mack's reef...Dinoflagellates support group!
Has everything you need to know about beating dinos with full guides in the "files" section.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/259...5055548764&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley look at #3. It looks like it works like carbon dosing which is why I asked if I needed a skimmer.

#3 is a different claim, not that it doses organic carbon.

It doses bacteria, and those bacteria supposedly take up organics that are in the water, and convert it into nutrients that photosynthetic organisms can then take up.

IMO, Brightwell is not always a reliable source of info on how products, including their own, actually work. That said, it is plausible that adding bacteria to consume existing organics in the tank and release any excess of N and P over what the bacteria need to build molecules is possible. I am not sure if this actually happens, but it is what they are claiming.

Carbon dosing does the opposite. It adds organics that do not contain N and P, and organisms that grow using the energy from the organic take up N and P from the water.

In either case, there's a question of what happens to the bacteria that are either dosed or grow in the tank. Are they skimmed out? Eaten by filter feeders? Break down? Accumulate steadily over time? IMO, all of these happen, and skimming may not be critical in an application where you actually want new bacteria to take hold.

So no, I do not think skimming is critical for the purpose you are adding the bacteria.

But skimming with or without MB7 may reduce cyano by exporting both the organics they may consume, and whole cyanobacteria.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I believe MB7 has a carbon source in it that stimulates bacteria growth, but lowers nutrients.

Mack's reef...Dinoflagellates support group!
Has everything you need to know about beating dinos with full guides in the "files" section.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/259474048655429/?multi_permalinks=575595970376567,575829103686587,575541847048646,576208346981996,575623347040496&notif_id=1635955055548764&notif_t=group_highlights&ref=notif

That is not what Brightwell says about the product.

 

[amoore311]

Can I use microbacter 7 without a skimmer?

I have 19 fish in my 250 gallon tank. I grossly overfeed nori and LRS frozen and my nitrates dropped from 7ppm to 1ppm. Phosphates are pretty low as well.

I run my filter socks and skimmer and change them out very very often which might be the problem.

I stopped the skimmer but I still continue the socks because I don’t want my sump to become gross.

anyone?

(My reasoning for wanting to use microbacter 7 is to shift the bacterial population away from cyano.

No issue at all.

 

[Reef.]

I can't find it anywhere in Ireland, but I'd like to know if its worth searching for!

If no issues you are trying to fix then I wouldn’t go looking for it.

 

[fushi]

That is not what Brightwell says about the product.

I have no idea how MB7 actually works, I just mentioned it because when I tried dosing it daily for a week it dropped my N & P dramatically like I was carbon dosing. Dr Tim’s one and only and biodigest don’t seem to has such a dramatic effect.