Anyone stopped dosing daily bacteria??

[danlechem]

Hi all. I've been dosing microbacter7 daily and Nyos bac bi weekly. MB7 is expensive and I need to buy more but I'm wondering if I should bother. I also dose kalk, afr and bacto balance as carbon source.

Tanks looking good, parameters stable - no. 3 10, po4 0.1, ph 8.2, dkh 8.2 and corals seem to be thriving so I'm thinking if it's not broke don't fix it and keep up the same dosing schedule. I'd be interested to know if anyone's noticed a positive or negative difference moving away from daily bacteria dosing?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I've dosed it on and off over the years, I can honestly say I've never noticed a difference one way or the other.

 

[zheka757]

If your tank is cycled, there is no need to add any more bacteria into the tank. That bacteria is mainly to start cycle.

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

Wait, you're supposed to add bacteria?

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

What I mean is that theres 0 reason to dose bacteria unless you have a problem (its even debatable then) or if you start with dry rock and dry sand...its a waste of money 100%.

 

[rtparty]

Yes many times and never seen a difference. Giant waste of money IMO

 

[danlechem]

Here's my basic reasoning for daily dosing and although this tanks only 6 months old I've not had any problems with algae....

Adding beneficial bacteria to your tank helps create a competitive layer on the rocks, effectively outcompeting algae for space and resources. This bacterial coverage can prevent algae growth by ensuring that the available nutrients are utilized by the good bacteria instead, leading to a healthier, more stable environment. By promoting this beneficial microbial community, you can help maintain clear water and reduce the chances of unwanted algae taking hold in your aquarium.

Other main benefits are believed to be coral feeding on the additional bacteria.

 

[edsbeaker]

I have never dosed it. I’m not sure if the benefit, if there is one, is enough to spend money on. Every living thing you have added to your tank is bringing in various bacteria so you have been adding them without getting them from a bottle , so unless you have a problem why waste the money?

 

[danlechem]

I have never dosed it. I’m not sure if the benefit, if there is one, is enough to spend money on. Every living thing you have added to your tank is bringing in various bacteria , so unless you have a problem why waste the money?

For the reasons I've posted above - it appears to be working with the lack of algae in my young tank but could be other reasons for that.

 

[edsbeaker]

For the reasons I've posted above - it appears to be working with the lack of algae in my young tank but could be other reasons for that.

What makes you think that it is the bottled bacteria and not just good husbandry? :)

 

[RichReef]

Hi all. I've been dosing microbacter7 daily and Nyos bac bi weekly. MB7 is expensive and I need to buy more but I'm wondering if I should bother. I also dose kalk, afr and bacto balance as carbon source.

Tanks looking good, parameters stable - no. 3 10, po4 0.1, ph 8.2, dkh 8.2 and corals seem to be thriving so I'm thinking if it's not broke don't fix it and keep up the same dosing schedule. I'd be interested to know if anyone's noticed a positive or negative difference moving away from daily bacteria dosing?

I have not dosed bacteria since I set the tank up over 2 years ago. Makes no sense to me. Might be wrong but my tank thrives.

 

[Rhetoric]

Wow.

I'm in sales.

These products are a dream.

Look at this marketing connection....

This bacterial coverage can prevent algae growth by ensuring that the available nutrients are utilized by the good bacteria instead, leading to a healthier, more stable environment.

I know people that would KILL to have their lines land like that. Did this come straight off the bottle?

You should probably buy another one just incase. Maybe there's a buy 1 get one 50% off somewhere.

Seriously. Stop putting bottles of crap in your tank.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Here's my basic reasoning for daily dosing and although this tanks only 6 months old I've not had any problems with algae....

Adding beneficial bacteria to your tank helps create a competitive layer on the rocks, effectively outcompeting algae for space and resources. This bacterial coverage can prevent algae growth by ensuring that the available nutrients are utilized by the good bacteria instead, leading to a healthier, more stable environment. By promoting this beneficial microbial community, you can help maintain clear water and reduce the chances of unwanted algae taking hold in your aquarium.

Other main benefits are believed to be coral feeding on the additional bacteria.

Yeah...no
Bacteria dosing is pretty useless after the cycle and can only lead to more problems. Bacteria have already colonized the rocks post-cycle adding more just leads to a bunch of bacteria that will die in the water column, it has nowhere to go. This bacteria will deplete oxygen in the water, which is not good for anything in the tank, if you dose a lot and the conditions are right, you will get a bacteria bloom, which can completely deplete oxygen and kill everything. Bacteria will NOT out compete algae, they don't use the same resources! Algae needs light and nutrients, and bacteria in our tanks need ammonia and nitrite. MB7, in general is also a poor starter culture compared to its competition @Randy Holmes-Farley has a chart for this. You are falling for the lies of Brightwell, nobody doses bacteria after the cycle it is simply unnecessary and sometimes harmful.
@Randy Holmes-Farley can also tell you about this better than I did

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

Here's my basic reasoning for daily dosing and although this tanks only 6 months old I've not had any problems with algae....

Adding beneficial bacteria to your tank helps create a competitive layer on the rocks, effectively outcompeting algae for space and resources. This bacterial coverage can prevent algae growth by ensuring that the available nutrients are utilized by the good bacteria instead, leading to a healthier, more stable environment. By promoting this beneficial microbial community, you can help maintain clear water and reduce the chances of unwanted algae taking hold in your aquarium.

Other main benefits are believed to be coral feeding on the additional bacteria.

In your first post you mentioned that you wonder if you should bother...no. I think youd be hard pressed to find someone who isnt a salesman advise you dose 5 strains of the same bacteria every day. If adding the bacteria works the way you think, why do you have to add more every day?

This is certainly not a cheap hobby, but dosing as much as you do for a 6 month old tank makes it a lot more expensive unnecessarily.
Just out of curiosity, what and how many corals do you have in a 6 month old tank that require you to dose afr and kalk??

 

[BeanAnimal]

I don't think I have ever poured bacteria in my tank and it is over 20 years old...

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

I don't think I have ever poured bacteria in my tank and it is over 20 years old...

Why do you think you have algae?!

 

[BeanAnimal]

Why do you think you have algae?!

Who said I have nuisance algae?

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

I

Who said I have nuisance algae?

Im kidding!

 

[exnisstech]

I was dosing MB7 daily and zeobac twice a week. I had a couple dry rock start ups so I figured maybe it would help out. I didn't get an ugly stage on either but I have a lot of live rock in both sumps so maybe the bacteria helped maybe it didn't. I've been dosing the bac for 9 months but am stopping now mainly because I've used up my supply.

EDIT : Sunnyx has pretty good success and he adds bacteria. He calls his system bacteria driven or something along those lines.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I rarely add bacteria and in fact haven't purchased a bottle since ? ? ? ?