Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water

[Paul_N]

Great article on bacterial count. Very interesting findings.

" It appears likely that some types of bacteria are indeed "skimmable", but others are not. Thus, skimming inadvertently provides severe (?) evolutionary pressure to skew the tank's resident water column bacteria population to favor the "non-skimmable" cohort."


Also you may be carbon dosing just by the simple fact that you keep your RO/DI or saltwater in a plastic container?

"The observation that a plastic container, which is re-used in the course of normal aquarium husbandry, can contribute carbon nutrients to fuel bacterial growth opened up a new line of inquiry"

Feature Article: Bacterial Counts in Reef Aquarium Water: Baseline Values and Modulation by Carbon Dosing, Protein Skimming, and Granular Activated Carbon Filtration — Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

 

[Captain Nemo]

great, so everything I am doing is now wrong??? no skimmer and no holding barrell??? good grief.

 

[Paul_N]

great, so everything I am doing is now wrong??? no skimmer and no holding barrell??? good grief.

No, not at all, If you are not concerned about carbon dosing. This was meant more for those like myself that dose carbon either through pellets,vodka,vinegar, sugar. I was curious to see the increase in the bacteria population as opposed to not dosing at all.

 

[nixer]

from what i gather the bacteria that reacts with the carbon isnt normally free in the water column anyway. the other bacteria that are free could infact be retarded due to the excess growth of a competing bacteria. which is pretty much stated in the link. the issue is that any bacteria they counted would of only been free(which would surely only be a few types) not an acutal basis of those on surfaces like carbon dosing tends to show. hence why some have infact seen their sand clump up with some and the fact that pellets get heavier. i would of liked to see them test the output of a pellet reactor and see if the "excess" proves out, or changes.


this does prove that all those fools that say using old tank water to cycle rock or other tanks are infact wrong, but ive already proven that.