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I thought bacteria replicate in minutes and can replicate exponentially, so even with heavy skimming surely they would be self sustaining with no need to replenish, once present in sufficient numbers.
All bacteria aren’t created equal. Some reproduce fast, some slow.
It looks like these act like bacteria used in wastewater treatment plants.
Very cool!
Should we take our carbon off line when using this product?
@DrTim
I noticed there is a Reef/Nano/Seahorse version of your products and also a Saltwater version of the products. What are the differences between the two lines?
@DrTim a side question not to derail the thread. I'm setting up a brackish tank(eventually) and am wondering if the fresh or saltwater "one and only" bacteria be more likely to be successful or would you use a smaller bottle of both?
@DrTim Is this product good for just removing nitrate/phosphate? no other issue with tank. I have a huge tank with a ton of unreachable spots. I feed heavy so nitrate/phosphate tend to build up. Wondering if this can slowly knock the nutrients off.
and based on recommended size I'd need 5 large packs. Should we go straight to recommended dosage or start with half?
Do you recommend a wet or dry skim while using the liquid form to kick start the process and also while using the gel?
Not sure what you mean 'just removing nitrate/phosphate" - it will definitely lower both of those. But if you have a lot organics you might not see quick results because the bacteria will mineralize the organics producing ammonia which become nitrate (thru nitrification) and some phosphate. So initially you might see nitrate/phosphate increase. It all depends on how much organics have accumulated in the unreachable spots.
I would start with 1 or 2 large double pack (2-4 large gels). The gels will release the bacteria and if there is a significant amount of phosphate/nitrate they will feed on that and slowly (but measurably) reduce it. I am not a fan of quick changes in water quality (unless something is toxic).
You could also start with the liquid Waste-Away using 1/4 of the normal dose once you get to where you want to be start with the gels to maintain the phosphate and nitrate.
Thank you so much for all of this, I going to give this a try. I have a small cyano/diatom issue growing in my young reef. Going lights out and Dr Tim's refresh with the steps you provided in the PDF. Thank you, I am going to share my results.Generally no because they live in the water column and are removed by the skimmer or trapped in filter socks.
That is the idea - turn organics and nutrients into bacteria and remove the bacteria thereby removing the organics and nutrients.
@DrTim -- A couple questions which are slightly off topic.
- I've noticed over the recent years there's a trend of using bacteria's for specific algae problems. Do you believe this is proper for most algae, or only for non algae (Cyano, Diatoms, Dinoflagelletes)
- Assuming you do think bacterial strains work for algaes, which bacteria products would you suggest for particular algaes?
Thank you for joining the forum!
I can understand adding bacteria, but it seems odd to need to continually add the same bacteria forever. Once populated, I dont see the need to purchase them again. A skimmer may remove some, but the majority of bacteria are within our rockwork/sand/media and do not get removed via mechanical filtration.
Respectfully, how do you know that? Both Empirical experience and actual data show that is not the case.
Respectfully, how do you know that? Both Empirical experience and actual data show that is not the case.