I have a few questions about the bacteria that convert waste in an aquarium.
1. Where do they live? I have heard they are in the water, in the filter, in the gravel, and on the ornaments. Is this true?
2. If I have 5 fish, I can only have enough bacteria in my aquarium to live off of 5 fishes' waste. If there was more bacteria, they would starve to death. So, why do people add so much biological filtration to their aquariums? People go crazy about sponges and bio balls and bio wheels and ceramic rings, saying the more the better. If you can only have a certain amount of bacteria in the first place, why add so much stuff when most likely, there won't be enough bacteria to colonize everything?
3. Won't UV sterilizers kill the beneficial bacteria?
4. Are the beneficial bacteria in a freshwater aquarium the SAME EXACT ones that live in a salt water aquarium? Can I use a colonized filter from a freshwater aquarium to jump start a marine tank? Vice versa?
That's all I can think of, but I will let you know if I think of anything else. Thank you in advance for your help.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
1) Yep. All over.
2) See below. Bacteria is invisible. You can't know how much you have, where it is, or when it's starving to death. It's a non issue. You put in the "bacteria holders" because you want to provide as much room for them to colonize.
3) UV sterilizers are more for Marine aquariums, and yes, they do kill the beneficial bacteria...that's why you have sponges, balls, rings and wheels. The bacteria on them survives the filtration/sterilization.
4) Nope. Salt and fresh water will have different bacteria. Bacteria are just like fish. Some of them need salt, some of them find salt toxic.
1 - The bacteria live as a thin film on pretty much any solid surface in the aquarium. Usually most of them are on the filter media, but some will be on the gravel and ornaments as well. For example, an undergravel filter will have most of the bacteria on the gravel. There may be a few in the water, but they are just stray ones floating around looking for a new home. This is how they can colonise a new filter when you put it in the tank.
2 - More media is generally better as it can house more bacteria. There is a limit to how thick the film of bacteria can be before the lower ones are shielded from the oxygen and ammonia, and so die off. If you have enough media to support the bacteria you need that's OK, but more media can house more if needed.
3 - no, they are stuck to the solid surfaces.
4 - I believe they are different species.
Ian
1. they live mostly on solid surfaces, evan more on spongy or porous surfaces, not much in the water. But they need to stay wet, and they need to not be shocked by new water, which is why every says to add the old tank water when starting a new tank.
2. Your tank slowly adjust to the bio-lode of the fish, but the tank is constantly getting more and more dirty, 20-30% water changes always leave something behind. Eventually a tank cycled with 5 fish has enough bio filter for more fish. It is a good idea to have more than one source of bio material, so you can make a mistake and kill some, without un cycling the hole tank, and also so you can clean the filter now and then.
3. yes I think uv steralizers kill healthy bacteria too.
4. I know practically nothing of salt water tanks, sorry
1. Mostly in the filter and gravel but it also is in the water and on decor.
2. I have the same views as you so I'm not sure.
3. They will. That's why when you use one you want to have the sterilizer take half of the water and the rest goes about normally with out UV.
4. I'm not sure but I'd assume they would be similar.