Bacteria Question

[Mike1045]

When setting up a new tank, if you don't add some bacteria producing product that you can purchase and you don't have any bacteria from an old tank to use...

where does the first bacteria come from in a brand new tank to start growing and then eating the ammonia?

 

[Pomatomus]

They live all over! They are in soil, water, on surfaces, and can even be transmitted in the air! That's why a starter culture will speed up the process, but is not required to establish a population.

 

[flukekiller]

Just add a source of ammonia and they will come

 

[Drstrangelove]

There are over 1,800 types of bacteria that have been found to be routinely in the atmosphere. A few are very beneficial to us fish keepers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061219170636.htm

Several important nitrifying bacteria are among those, as we might expect, since without those covering the planet and converting ammonia to less noxious substances, many areas would be unable to sustain life.

Nature is truly cool.

 

[esoxlucius]

There are over 1,800 types of bacteria that have been found to be routinely in the atmosphere. A few are very beneficial to us fish keepers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061219170636.htm

Several important nitrifying bacteria are among those, as we might expect, since without those covering the planet and converting ammonia to less noxious substances, many areas would be unable to sustain life.

Nature is truly cool.

Its not that cool, it can't even invent a bacteria that eats nitrate with oxygen present, instead us poor guys have to do damn water changes!! But apart from that i suppose its kind of cool, haha.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

Its not that cool, it can't even invent a bacteria that eats nitrate with oxygen present, instead us poor guys have to do damn water changes!! But apart from that i suppose its kind of cool, haha.

Who said it has to be bacteria? What you are looking for is called a plant. They are all over too

 

[Pomatomus]

Its not that cool, it can't even invent a bacteria that eats nitrate with oxygen present, instead us poor guys have to do damn water changes!! But apart from that i suppose its kind of cool, haha.

They already exist! Think about the "algae" that are bacteria such as cyanobacteria. Unicellular algae eat nitrate but they don't usually exit the system, so removal is minor through water changes. However, there are products you can buy (carbon sources) to promote the growth of these microbes which are then removed through a protein skimmer. I forgot the name but the product I'm thinking of is from Brightwell Aquatics.