How long will beneficial bacteria live if its not getting its Ammonia or Nitrites with your filters running? I just got thinking about this while testing my tank since its going through the cycling process right now. I dont plan on starving the bacteria at all, but I was just wondeing if anyone happened to know the answer to this question.
Beneficial Bacteria
- Thread starter boisblancboy
- Start date
As you would guess, there are alot of variables...so lets get rid of most of them.
Take a fully cycled filter and place it in a tank of freshly aged / dechlorinated water and the bacteria slowly start dying from starvation.
During a power failure in a established tank the filter had been flowing nutrient rich water and is full of this water when the power shuts off. Since the bacteria does not use up all the ammonia in a single pass, the water left in the filter will contain enough nutrients to keep most of the bacteria alive for several hours. When the power comes back on, the over-nutrient rich water will stimulate the growth of more bacteria.(Amount of bacteria is directly proporsional to available nutrients and biological material surface area)
The filter put into the fresh tank does not have the nutrients available since it has basically been rinsed clean by the fresh water. Hense the immeditate star of the filters demise.
Does this answer your question?
Dr Joe
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Take a fully cycled filter and place it in a tank of freshly aged / dechlorinated water and the bacteria slowly start dying from starvation.
During a power failure in a established tank the filter had been flowing nutrient rich water and is full of this water when the power shuts off. Since the bacteria does not use up all the ammonia in a single pass, the water left in the filter will contain enough nutrients to keep most of the bacteria alive for several hours. When the power comes back on, the over-nutrient rich water will stimulate the growth of more bacteria.(Amount of bacteria is directly proporsional to available nutrients and biological material surface area)
The filter put into the fresh tank does not have the nutrients available since it has basically been rinsed clean by the fresh water. Hense the immeditate star of the filters demise.
Does this answer your question?
Dr Joe
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Well not really, lol. I was just curious as to a time frame. Say an establised filter media instantly happens to run out of Ammonia and Nitrites to feed from, now of course the BB does not die instanly, how long does it take? I have never heard of anyone talking about this so I dont even know if there is anything to go by or if anyone even knows.
Years and years ago I worked at a LFS after I got out of High School. I can't back this up with research I'm only relaying information from a Marineland Rep who stopped by once to teach us about Bio-Wheels. He said that as long as a biowheel with the bacteria was kept in the dark with no harmful light that the bacteria would go into a dormate state and not die.
Fact or fiction, I don't know although I'd like to know for sure.
Also, what about the bottles of bacteria they advertise to cycle tanks. I'm sure these sit on shelves for quite some time before being used.
Fact or fiction, I don't know although I'd like to know for sure.
Also, what about the bottles of bacteria they advertise to cycle tanks. I'm sure these sit on shelves for quite some time before being used.
The two example I gave, give you anywhere from 1/2hr(fresh tank) to 2-3hrs(for established tank).
If you pull the filter out of the tank and drain it, the air starts to dry the filter and kills the bacteria as it dries, starting immediately, and would be completely irrecoverable once thoroughly dry.
Better? (or is 42 the answer you were looking for?)
As far as the bio-wheel thing goes...I'd like to see them put that in print. (I have no doubt they told you that, but in front of a Grand Jury I see denial in the eyes...
B.B. has several different storage tactics. A type of suspended animation; slow death; and encapsulation. The first two are the reason for refrigeration. The third is activated by water or other enzymes mixed with it.
Dr Joe
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If you pull the filter out of the tank and drain it, the air starts to dry the filter and kills the bacteria as it dries, starting immediately, and would be completely irrecoverable once thoroughly dry.
Better? (or is 42 the answer you were looking for?)
As far as the bio-wheel thing goes...I'd like to see them put that in print. (I have no doubt they told you that, but in front of a Grand Jury I see denial in the eyes...
B.B. has several different storage tactics. A type of suspended animation; slow death; and encapsulation. The first two are the reason for refrigeration. The third is activated by water or other enzymes mixed with it.
Dr Joe
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Yeah thats what I was looking for. (Actually more along the lines of 42.82 would have been better, jk!)
I guess if myself or someone else really wanted to know some precision numbers on it then you would have to conduct a pretty in-depth and time consuming test with all the variables. Which I dont see myself doing since I dont need to know that bad. I am sure that it would have some interesting results though.
I guess if myself or someone else really wanted to know some precision numbers on it then you would have to conduct a pretty in-depth and time consuming test with all the variables. Which I dont see myself doing since I dont need to know that bad. I am sure that it would have some interesting results though.
Think how long it would take just to list the variables. Let alone the tests.
Sounds like a post-graduate exercise to me
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Dr Joe
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Sounds like a post-graduate exercise to me
.Dr Joe
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Well, you won't lose all of your BB. As some of the BB dies, it releases ammonia into the water for the other ones to feed on. It kinda like cannibalism.
boisblancboy;633497; said:
In 7 1/2 ............million years
RadleyMiller;633573; said:
You will loose ALL the bacteria (to the point that it's irrecoverable) it's all just a matter of time, especially if it dries out.
Now if you want to talk theory (there will almost always be a bacterium), we go back to the same thing as cycling a filter by using used tank water only (atleast possible in theory)... But who has time for theory anyway...gotta go clean a tank.
Dr Joe
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