There are plenty of meds that are fine to use directly in the tank. There are also plenty that its either better to do treatment in a hospital tank or in a last ditch effort to save a fish in the main tank. Methylene blue, for example, will destroy a bacteria culture in your display tank so its always advised to do dip baths rather than treat your entire tank with it. Meds in general are made to destroy pathogens, fungi or whatever...bacteria falls into those categories, whether harmful or beneficial.
beneficial bacteria
- Thread starter brianf40
- Start date
Both nitrosomonas and nitrobacator are gram neg(-), but just as in the cichlid family, these bacteria are going thru constant reclassification, and science becomes more and more precise, using DNA sequencing (etc etc).
So as to whether they are the only nitrogen/ammonia fixing beniaficials is up in the air.
Can certain meds kill them, of course, but are their funds laying around to determine that kind of research in todays anti science/anti intelligence world, that's an entirely different matter.
So as to whether they are the only nitrogen/ammonia fixing beniaficials is up in the air.
Can certain meds kill them, of course, but are their funds laying around to determine that kind of research in todays anti science/anti intelligence world, that's an entirely different matter.
This does make sense, I've just never had issues w/ water parameters using any of those meds.
I think finding the cause of stress is key. Stress causes the immune system to weaken making fish more vulnerable to disease. IMO this is why hospital tanks work. But you have to look at the tank that the fish normal resides in, because something caused that fish to get sick. Usually its tankmate stress, water parameters or introducing a sick fish. Find the cause before returning the fish to its tank.
Hello; Best I recall the distinction of gram positive or gram negative for bacteria has to do with the way a type of stain shows up when used on a sample of bacteria. A basic way to fix a culture on a slide for use with a microscope I think.
I agree that some meds can harm the beneficial bacteria (bb) as well as any harmful bacteria. One term for these meds might be "broad spectrum" indicating effectiveness on many types of bacteria.
I also agree that a hospital tank can be a better way to treat a sick fish rather than a community tank.
If you have already treated a community tank with chemicals or antibiotics, then there is the somewhat likely chance the bb have been affected to some degree. May have to basically start the cycle process over.
Removing filter media to a separate place for re use in a tank after the tank has been treated with some sort of med seems likely to run the risk of having the pathogen to be harbored in the media. Seems likely that if a tank in infected with some sort of disease or parasite, that the filter media will be also. To the OP, if you suspect a tank to have been infected then it may come to a tear down and thorough clean. This is why having a QT (quarantine tank) for new fish, plants, snails can be a problem solving practice.
Good luck
I agree that some meds can harm the beneficial bacteria (bb) as well as any harmful bacteria. One term for these meds might be "broad spectrum" indicating effectiveness on many types of bacteria.
I also agree that a hospital tank can be a better way to treat a sick fish rather than a community tank.
If you have already treated a community tank with chemicals or antibiotics, then there is the somewhat likely chance the bb have been affected to some degree. May have to basically start the cycle process over.
Removing filter media to a separate place for re use in a tank after the tank has been treated with some sort of med seems likely to run the risk of having the pathogen to be harbored in the media. Seems likely that if a tank in infected with some sort of disease or parasite, that the filter media will be also. To the OP, if you suspect a tank to have been infected then it may come to a tear down and thorough clean. This is why having a QT (quarantine tank) for new fish, plants, snails can be a problem solving practice.
Good luck
I haven't either, but after doing a bit more research I feel I've been more lucky that skillful in my medical applications haha. I've definitely nuked some tanks that probably should have become biowastelands but was lucky to avoid a major crash in params.
ahhh so I was misled on the gram positive meds being more harmful then? or rather in this case possibly more harmful.
Could it be that BB is mostly in the substrait and filter media? Maybe that could be a reason?
possibly but even still the meds would have filtered through the filters and hit the substrate as well. I think a lot comes into play with individual water chemistry, stocking levels, water maintenance etc etc etc.
Hello; My take is that the bb are on surfaces thru out a tank with likely higher concentrations of colonies where there is water flow. I think this because the bb "feed" on ammonia and water flow should be more likely to carry the ammonia across some surfaces more than others. The power filter parts will be one of these areas. I consider the tubes, boxes and such of a filter to be as likely to have bb colonies as the filter media.
The substrate should have bb colonies but might be more restricted to areas near the top and not so much deeper in the substrate where water flow may be much less. Exceptions may be those of us who still use the UGF's ( undergravel filters) where a water flow is created into the substrate. large fish that plow up the substrate may encourage more growth of bb colonies.
Fine substrates like sand are reported by members to be prone to growth of anaerobic bacteria if the depth is over an inch. This seems to me to indicate that the bb likely are not be found deep in such substrates.
My take is the bb are on many surfaces in a tank as well as the filter media and substrate.
