MicroBacter7 and BioFuel Dosing

[LawmanRob]

I have started dosing the club frag tank with MicroBacter7 and BioFuel today, I am following the package dosing quantities for 30 gallons.

BioFuel: 60 drops

MicroBacter7: One cap full plus 20 drops

The tank was cycled around August 2012 and I have been running the tank as a nutrient rich system, so far this has worked out fairly well in regards to Paly/Zoa growth but the constant nuisance algae growth is becoming a burden to me.

If any decline in coral health is observed, I will do a large water change and will discontinue the use of the two products.

I will photo document all the corals in the tank, along with my perception of coral health, coral coloration and presence of nuisance algae.

As of now, Zoa/Palys are colored nicely but SPS coloration is suffering.

 

[ct_vol]

I have heard it argued that the addition of bacteria is a waste of money as a sufficient population is present without. A carbon source is all that is needed to expand said population in order to reduce excessive nutrients and their byproducts.

Yes, I agree with that theory.

 

[LawmanRob]

So are you saying I'm wasting my time?


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[Wildman]

Unless it is a brand new tank you should be able to just dose the carbon source to increase the number of already established bacteria but, dosing bacteria should do the same thing in reverse. Your adding bacteria instead of breeding bacteria. It probably comes down to a cost thing. Is it cheaper to breed bacteria or add bacteria?

What is the difference in the Biofuel as compared to vinegar?

 

[ct_vol]

What is the difference in the Biofuel as compared to vinegar?

$$$

 

[ct_vol]

So are you saying I'm wasting my time?

Time, no. Resources, yes. You are paying for the label more so than anything else.

 

[ct_vol]

Read into it what you will. Past bedtime for me.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2090960

 

[EvilMel]

I am suspicious of any of these "bacteria" supplements because I know about the shelf-life of bacteria. I can't see how the bacteria in these supplements stay viable. I mean, in the lab, if you have a culture and just let it sit on the bench without aeration...that stuff dies...quickly. There will be a very small number of bacteria that live but it's not for a really long time and it's not a huge percentage of them that live. These are marine bacteria, which have a longer doubling time (and therefore probably a longer time that they could survive) but they still need oxygen.

Having said that, we did used to grow our cyanobacteria cultures on the bench. But we'd mix them up every day so that they were suspended at least a little bit.

I'm just leery of any supplements that add bacteria...especially those ones that "instantly cycle" a tank. That sounds like a load of poop to me.

 

[EvilMel]

Also, I suspect that the tons of cyanobacteria in my tank are producing quite enough carbon that I don't need to add more.