Our tank's biology up close

[jason2459]

Here's another product that may be of interest to review especially given its purported algaecidal properties. According to its ingredients list it's mostly a blend of bacteria.
http://www.uwcmn.com/vibrant-liquid-aquarium-cleaner

Yep, very wild claims but so far many people have had some impressive results. That is what I am currently looking at testing.

 

[OllieNZ]

Yep, very wild claims but so far many people have had some impressive results. That is what I am currently looking at testing.

That was my thinking too. Are there any 'easy' ways of identifying bacteria species?

 

[jason2459]

That was my thinking too. Are there any 'easy' ways of identifying bacteria species?

At least some properties of some can be identified. In a home lab.

 

[jason2459]

I did get a closer look tonight at Vibrant. And I keep wondering if I've done something to cause those stands to appear. I'm starting to think not. Especially since I haven't seen them in any other samples I've ever done with bacteria in a bottle, in tank's samples, or many other samples I've done with my son from around the house, body, and yard.

Uploading pics and vids now. To make sure it wasn't how I prepared (cleaned/sterilized) the slides I looked at a sample completely unprepared. Thinking maybe it's the cover slip somehow I viewed another sample with out the coverslip and in a well slide. Then used a little stain and rinsing. Etc.

Found strands in every instance. In some cases I found lots as if I smeared the sample and stain which I didn't.

Then the last sample I looked at I found the mother of all lines...

No idea what it is. It doesn't stain with violet or iodine or safranin. But that last "line" was very interesting and had a few even thinner stands starting off it.

 

[jason2459]

Oh, it's not entirely dormant. There was some active movement.

 

[jason2459]

Look a shiny object !


OMG, this is so awesome!!!!

http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/subjects/main/zebrafish

 

[jason2459]

Ok so this was another look at Vibrant a bit more upclose.

Vibrant_part2-0001 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part2-0003 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part2-0045 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part2-0046 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part2-0047 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part2-0048 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0051 by Jason, on Flickr

 

[jason2459]

Another sample with out cleaning the slide thinking maybe I'm doing something in the cleaning process causing streaks and the bacteria is "clinging" to those streaks.

Nope, still there
Vibrant_part2-0027 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part2-0029 by Jason, on Flickr

 

[jason2459]

So, now for some stain. Just did a basic gram stain process: cleaned the slide, added the sample, burned it onto the slide, added some violet, rodi rinsed, added some iodine, rodi rinsed, light ethyl alcohol rinse, rodi rinse, add some safranin, final rodi rinse, and dry.

And, after all that, still there. But in this third sample for the night I found a monster of a strand.

Vibrant_part3-0051 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0052 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0053 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0054 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0056 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0057 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0060 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0061 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0065 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0066 by Jason, on Flickr

 

[jason2459]

Vibrant_part3-0067 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0068 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0069 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0070 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0071 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0072 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0073 by Jason, on Flickr

Vibrant_part3-0074 by Jason, on Flickr

Keep in mind the searing could have cause the zigzaging seen upclose. Don't know.

 

[jason2459]

And last night I took a look at the 3rd sample I've been wanting to get to and found something that now makes me wonder if the strands above in the Vibrant bottle aren't algae based. I wasn't think it was algae based at all as they are thin to extremely thing strands.

BUT I found this (more photo's from last night to come)

Some kind of strand seen in the algae
Hair_Algae_Pump-0070 by Jason, on Flickr

Chains of bacteria coming off it
Hair_Algae_Pump-0071 by Jason, on Flickr

 

[jason2459]

Video playlist of the Vibrant samples. There was some active live bacteria in there as well.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN_wI2B-a8vrHDF6tr1G4MWUYrW3ZbFrc

 

[jason2459]

Going to see if I can get a confirmation from their Rep what those strands are.

 

[jason2459]

I guess I got some kind of confirmation. My question: "Can you confirm that those strands are not something I'm doing to contaminate the samples? Or even confirm what those strands are that bacteria are clinging to? Email is fine too"

From there rep:
If they were more uniformed shaped, we'd call them wipers.

You are doing just fine

 

[bertoni]

Hmm, I wish I knew more microbiology. I wonder what they mean by "wipers".

 

[jason2459]

Hmm, I wish I knew more microbiology. I wonder what they mean by "wipers".

I'm assuming he meant like a microfiber cleaning wiper. I'm asking for clarification.


https://books.google.com/books?id=z...QAhUILmMKHdQqADAQ6AEIHzAB#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[jason2459]

And it was much more basic. Ha!

Windshield wipers

 

[jason2459]

Here's the 3rd sample I was trying to get to which I got to the other night. Just like every time I explore the samples I find something new. Those really large amoeba like things that I've gotten to see split twice now I got to actually see MERGE this time! And twice!

Lots of ostracods in this one. The sample was taken from on top of on of my gyre circulation pumps. Mostly looked like hair algae.

I've also switched to hosting the pictures on flikr. I really hated how my phone kept mixing up the photos in what seemed like a completely random order and tapatalk has added in a few extra steps to post a picture making it take a really long time to post the pictures. So, these are posted at 1024x768 resolution but the flikr site has the full resolution they were taken at. If the 1024x768 is to big let me know and it looks like I have many options to choose from for bbcode image sizes to choose from.

Hair_Algae_Pump-0001 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0003 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0005 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0007 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0008 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0009 by Jason, on Flickr

One of those small segments of aiptasia rummaging around
Hair_Algae_Pump-0010 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0016 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0018 by Jason, on Flickr

 

[jason2459]

lots of little amoebas
Hair_Algae_Pump-0011 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0012 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0020 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0022 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0024 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0026 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0031 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0032 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0033 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0034 by Jason, on Flickr

 

[jason2459]

Hair_Algae_Pump-0035 by Jason, on Flickr

No idea what this purple thing is but I've seen it before too.
Hair_Algae_Pump-0037 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0039 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0040 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0041 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0042 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0044 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0045 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0046 by Jason, on Flickr

Hair_Algae_Pump-0047 by Jason, on Flickr