Sterile tank cycle with selected bacteria

[migas_01]

I started a new tank with Aquaroche ceramic rock and Caribsea Arag-alive sand.
Introduced some Prodibio Biodigest bacteria and added Prodibio Bioptim (bacteria food). Now my question is if I need a amonia source like a raw shrimp to create a amonia spike and start the aquarium cycle or don`t need this at all ?

 

[doctorgori]

..that is a interesting approach, and good question...my curiosity is peaked...

....but just given my limited education and simple reasoning; I'm guessing those "designer" bacteria won't be competing agains mongrel strains permanently....

(assuming there is actually any difference) ... ...be intersted to know how that method stacks up, esp given the asst. microbes ability to mutate et...and if the "designer strain" even persist

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You may not need it if those products provide the right bacteria and foods, but it would provide some comfort that the process actually worked to test it for yourself.

 

[migas_01]

Do you think the raw shrimp can have a negative impact on the aquarium if it wasen`t needed in the first place as I had already introduced the selected bacteria strains and its food source ? In other words have I made the wrong procedure by introducing the shrimp to create an amonia spike :worried:

 

[sam75]

Migas - I can't imagine so. I mean eventually you are going to be feeding tank anyway (probably with something that contains frozen shrimp)?

Very interested to hear how this turns out as well. My thought however is that as soon as you start adding livestock you will be introducing other bacteria. Is the idea that the larger population of seed bacteria will out-compete?

 

[Mike_Noren]

What is the point of this approach at all?

 

[doctorgori]

What is the point of this approach at all?

I was sorta wondering that... but I'm curious regardless ...

..and I was also alluding to what the other poster was thinking: how long will this strain remain "pure" of if it doesn't end up morphing into wild/mongrel strains anyway soon after the livestock is introduced

...will these "designer bugs" somehow do a better job I wonder?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I can't see any harm from testing the cycling with a shrimp or fish food.

The purported advantage is shortened cycle time by providing lots of the right species of bacteria at the start instead of waiting for them to grow naturally from small populations.

 

[migas_01]

Usually people start the aquarium cycle with the introduction of Live rock that brings different bacteria strains and other micro life forms. Part of that life in the Live rock usually dies and starts the nitrogen cycle.
However this time I started a Sterile environment with the ceramic rock so there is not any form of life to die off in them to start the nitrogen cycle. That is why I introduced selected bacteria strains and added the shrimp to feed them and help the bacteria population to grow. My only doubt here is as I had already dosed some kind of bacteria food suplement called Bioptim would the shrimp be necessary or the bacteria and food suplements alone would be enough to start the cycle.

I assumed that as Prodibio states you can add fish a few hours after you introduced their bacteria strains that these bacteria need "fish" or some kind of organic mater to build up and multiply to handle a slow but growing aquarium live stock

 

[migas_01]

I was sorta wondering that... but I'm curious regardless ...

..and I was also alluding to what the other poster was thinking: how long will this strain remain "pure" of if it doesn't end up morphing into wild/mongrel strains anyway soon after the livestock is introduced

...will these "designer bugs" somehow do a better job I wonder?

I think this is why you keep adding these bacteria strains after the tank has cycled, to try and keep them the dominant strain.

 

[bertoni]

I don't know enough about what's in the ProdiBio products to be sure what they'll do, so I'd add a tiny bit of fish food or raw shrimp once a day to see how the tank reacts.

 

[migas_01]

I don't know enough about what's in the ProdiBio products to be sure what they'll do, so I'd add a tiny bit of fish food or raw shrimp once a day to see how the tank reacts.

I placed a medium sized raw shrimp inside a very thin mesh bag last Monday. It is still in the tank. I am testing the water at the moment and I will post the results soon.

 

[migas_01]

Test results with ELOS test kits

Amonia - trace
No2 - 0.1
No3 - < 1

 

[bertoni]

As soon as you're sure there's some ammonia in the water, I'd suggest taking the shrimp out of the tank. It's just extra nutrients being added to the rock at that point, IMO.

 

[migas_01]

As soon as you're sure there's some ammonia in the water, I'd suggest taking the shrimp out of the tank. It's just extra nutrients being added to the rock at that point, IMO.

The thing is I am not 100% shure there is amonia in the water. the test shows 0 being yellow and 0.1 light green. well the color I`m getting is not yellow or green is in between the two.
As I mentioned I introduced the shrimp in a thin mesh bag last monday but unfortunately I was only able to do my water testing yesterday when my test kits arrived. I tested for amonia again this morning and did get the same results.
My consern is that I may not even get a high reading of amonia or nitrite with the added bacteria from Prodibio and am at this point just adding unecessary nutrients and organic mater in the tank.

The water is a bit clowdy since I added the shrimp it actually smelled bad the second day after introducing it in the tank.
Should I run some carbon and phosphate absorving media at this point or can it be bad somehow ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you wait for the added food or shrimp to decay and see no ammonia, which it sounds as it is certainly is based on the look and smell, you are good to go.

I wouldn't do anything else specil right now.

 

[migas_01]

Well tested again today

Amonia - 0
No2 - 0,25
No3 - 5

I`ve dosed Prodibio Biodigest and Bioptim today and I`ll test again tomorrow.
I think I`m almost ready to add a small fish even though the tank is only one week old.
There is no diatom outbrake until now I dont know if this is due to the led lightning but I think it will come with time.

 

[todd williams]

Patience. Take your time. Let the tank do its thing. Don't rush your cycle. As much as you are tempted to move forward. Don't rush it. Whatever you added will seed your tank and speed up the natural process. But just let it go and wait, monitor with tests.

Just know that a healthy community of bacteria takes time to establish itself in a new tank. When your tank has cycled, add new life forms slowly over time and watch how your chemistry reacts to each addition. You will see spikes and then a new equilibrium will establish as you go.

Good luck.

 

[Maivortex]

Sterile cycle? What a joke!