Bacterial supplements

[mchambers]

Assuming PEPCO restores our power here in the capital of the Free World before all of my fish die, I assume the beneficial microbes in my filters will be severely diminished, if not extinguished. Accordingly, I am thinking about trying one of those bottled products. Am curious about the views of people here as to their efficacy. Here are the leading choices:

Dr. Tim's One and Only: Given Hollyfish2000's advice, and Dr. Tim's track record, I'd use this, but I'm skeptical that I'll find it at a LFS. This time of year, you've got to use special shipping if you buy it online, so I don't think I'll do that.

Tetra Safestart: supposedly the same thing as Biospira, also invented by Dr. Tim. Since it's a Tetra product, I assume I can find it at a local store.

Seachem Stabilty: I've seen folks recommend this, and I generally trust Seachem products.

What say you? Should I buy one of these or just do lots of water changes?

 

[londonloco]

I started using Seachem Stability last year (1/2011), never failed me, haven't lost a fish yet, will use it again with my next new tank. Highly recommend it.

 

[mscichlid]

I don't understand how live bacteria can live in a bottle, on a shelf. Or is it an enzyme or something? I think if one secured gravel, driftwood or rocks from another aquarist would be a more viable solution.

 

[FishInMaryland]

How about just using some populated sponges from other peoples' filters? Or, do you need lots and lots?

 

[chriscoli]

Worst case, you're paying for some expensive random (probably harmless) unknown culture which may or may not be alive...best case, you're adding something beneficial. Of course, you also have to have the right conditions to make the added culture want to stay and set up shop. BUT I doubt it's harmful.

In the few studies that I've read about dietary supplements...it's been pretty hit-or-miss that they contained what they were advertised to contain (spirulina suplements, acidophilus supplements). And that's for a product that's meant for human consumption. Since there's even less oversight for a pet-related supplement....there's even less assurance, IMO, that the bottle contains what it says.

Additionally, and this was a huge problem early on in the days of bioremediation, someone figured out that they could culture up a bottle of "oil eating" bacteria and sell them to people who were in the midst of an oil spill. I have little doubt that the intention was good, and that the bottle probably contained an oil-degrading microbe, but what they found was that it worked great in a lab, or in one part of the country...but that strain couldn't compete in the environment in another part of the country (or globe, nonetheless). Since then, there are some better products out for such uses. I would hope that the science of aquarium supplements has also improved. But it's hard to police such a product.

All that being said, I have used them on occasion.

 

[chriscoli]

Matt, I agree with the other posts, though...I'd go with a fellow member's sponge squeezings instead.

 

[chriscoli]

I don't understand how live bacteria can live in a bottle, on a shelf. Or is it an enzyme or something? I think if one secured gravel, driftwood or rocks from another aquarist would be a more viable solution.

Fran, most bacteria can go into a resting, stasis-like state. Some can even form spores that are very resistant to drying out and can hang out in dry soils for decades.

Bacteria are very successful survivors.

 

[hollyfish2000]

Dr. Tim's, who created biospira, and then developed his own-named product, has lots of information on line as to the research that went into the product. I think it's valid and I've had good luck with it. I do think the greatest issue is shipping and heat rather than whether or not the original product is valid.

Personally, it's been worth the price to me to preserve my fish.

Not sure it's realistic at this point to try and find people with seeded sponge filters with a power outage of this size . . .

 

[ezrk]

I don't understand how live bacteria can live in a bottle, on a shelf.

Dr Tim has an extensive discussion of this on his web site and on cichlid-forum in two recent threads.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=246211

and

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=246181

The main point he makes on this is

Well then the common refrain is that no matter bacteria in a bottle can't work because they don't have access to food and oxygen. This argument is 100% false because bacteria are not human - they don't need to eat every day or have a constant source of oxygen - bacteria don't have lungs! Nitrifying bacteria need their food (ammonia or nitrite) and oxygen to grow and divide. If they don't get ammonia/nitrite and oxygen they just wait until it comes along and then they divide. That's how bacteria have survived for millions of years. So the whole argument about them dying in a bottle because they don't have 'food' and oxygen just shows a complete ignorance of basic bacterial physiology.

 

[tug]

If they don't get ammonia/nitrite and oxygen they just wait until it comes along and then they divide. That's how bacteria have survived for millions of years. So the whole argument about them dying in a bottle because they don't have 'food' and oxygen just shows a complete ignorance of basic bacterial physiology.

It sounds as if the bacteria should recover quite nicely once the power returns. Good luck what ever you decide Matt.

 

[mchambers]

Reading the responses, I was thinking the same thing: the bacteria (or other microbes) in my filters and ore filters may be just fine. Maybe I'll just stick with pretty big water changes.

Assuming PEPCO ever restores our power . . .

 

[FishInMaryland]

Geez, Matt, this is terrible!

If there's anything I can do to help, please speak up!! I'm only about 30-40 minutes from you.

 

[mchambers]

Thanks for the offer, Ruth. I think all I need to do is keep changing the water.

Funny story -- my wife, son, and I went to the house of some friends in Silver Spring last night. The friends have been out of town and offered their house to us. We figured out how to turn their AC after a few minutes. We then started to cook dinner. After a few minutes, the power went out. My wife laughed, but my son and I couldn't even laugh. Fortunately, the power came back after a few minutes.

My wife and son have now gone out of town for my son's college orientation and my daughter is backpacking somewhere in western Va. I had visions of rearranging fish, etc. while everyone is gone. Now I am reduced to 90% water changes daily!

 

[ezrk]

It sounds as if the bacteria should recover quite nicely once the power returns. Good luck what ever you decide Matt.

That is my impression, as long as they stay wet they are ok for fairly extended periods.

 

[WendyFish]

That is my impression, as long as they stay wet they are ok for fairly extended periods.

This is definitely the experience we had in this outage. We had foam filters and canister filters that remained all or partly wet throughout the power outage, but obviously weren't getting any circulation -- and all those tanks are continuing to fully process ammonia after their restart.

 

[Wblaze]

I have used dr Tim's and it has always been a hit for me. Tropical lagoon always has it in stock

 

[dogofwar]

There was an article posted (by Bill?) a couple of months ago (from Practical Fishkeeping?) on how resilient the nitrifying bacteria in our tanks are.

Even though there was not air running through my sponge filters, the bacteria wasn't going anywhere

I try to keep a few extra sponge filters in my tanks. Simplest way to support bioload in a new tank and spur bacterial colonization.

Matt