adding Bacteria.

[jd99]

Sometimes I wonder about this LFS, for the most part they have good advice.

Today I was in there looking to see if they got anything new, and I over heard the new guy working there telling someone that every time they do a water change they have to add bacteria again because it gets removed with the water?

 

[T1KARMANN]

If you don't use tap water conditioner then yes it may do some damage

 

[jd99]

If you don't use tap water conditioner then yes it may do some damage

like kill your fish.
But adding bacteria wont take out chorine chloramine .... still the bacteria isn't in the water, which is what this guy was telling the customer. Its in the substrate, the filter media, etc etc. so you don't loose it with a water change....

 

[Matt68005]

I like too keep some cheap stress zyme on hand. I dose them once a month when I change filter pad. I don't really vacuum too much. But about once a month. Not at the same time tho and that's when I add a little. lfs people are good guys but corporate pet store people are usually idiots. I don't do it with my weekly 25% changes tho.

 

[jwh0818]

You dont ever need to add any kind of bb. How lond do you think this bb sits on a petstore shelve? Its all for marketing. You have to do a cycle to have bb. And the majority of your bb is in your filtration media. Then your gravel, sand, fake ornaments rocks and other porous things. If anything the bb in a bottle will cause you to re-cycle your aquarium.

 

[Mebbid]

I like too keep some cheap stress zyme on hand. I dose them once a month when I change filter pad. I don't really vacuum too much. But about once a month. Not at the same time tho and that's when I add a little. lfs people are good guys but corporate pet store people are usually idiots. I don't do it with my weekly 25% changes tho.

It's crazy how much the companies make by selling the bottled bacteria when it comes free naturally and is way more certain than the bottled type. Curious though, why do you change your filter pad monthly?

 

[jwh0818]

You shouldnt. The proper way to clean your tank is take 25% water out and place in a bucket. Take your filter out and rinse it in your water change water thats being thrown away then place back immediately

 

[Matt68005]

bb

Thats what i meant. I dont use buckets. I use a python. I just rinse them a little under tap. I use undergravel filters also so my gravel bed has plenty of bb

 

[Mebbid]

Thats what i meant. I dont use buckets. I use a python. I just rinse them a little under tap. I use undergravel filters also so my gravel bed has plenty of bb

Ahh I see. Now that makes sense I <3 my water changer although whenever I siphon my substrate I siphon all of that straight into a bucket so I can make sure I don't lose any of my shrimplets.

 

[Cactuspixie]

When I was asking my lfs what sand they recommend for kuhlis and cories (because some of their substrates are quite sharp) I was told it didn't matter: "i use that sand, and the barbells have worn off my cories, but they never got infected, and they don't really need them"
I was SPEECHLESS.