a good thought for discussion

[Hebily]

Are we talking about boiling the water before putting it in the tank? Tap water contains those bateria.... most bottled, too... from what I understand unless it is distilled or RO, those bacteria are there... just not in large quantities... at least that's how I understand it...

 

[inkyjenn]

Starting an aquarium takes much longer if this is the case. Although you have to realize that no air has 0% humidity and the size of a bacterium is very small so really doesn't need a huge amount of water. But realistically speaking, it still take a along time to get enough if you don't have another source (like used filter media).

i live in the desert. ive never had any difficulty cycling a tank. even without used media

 

[excuzzzeme]

If people have cell phones, do cells have people phones?

Ammonia does in fact contain bacteria. See the link I included in previous post.

 

[paperdragon]

Ammonia does in fact contain bacteria. See the link I included in previous post.

Ammonia can contain bacteria. However ammonia can, and often does, exist without bacteria in it. Bacteria also does not spontaneously generate out of ammonia, but rather uses it as a food source after it is introduced. I suspect you already know this, but I just wanted to clarify things since other people could be confused by that wording.

(I'm a former biology major. Can't just leave that stuff hanging. lol)

 

[REDKAHUNA]

Interesting I never wait for cycling I add a plant and a couple snails out the gate. All the bennies are right there. A week or so and WALA.

 

[jpappy789]

Bacteria travel via air currents.

 

[ct-death]

Sources of bacteria are readily available especially for us Aquariests...

I ask, where did you buy your tank, filter, gravel, fish food, fish, plants - shall I go on?

The point is, although the bacterias can be 'borne' via the air, I personally feel that we get more than we need from the LFS we visit as the bacteria reside on everything in the store (even us when we leave).

...ammonia is not sterile and yes, it contains ammonia-bacteriums, but no, bacteria cannot "come from ammonia", rather it feeds on it. *tips hat to paperdragon*

Do you know how expensive sterile ammonia is!?!? It has to be "built" in the lab! Or at least that's what we had to do if we needed a pure source.

 

[prolude006]

Between the air and water that's all around us bacteria will pop up one way or another.
You could close off a tank entirely and sterilize it to no end, but I guarantee there will be bacteria in there anyways. You may not be able to see it but they are there. There are probably even bacteria on the surface of the sun.

Not to ruin anyone's bananas but pick a banana off a tree and put it in a sterile environment and it will still produce flies!

 

[KarlTh]

Rich - you're not completely off base. Bacteria can emerge from ammonia and other organic chemicals. Unfortunately the process takes many millions of years. It's abiogenesis as opposed to evolution though. It does not happen where life already exists though because the existing lifeforms outcompete any early replicators for the food resources. Indeed, the production of simple replicators is unlikely because the less complex molecules they would be composed of would get et. Consequently, in our tanks, we are dependent on the bacteria floating in from somewhere, or, billions of times better, being introduced from an existing aquarium.



I'm sure it was a joke, but for the record there are no bacteria on the surface of the sun - actually, there's no evidence as yet of any lifeforms more than a few miles from the surface of the earth (in either direction). A sterile banana in a sterile environment will not produce flies.

However, getting round to the important bit - this factor is often forgotten in fishless cycling. People get the ammonia, the test kits, but no bacterial source. And the process can take two months or more. Get a decent inocculation of bacteria in at the beginning (and when the second stage starts) and it can be as little as 10 days. So I'm quite pleased to see someone asking where the bacteria come from. Too few people ask it and sit watching an empty tank for months and wonder why.

 

[prolude006]

Not true!! there are many lifeforms more than a few miles from the surface of the earth.
"The stratosphere is situated between about 10 km (6 miles) and 50 km (31 miles) from the earths surface" there are uv resistant bacteria in the stratosphere, which scientists are studying as evidenced by the news cast on the funding for it yesterday.
Yes the sun was a joke as far as we know!! lol
And yes a rotting banana will produce flies in a sterile environment, but I did not say a rotting sterile banana grown in a lab would produce them.
Why worry about bacteria just throw in some plants, never had to cycle any of my tanks. Or water changes each day or so, keep feeding to a minimum for a week and wont take long at all.