Improved cycling using natural substrate inoculum

C

coralnerd

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May 11, 2006
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Is anyone aware of any information about improving/shortening the establishment of the nitrogen cycle by using natural subtrate (eg gravel or sand from a river).

I'm just curious about whether substrate from a natural system would contain sufficiently high populations of the appropriate bacteria to process fish waste without the usual waiting period. It sounds like a good idea in theory, as I'm sure natural substrates are exposed to quite high levels of NH3 from decaying plant matter, fallen leaves etc, nitrogenous compounds in runoff etc. If the substrate was collected from an oxygenated area near a rapid it would likely contain high populations of Nitrosomas and Nitrobacter. I was just wondering if anyone has tried it.
 
coralnerd said:
Is anyone aware of any information about improving/shortening the establishment of the nitrogen cycle by using natural subtrate (eg gravel or sand from a river).

I'm just curious about whether substrate from a natural system would contain sufficiently high populations of the appropriate bacteria to process fish waste without the usual waiting period. It sounds like a good idea in theory, as I'm sure natural substrates are exposed to quite high levels of NH3 from decaying plant matter, fallen leaves etc, nitrogenous compounds in runoff etc. If the substrate was collected from an oxygenated area near a rapid it would likely contain high populations of Nitrosomas and Nitrobacter. I was just wondering if anyone has tried it.
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Nitrobacter is not a major player in FW bacteria. In fact, "cycling" products that claim to contain nitrobacter have caused more than a few nitrite spikes in peoples' tanks.

It's the different strains of Nitrosomas that colonize FW aquaria.

I don't think there would be a high enough concetration of bacteria in a natural river system. You're talking of *much* larger system with a very low biomass than what we have in our tanks.

Then, of course, there are the obvious risks of introducing parasites to the enclosed system.

I'd rather seed from an established tank or use FW Bio Spira -- which does not contain nitrobacter at all.

Roan
 
I would think that the above mentioned Pitfalls would make it pretty much undesireable. The bacteria levels would be very very low so the innoculation would be next to nothing anyhow.

Dave
 
I don't think that nitrification in FW environments plays as big a role as in our tanks. Ther is a hug difference in biolads between the two. Dilution and plants and algae play a much larger role in the wild. Even if the same bacteria occured in the wild in significant concentrations, the risks involved, both to your fish and to you, would far outweight any potential advantages for me.
 
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