A polite conversation!!! Where's the fun in that? Bring out the mudslinging and insulting each others mothers. Pretend we're politicians and make up great lies. A scientific polite discussion always takes a lot of reading for some reason. Besides, my access to the university VPN library expired a few months back (My budget is a little tight at work) and I don't have time to go sit on campus and use the WiFi.
Seriously though I'm happy to have someone else around dispelling myths about bacteria in this forum. I've been on a constant campaign dispel the idea that the bacteria in your tank will die if you look at it wrong for the past couple of years. I'm happy to say that it seems to be sticking a little. Still get people thinking that if the filter shuts off the bacteria all fall over dead but they are getting less.
Hope to see you floating around more often, and glad to see that you are posting.
Welcome to AC posting DocTim! I have never tried to seed a new tank from a bottle so your explanation of how yours works was good. In my old fashioned way of thinking--the bottle would have to be refrigerated so the bacteria wouldn't die. IDK why I am thinking this way as I have no degrees in biology (mine are in psy/adult education )...just have that thought.
Alright V a duel it shall be - count to 10 and fire away 10, 9, 8 But beware of my mother she's 80 and can be pretty mean when provoked!
I'll be happy to join you in fighting bacteria myths. Nitrifiers are actually pretty tough bugs once they settle on a surface and cover themselves with a biofilm (EPS in technically terms). I will try to be a regular and join the fun.
Bubbles2112 - thanks for the note. Refrigeration helps because it slows down the metabolic activity of the bacteria. The main difference that I have done is that I now grow the nitrifiers on a substrate (a very small particle) and that allows them to settle on something which is what they want to do. Nitrifiers do not like to be single-celled free swimming organisms - they want to be in a biofilm grouped together. Once on the surface when stressed they extruded a substance - called an exoploymer substance (EPS) that acts as a protective covering and this allows them to maintain activity longer. As I state on the bottle refrigeration is best but not absolutely necessary.
As for dying - bacterial death is very different than human death - as I think I already covered but it is an interesting subject much like what is a bacteria species and when a bacterium divides do you have one 'old' cell and one new cell or two new cells? But maybe that's a discussion best had over a few cigars and some nice scotch.
welcome to the site, err... posting on the site, doc.
now that that's covered, imo the burning question is:
which do you prefer to start a new tank? your product, fishless cycling, fishy cycling, media swap, other (please explain)...
in other words... aside from whether your product works or not... if you had any choice how would you choose to cycle a tank?
EDIT: oops, another question. how would you describe/outline your target audience for dr tim's one and only? i'd be curious to any studies done to determine what/who they'd be.
)...just have that thought.
