Adding bacteria from the sea.

[Paul B]

This is just something I was thinking about and I thought I would share it.
Today like most weekends in the summer I went out in my boat which is in Long Island in New York. We have a hugh difference in high and low tide causing many tidepools to be formed. Most of these are muddy and filled with snails, horseshoe crabs, worms and a few different types of crabs. I have been visiting these places for most of my life (I'm old) Most of the time I go collecting for amphipods and other interesting stuff but whatever I collect it also comes with mud. I add these amphipods and whatnot including some mud to my reef every week. I believe the bacteria in the mud is beneficial to my reef, along with the amphipods copepods etc.
In my opinion, if you use ASW and have for a few years your reef only contains a very few types of bacteria. There are all sorts of bacteria and they process different types of wastes differently. I believe that by adding natural bacteria (not make believe bacteria in a bottle) you will be increasing the waste processing mechanism in your tank. When I tell people this they tell me they are afraid of disease causing bacteria being added and I guess that may be a concern. I have been doing this for a very long time (since Nixon was president) and never had a problem, but it may be because I am adding New York bacteria from cold water and maybe the NY paracites can't infect tropical fish. Of course I am just speaking out loud here and it is all conjecture but I was thinking it may be why my reef has lasted so long and never crashed. It may be beneficial especially for a DSB (which I do not have). My fish also never get sick either, I can't see how this would have anything to do with that fact either unless for some reason New York paracites impart some type of immunity on the fish to tropical paracites (conjecture again)
I am in no way saying to go out and do this, I am just telling of my experiences.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[Krish]

Very interesting Paul and thanks for sharing. We all know you are a fan of going as "natural" as possible and I can appreciate that. What's better than the real thing right?? I'm really happy for all of your succuess and I appreciate your contribution here with sharing your experiences and knowledge with us.

 

[Paul B]

Krish, the hardest part of doing this is to not look too wierd while collecting.
I can tell that people in the boats are looking at me and wondering what the hell I am doing at my age digging around in the mud.
Yesterday I also found thousands of baby horseshoe crabs which I do not collect anymore.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[NaH2O]

Interesting thoughts. I wonder how much of the bacteria species present in the mud dies off due to competition with bacteria present in your system already, over time? How often do you add mud? If there isn't a large initial die off, I wonder if constant replenishment plays a role.

 

[Paul B]

Nikki, of course I really can't tell. I add amphipods and of course a little mud and NSW almost every week in the summer and maybe once in the winter. I also have a local NY tank which is full of mud and I add some of that to my tank occasionally. It could be that the original tropical bacteria died off and my reef is all local NY bacteria. My reef does look different than any other reef I have seen. There is a short growth on all the rocks that looks like it could be seaweed but a lot of it is in the dark so it may be composed mostly of bacteria. The rocks in the Long Island Sound where I dive have a similar growth. Luckilly it does not grow on corals but it does make the tank look natural.
Paul