Bacteria Need O2?

[Maxta]

Hi i was on another site/forum and reading about fishless cycling, and it said in the article to raise your filter output nearer the surface of the water, possibly even above so that when the water being pumped out hits the surface of the water it will create bubbles and gives oxygen into the water, which bacteria need.

This true?

Also whilst im at it, is it okay to feed plants the liquid food whilst im cycling? One of my plants is looking unhealthy, the other is just fine. Iv had my tank for 6 days now, and im on day 4 of cycling. I take the samples at 9pm because thats when i first added ammonia on day 1. My ammonia graph so far:

It looking normal? Using the add and wait method.

 

[loachman]

Many bacteria can function with or without oxygen. Their metabolism is much more efficient in an oxygen rich atmosphere though.

I believe that the nitrogen metabolizing bacteria in the aquarium are generally aerobic (need oxygen).

 

[Maxta]

Okay, thanks for the information. As soon as i got this information i moved my filter ouput up above the water, many airbubbles on the surface of the water.

Just wanted to know if this was true and beneficial to do so, thanks again.

 

[andywg]

The bacteria we need in our filters is aerobic, meaning it requires oxygen to live and metabolise. If it was anaerobic then you would get bacteria that convert nitrates into nitrogen.

The availability of oxygen in the air is what makes a wet/dry filter so excellent.

However, so long as there is plenty of surface agitation there will not be a problem with the oxygen levels.

 

[Squid]

The bacteria we need in our filters is aerobic, meaning it requires oxygen to live and metabolise. If it was anaerobic then you would get bacteria that convert nitrates into nitrogen.

The availability of oxygen in the air is what makes a wet/dry filter so excellent.

However, so long as there is plenty of surface agitation there will not be a problem with the oxygen levels.

Crikey.. good info, you learn something every day.!

So what exactly is a wet and dry filter and how/what does it do. I've seen them advertised but never asked the question before. (worried about looking thick, but i think i'm way past that now on this forum )

Squid

 

[celaeno]

are the marineland bio-wheel power filters wet and dry filters?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

So what exactly is a wet and dry filter and how/what does it do. I've seen them advertised but never asked the question before. (worried about looking thick, but i think i'm way past that now on this forum )

yeah we all know your thick by now









**waits for andy's answer as she doesn't really know herself**

 

[Squid]

 

[Dave Spencer]

Oxygenating the water this way drives off the dissolved CO2 in the water, making it detrimantal to your plants.

I would feed the plants below the recommended level until they start to pick, and then increase it a little each time as they get to full health. Healthy plants make excellent water oxygenators.

Dave.

 

[loachman]

The bacteria we need in our filters is aerobic, meaning it requires oxygen to live and metabolise. If it was anaerobic then you would get bacteria that convert nitrates into nitrogen.

The availability of oxygen in the air is what makes a wet/dry filter so excellent.

However, so long as there is plenty of surface agitation there will not be a problem with the oxygen levels.

good point, i forgot about NH3 -> NO2 -> NO3 actually requiring oxygen... duh

 

[andywg]

Healthy plants make excellent water oxygenators.

And they also remove oxygen from the water at night when they change from photosynthesis to respiration. Relying solely on plants for raising oxygen levels is not always the wisest thing to do.

My understanding is that a bio-wheel is a wet/dry. Effectively, anything that has the media exposed to the air is a wet dry. This placement allows the bacteria colony access to far more oxygen than would usually be available.

The "traditional" wet dry (of a tower draining into a sump under the tank) is very popular on larger pred tanks, especially salt water which holds less dissolved oxygen than FW.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Healthy plants make excellent water oxygenators.

And they also remove oxygen from the water at night when they change from photosynthesis to respiration. Relying solely on plants for raising oxygen levels is not always the wisest thing to do.

Some people with heavily planted tanks run CO2 24/7 with absolutely no O2 problems whatsoever.

Dave

 

[andywg]

Some people with heavily planted tanks run CO2 24/7 with absolutely no O2 problems whatsoever.

Dave

Your statement proves nothing. I am willing to bet that if they took out all the plants they would still have no O2 problems either, even when running with CO2.

Having CO2 in the water does not preclude it from having O2. The two concentrations are not mutually exclusive. The amount of O2 in the water is a result of gas exchange, rate of consumption (respiration) and rate of production (photosynthesis). Having plants in the tank at night with the lights off will lead to respiration, which in turn will lower O2 levels.

 

[Dave Spencer]

Apologies to Maxta for hijacking this thread

Your statement proves nothing. I am willing to bet that if they took out all the plants they would still have no O2 problems either, even when running with CO2.

My statement points out that plant respiration at night will not deprive fish of O2 at night. My tank is a jungle of fast growing stems in a high tech EI tank and my fish are fine. At no point was I implying that I use plants for aeration. I don`t use anything specific for it. I even make sure my filter outlet does not agitate the water`s surface, to prevent driving off CO2.

Having CO2 in the water does not preclude it from having O2.

Tell me something I don`t know.

Maxta, to reiterate my original post, aeration may benefit your filter maturation, I am not entirely sure about this, but it is not beneficial to your plants. Fertilise them a little at first, and up it towards target as they pick up.

 

[Maxta]

ok cool.

up towards target? what is the target?