Bacteria that breathe nitrate

[gwand]

I wonder if we could grow this bacteria safely in our tanks.

Meet the Microbes That Breathe Nitrate Instead of Oxygen – And They’re Everywhere

Scientists have discovered a remarkable new form of symbiosis — a bacterium that lives inside a single-celled organism (a ciliate) and provides it with energy. Unlike mitochondria, which use oxygen, this microbe powers its host by breathing nitrate. Initially found in a freshwater lake, researche

scitechdaily.com

 

[Uberhoust]

It's interesting how many ways life can get energy out of the environment.

 

[gwand]

That is why life may be ubiquitous throughout the universe. Life is so versatile.

 

[MaloK]

Not sure if you would want to develop any population of any sort of ciliate in your aquarium...

A large number of them are parasites of aquatic invertebrates and fishes... It's like having a parasite that has parasites.

 

[gwand]

Tetra Total Nitrate might have such an organism since the product supposedly converts nitrate into gaseous nitrogen. Not the ciliate host but the bacteria living in symbiosis with the ciliate.

 

[MaloK]

Since they been found everywhere, we probably have them in all our tanks without knowing.