Bacteria

[Tempestuousfury]

Where is the greatest amount of it?

Two options, of course, being the filter media or the gravel.

I am of the mind that it would be the gravel, what with having the greatest surface are and the highest amounts of nitrogenous materials.

Have heard different sides to this, of course.

 

[lady_tanksalot]

lots of people changing from gravel to sand lately, just wondered if anyone has noticed a change in water conditions due to this?

 

[CFC]

Nitrifying bacteria thrive best where there is the most oxygen so where there are more bacteria is dependent on your filtration system, a large canister filter filled with highly pourous media with a good g/ph turn over or a bio wheel type filter will probably hold more bacteria than the hard surfaces within the tank but on the other hand a tank filtered with a simple sponge filter or internal filter with no biowheel will probably have more bacteria on the hard surfaces in the tank than the filter.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

How does adequate water circulation work into that (high turnover rates on the filter and/or bubble bars/ UGF, etc.)?

 

[Opcn]

People switching from gravle to sand do notice changes in water quality but they have more to do with the production of nitrogenous waste than the bacteria cycle. On sand the fod that falls to the bottom is easily found by the fish and eater, in gravle food gets trapped and broken down by decomposition bacteria, Lots of waste