benifical bacteria

[Fish-Fanatic]

if you start to cycle your tank and then you stop adding ammonia or suddenly all of your fish die (please oh please oh please never let that happen!) could the benifical bacteria in your tank starve?? Hopefully i asked a good question this time! lol

 

[sinistral]

I think it is certainly a good question. Just like other living things, when deprived of food they can die off.

 

[Stryker]

At any one time in a cycled tank you will have a colony of beneficial bacteria that is proportionate to the availability of food. No food, hence no bacteria. However I'd imagine if a long established tank of fish had its fish took out there would be plenty of bio content to keep it going for a while or to at least maintain a certain level of bacteria. I've NEVER done this tho. I always at least keep some zebra danios in my quarantine tank.