Testing for Bacteria?

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I'm disappointed that I've been unable to find a useful bacteria-testing kit, given the many other advances in test kits over the last decade or so.
I suppose the difficulty arises in us using cultures of mixed bacteria, either grown naturally in the tnk during our cycling, or added artificially from a bottle.
Bacteria testing kits do exist, but these seem to be for specific terrestrial bacteria such as Staph. aureus, or E.Coli., etc., relating to general health and these ain't cheap.

Would I be right in assuming that the best test for beneficial tank bacteria is to simply monitor the water parameters for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

As anyone here with a microbiology background/skill set played around with inventing such a test kit? Again, I'm seeing the real challenge being the multiple species involved.

 

[Essjay]

There are no testing kits for bacteria, we have to test for them indirectly, as you suggest, by monitoring ammonia and nitrite. There's probably no incentive for anyone to work on bacteria testing kits since ammonia/nitrite testers are so readily available.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Please ignore this thread...I found a relevent thread already posted;

Counting Bacteria - wouldn't it be nice....

So we are all about bio cycling, having enough good bacteria to take care of our ammonia/nito cycle... We all go through lots of work and expense: bio balls, bio rings, bio wheels, bacteria starters via the bottle...etc...and the only way we know it things are working is via test strips/ water...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

...There's probably no incentive for anyone to work on bacteria testing kits since ammonia/nitrite testers are so readily available.

I remember that once upon a time, there was little, if any, incentive for aquarium forums and groups to promote snails as good thing. As I've suggested in the more-established thread, the manufacturers of bottled bacteria will use some method, for purposes of quality control. I want to find out how they do it.

 

[Essjay]

I'll lock this thread; any replies, please post them in the thread in Brice Leyland-Jones' link.