[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Bacteria in new substrate
>From: "Michael Eckardt" <mike at odg_com>
>
>.....What would happen if the wet gunk from the filter was dried and
>safed? Would the bacteria (in another form) survive? How long?
>My tanks produce quite a bit of this stuff and it would be neat to have it
>available when setting up a new tank to kick-start the substrate. Cheap
>>too.....
From what I have heard, most bacteria survive drying indefinitely.
Another good source of bacteria is topsoil. Just put a half teaspoon of
topsoil in a plastic shoebox with 1/2 inch water and a few pieces of dried
cat or dog food. After three days at room temperature, the period of rapid
bacterial growth will be over and you can pour the bacterial suspension in
the tank water to jump-start the so-called cycling process. Mulm from an
established tank works well, too.
Paul Krombholz, in cool central Mississippi, with the word, snow, in our
forcast for next week.