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Nitrifying bacteria
- Thread starter Jaseon
- Start date
The grumpy one
Member
Is this a sealed sterile environment?
If not then, bacteria comes from the air.
Hence why jam is put in jars when very hot, killing off all bacteria, and then a air tight lid is put on before it cools.
Try taking the lid off a pot of jam and see how long it takes to go mouldy.
If not then, bacteria comes from the air.
Hence why jam is put in jars when very hot, killing off all bacteria, and then a air tight lid is put on before it cools.
Try taking the lid off a pot of jam and see how long it takes to go mouldy.
Andy Pierce
Member
This is actually the description of a classic experiment done by Louis Pasteur in 1859 that proved bacteria do not spontaneously come into existence (Spontaneous generation - Wikipedia). I'm setting up a new shrimp tank (Creating Shrimphaus - Fireplace aquarium) and have purchased FB7 Bacto Elixier from Dennerle (Bacto Elixier FB7 | Dennerle) to get nitrifying bacteria off to a running start in the tank. I am 99.9% sure that 'Bacto Elixier' is nothing more than juice squeezed out of a sponge filter from an established aquarium, but there you go. 😉
Not necessarily, think of our aquariums say using RO water. So nitrifying bacteria is in the air?
Im kind of doing the same although i just added ammonia initially hence my question.
Probably, as well as entering the aquarium on the plants.
Im thinking more controlled conditions so just water, and ammonia.
I see an experiment in the offing…
It has to have been done by someone already its just i cannot find anything on it.
Oh I’m sure it has. But replication is always useful.
mort
Member
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I'm not sure I'm following. Are you wanting to start a tank with just water and ammonia and are wondering where the bacteria come from? Or are you wanting to make sure you have the bacteria in the tank for when you want to dose ammonia?
There are quite a few threads that explain why most of us wouldn't start a tank with ammonia but plants, used filter material or anything from a living system will help provide bacteria.
There are quite a few threads that explain why most of us wouldn't start a tank with ammonia but plants, used filter material or anything from a living system will help provide bacteria.
The question is if you was to put ammonia into a sterile body of water, and im talking for argument's sake into a bare tank where does the bacteria come from? A biochemical reaction inside the ammonia gets triggered somehow?
Maf 2500
Member
From the air, as mentioned above.
Nitrifying bacteria are airborne? I know they colonise soil, and water. If they are in the air does that mean ammonia is airborne as well (emissions) seeing the bacteria need the ammonia to survive?
Maf 2500
Member
Lots of other bacteria are airbourne, seeding rainclouds etc, but I must admit I haven't studied nitrifying bacteria in enough detail to know for sure. Sterile environments don't stay sterile once exposed to the air, so that suggests to me that air transport is a common way for bacteria to get around.
Indeed, this is why things go off when exposed to air. Milk soures , flour and water turns to sour dough, etc. liquids containing ammonia are colonised by nitrifying bacteria.
Maf 2500
Member
That's not strictly true. They need the ammonia to multiply and grow, but not to survive. The sealed bottles of bacteria you can buy are not full of oxygen and ammonia, but full of bacteria without a food source, in stasis if you will.
Are the bacteria's that affects foods etc not the same ie salmonella, listeria, and mold?
Salmonella and listeria are bacteria, but they don’t affect food. Mould is caused by fungal spores. The point being that the atmosphere contains both bacteria and fungal spores that float around until they find a suitable habitat and then multiply.
Edited to correct that salmonella and listeria do indeed affect food. Doh!
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Salmonella affects both food, and water? Mould can affect food as well? I get it has to come into contact by other means.
So the way bacteria affects other things like food is the same process that allows nitrifying bacteria (which is airborne) to come into contact with ammonia that's in liquids?
Our atmosphere contains all sorts of bacteria and fungal spores. Nitrifying bacteria are usually found in water sources. I strongly suspect, however, that if you leave some water with ammonia exposed to the atmosphere that eventually some nitriding bacteria will find their way in and start getting to work.
