Bacteria

What is Bacteria?

A single celled organism which may or may not cause disease in an organism.

There are a huge range of species of bacteria, most are still unknown to science and we are still finding out what benefits or dangers they pose to us.

While science may split bacteria into two piles called gram-negative or gram-positive. In the aquarium hobby we often group them into just bad or good bacteria.

Good Bacteria

Nitrosomonas Species: These are the ones that convert Ammonia (released by rotting fish/plant waste) into Nitrite.

Nitrobacter sp. and Nitrospira Species: They convert the nitrite (produced from the breaking down of Ammonia by Nitrosomonas bacteria) into nitrate. Both of these are usually present in the filter.

• Though Dr. Tim Hovanec claims that it is Nitrosococcus sp. and not Nitrosomonas sp. that converts ammonia into nitrite and Nitrospira sp. and not Nitrobacter that converts nitrite into nitrate. See PDF Paper.

Nitrosococcus and Nitrococcus are the main nitrifying bacteria used in salt water aquariums.

• See Nitrifying bacteria for more detail on how to grow this type of bacteria.

Denitrifying Bacteria: This is the term used for a range of anaerobic bacteria that feed off nitrate and consume the oxygen within and release nitrogen gas. These work in conditions with little to no free oxygen in the water so they consume nitrates.

Waste control bacteria: These are species of bacteria which break down dead organic material like fish waste and dead plant material. (see method - Competitive Exclusion). One such species used in aquariums is Bacillus subtilis found in soil. Believed to also reduce substrate cleaning, parasites and removing odours from tanks. (See Walstad method).

Commercial Bacteria

• One and Only from Dr. Tim Hovanec, inventor of Bio-Spira. A nitrifying bacteria that allows addition of fish immediately in new tanks.
• Clear-UP Natural Water Clarifier - Uses bacteria to perform natural clumping of particles in the water so that the filter can remove them.
• Re-FRESH for Natural Fresh Sparkling Water - Uses bacteria to remove unpleasant odours in the aquarium and to clean up surfaces.
• Eco-Balance friendly Probiotic Bacteria - A bacteria that suppress disease micro-organisms in the gut of fish.
• Waste-Away Natural Aquarium Cleaner - A bacteria that reduces sludge and mulm therefore reducing maintenance.
• Bio-Spira developed by Dr. Tim Hovanec via MarineLand. A nitrifying bacteria that makes new tanks ready to take fish within 24 hours or less. (This product is now obsolete having been effectively renamed as SafeStart by Tetra.
• Stability by SeaChem. A nitrifying bacteria that makes new tanks ready to take fish within 24 hours or less. Also contains a waste control bacteria species.
• SafeStart by Tetra - A nitrifying bacteria that makes new tanks ready to take fish within 24 hours or less.
• Nutrafin Waste Control by Hagen Nutrafin - A waste consuming heterotroph‎ bacteria that eats the mulm and releases the chemicals contained in the muck quicker for plants and infusoria to digest. Reduces filter maintenance and cleans the substrate. Performs Competitive Exclusion. See video
• Nutrafin Cycle. A nitrifying bacteria (Nitrospira) that makes new tanks ready to take fish within 24 hours or less (new version).
• Stress Zyme by API. A comprehensive waste consuming bacteria that eats the mulm (uneaten food, dead plant, fish waste, etc.) and releases the chemicals contained within for plants and infusoria to digest. Performs Competitive Exclusion.
• Viresco Aqua - a microbial mixture that removes organic waste, nitrate and reduces phosphate. For commercial farmers and pet fish shops.
• Viresco Koi - For use in ponds.
• Viresco Digester - Organic waste digester.
• Viresco Aquarium - A microbial mixture that removes organic waste, nitrate and reduces phosphate.
• Viresco Filter-Start - A nitrifying bacteria mixture for new aquariums.
• Viresco Probiotic - A bacteria that suppress disease micro-organisms in the gut of fish.
• Viresco NitroGone - A nitrate removing product for ponds.
• Microboost - A food source for pond micro-organisms. It also contains some Viresco Aqua.

Bad Bacteria

• Cyanobacteria - a blue-green 'algae'.

• Flexibacter columnaris, recently named Flavobacterium columnare. This common bacteria gives the appearance of white fungus on fish but is actually bacteria. Also called Columnaris, Cotton-Wool, Cotton-Mouth, Flexibacter, Mouth Fungus.

• Pseudomonas fluorescens - causes fin rot.

• Mycobacteriosis - Fish tuberculosis.
• Mycobacteriosis − the Stealth Disease by Diana Walstad

• Anaerobic Bacteria - This type of bacteria lives in the deeper parts of the substrate and consumes nitrates. However it produces the harmful Hydrogen sulphide gas. Looks like black muck when you stir up the tank substrate.

• Aeromonas - a nasty gram-negative bacteria that often kills.

• Vibrio bacteria aka Vibriosis disease.

• Corynebacterium

• Streptococci (Streptococcus sp.)

• Lactococcus garvieae

Links

• Bacteria bottles do they work
• Nitrospira research in 2006 by Dr. Tim A. Hovanec, Ph.D.
• Library of papers on denitriying in 2006 by MarineLand
• Flexibacter
• More on Flexibacter
• Mycobacteria widespread in aquaria by PFK

• Nitrospira
• Flexibacter
• Nitrobacter
• Nitrosospira multiformis
• Who's the Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria? by Timothy A. Hovanec, Ph. D 2004 (archive link)