Beneficial bacteria and probiotics
WHY DO aquariums and fish ponds need regular doses of beneficial bacteria and probiotics
The bacteria in an aquarium are a vital part of the ecosystem. They are responsible for converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. This is a process that is crucial for maintaining the balance in the water. It has been discussed in earlier blogs that in order to fix ammonia in a fish tank, regular doses of good bacteria are required. A good balance of bacteria in the fish tank environment could be maintained by working in three steps. First, stop reaching for antibiotic every time a fish get an infection. Second, start regular dosing of beneficial bacteria to repair or replace the bad bacteria that cause disease or infections. Third, use probiotics that address immunity issues and will prompt the healthy fish cells to fight off any pathogenic feeds entering the fish tank system.
Following the first step, the tank owner understands that antibiotics are meant to kill bacteria, and it doesn’t discriminate between good and bad ones. If the good bacteria gets killed, it may potentially restart the nitrogen cycle. Then the population of good bacteria could be restored by regular dosing of beneficial bacteria externally. This is to speed up the process to establish the nitrogen cycle. If not done so, the in-house fish may start dying.
It is not possible to dose once and stops as it takes time for the beneficial bacteria to establish themselves and take over from the harmful ones. A regular weekly dose of the beneficial bacteria shall make sure the second step is followed as well. A gap of one or two weeks could be acceptable at times, but must not be a practice. Otherwise, the tank as a whole could get compromised and harmful bacteria, algae, or any pathogen could invade the good bacteria. So, regular dosing of good bacteria is needed to maintain a good bacterial population. Without the regular introduction of new strains, over time the average quality and number of bacteria in the aquarium will decrease. Hence, a claim of dosing the beneficial bacteria once could be dangerous.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that offer health benefits when consumed in sufficient amounts. They have been shown to be effective in preventing diarrhea caused by antibiotics, and reducing symptoms of dropsy and bloating in fish. The third step could be met by the input of probiotics in fish tanks.
While all these three steps are important, it is equally important to ensure a supply of quality strains with optimal CFU (Colony Forming Unit) of helpful bacteria in fish tanks. OZPOLISH Bio-Cure Standard and OZPOLISH Bio-Cure Advance succeed in supporting all three steps, as they feature multi strains of beneficial bacteria. OZPOLISH Bio-Cure Standard and OZPOLISH Bio-Cure Advance cover all four types of beneficial bacteria, i.e. nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, organic wastes/ sludge decomposing bacteria, and probiotics. It is as well recommended to dose these beneficial bacteria after every cleaning of the media.
*aquariums and fish ponds need regular doses of beneficial bacteria and probiotics Related Blogs: HOW TO keep the aquarium water clean WHY ENZYMES in fish tanks are required WATCH VIDEO