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Photosynthetic Bacteria (PSB)

9K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  kizwan 
#1 ·
I found out some people use this bacteria to clear organic matter in aquarium. Can anyone tell me more about this? If it have any effect on Nitrogen cycle? I'm not planning to use it but just want to learn more.
 
#4 ·
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#6 ·
So, it will be shortlived bacteria since aquarium will always rich in O2. No wonder people who use this need to dose it regularly. I found about PSB at local fish keeping (mostly non-planted) club.

Planted tanks are FULL of all different kinds of bacteria. The nitrifying bacteria get all the press coverage but there are hundreds of other strains in a healthy planted tank. The nitrifying bacteria might establish and balance itself in a couple months. There are several other bacterial species that are benificial to your plants which I belive take much longer to establish themselves and come to their own equilibrium.

As I am setting up my new tank I am moving a lot of dirt from my old planted tank to the new tank to introduce all the bacteria that are doing such a good job in my established to my new tank.
A bit of topic; usually how deep the dirt you use in your tank? Did you cap it with sand & how deep?
 
#5 ·
Planted tanks are FULL of all different kinds of bacteria. The nitrifying bacteria get all the press coverage but there are hundreds of other strains in a healthy planted tank. The nitrifying bacteria might establish and balance itself in a couple months. There are several other bacterial species that are benificial to your plants which I belive take much longer to establish themselves and come to their own equilibrium.

As I am setting up my new tank I am moving a lot of dirt from my old planted tank to the new tank to introduce all the bacteria that are doing such a good job in my established to my new tank.
 
#11 ·
So the purple bacteria (psb) feed on the organic matter. Would this have any effect on the nitrifying bacteria? Like the decaying process releases ammonia & the nitrifying bacteria take it. Would the nitrifying bacteria starving if there's no ammonia for them to take & therefore lead them to death?
 
#13 ·
There have been many discussions in fish forums on adopting anaerobic denitrification in deep sand as used in saltwater, but it has not gotten traction in freshwater. Saltwater has more diverse fauna in live sand to carry out denitrification at higher efficiency than in freshwater. Making artificial saltwater is expensive and tedious, so saltwater folks employ every biochemical filtration option available to minimize WC. Freshwater is cheap and nitrate reduction can be achieved much easier by water change or growing plants. Anaerobic denitrification in freshwater is too slow and hazardous (due to potential release of toxic gases) to worth the effort.

Chloroplasts of all green plants and algae are symbiotic descendents of cynobacteria. It's good to know that there is a diversity of other photosynthetic bacteria besides cyanobacteria that utilize different processes to capture sunlight energy to make food.
 
#14 ·
Thank you for the response. PSB or purple bacteria is use widely in local aquarium enthusiast community but these guys are just aquarium with fish in it. No plant. Since I read more on this bacteria & how it more active in anaerobic condition, I thought it could live in deep substrate, hence the question.
 
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