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	Powerheads and Bacteria
Babelfish Administrator Small Fry with Ketchup Posts: 6833 Kudos: 8324 Votes: 1570 Registered: 17-Apr-2003	So in my indoor "pond" has an AC 300 and a powerhead (believe its a 702) running. I have a sponge over the intake of the powerhead, but I don't run it 24/7. Does this kill off any bacteria that is on the sponge? If so does the dead bacteria cause any adverse effects? T'anks in advance . ^_^
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
Callatya Moderator The girl's got crabs! Posts: 9662 Kudos: 5261 Registered: 16-Sep-2001	its probably not as oxygenated, so the lack of oxygen might cause some dieback, but i shouldnt think it would be that dramatic, i mean, the water is still circulating around the sponge yeah? For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
Babelfish Administrator Small Fry with Ketchup Posts: 6833 Kudos: 8324 Votes: 1570 Registered: 17-Apr-2003	Indeed it is Callatya, I'm not turning off all the filtration (), just the additional current....Wanted to know for sure though . ^_^
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
garyroland ---Prime Fish--- Posts: 7878 Kudos: 4010 Votes: 103 Registered: 31-Dec-2001	Anytime one reduces or stops the flow of oxygenated water over a media populated with aerobic bacteria a dieback occurs... It's no different than reducing or stopping the flow of water over an undergravel filter. The aerobic bacteria populating the gravel and responsible for maintaining a well-balanced tank always suffer. When aerobic bacteria are denied oxygen, a transition to anaerobic bacteria takes place. --garyroland.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
Babelfish Administrator Small Fry with Ketchup Posts: 6833 Kudos: 8324 Votes: 1570 Registered: 17-Apr-2003	When aerobic bacteria are denied oxygen, a transition to anaerobic bacteria takes place. Interesting, as I'd been told that the two are actually different forms of bacteria and one is not the same as the other, nor did one turn into the other. The question that remains I suppose, is how long does it take for anerobic bacteria to form. Hours, days, weeks ? ^_^
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
Silverlight Enthusiast Posts: 212 Kudos: 396 Votes: 43 Registered: 04-Jul-2004	They aren't forms of the same thing and they don't turn into each other. They are in fact totally different species. But anaerobic bacteria tend to do badly in the presence of oxygen, possibly because of resource/space competition from aerobic bacteria. So if part of an established tank goes anaerobic, the aerobic bacteria will die off and leave room for anaerobic bacteria.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
garyroland ---Prime Fish--- Posts: 7878 Kudos: 4010 Votes: 103 Registered: 31-Dec-2001	Aerobic bacteria cannot live without oxygen flowing over them... Anaerobic bacteria cannot live with oxygen flowing over them. The transition is a matter of slow formation over a period of time determined by several factors. Because the micro-organisms form rather rapidly in the absence of oxygen it's thought the bacteria are a morph of aerobic bacteria. I had papers on this but they remain hidden somewhere. Your sponge, being small, will have no affect on the tank bacteria. --garyroland.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19
Babelfish Administrator Small Fry with Ketchup Posts: 6833 Kudos: 8324 Votes: 1570 Registered: 17-Apr-2003	T'anks for the clarifications...considering how small the sponge is, 2"x2"x4" max, it'll be okay to leave it off for a few hours or days even? ^_^
Posted 26-Jan-2006 11:19


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