# Are bacterial cultures needed in a planted tank?



## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

When I started following the methods of dosing macros and start seeing consumpion of them I supposed that my filter contained no bacterial cultures since NH4 is more preferable to plants thab no3(at least that is what we were told)so the beneficial bacteria had nothing to live on.So since then I stopped adding bacterial cultures since I believed that the nitrogen cycle was working 'anticlockwise'!.After I read a thread by plantbrain suggesting to add mulm in newly set up tanks I considered the fact that any NH4 in tank might stay long enough to produce algae if not consumed by microrganisms.
So last night i dosed some bacteria to the tank.
I'll be waiting for some oppinions....
Thanks

PS:I have no idea what mulm is but i believe has something to do with bacteria in an established tank...


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

Anafranil said:


> So last night i dosed some bacteria to the tank.
> I'll be waiting for some oppinions....
> Thanks


I don't think you need to dose bacteria unless you are just starting up a tank and need to get them established.



> PS:I have no idea what mulm is but i believe has something to do with bacteria in an established tank


I think mulm is the detritus that settles out on the bottom of the tank. It is what folks are vacuuming up with their syphon gravel vacs. I would assume that you are correct in assuming that it is rich in bacteria and this is why Tom and others use it in new tanks.

Hope that helps, Bill


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## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

It is 5 months old tank but have never dosed bacteria before,don't know if they can be established by their own in 5 months


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

Anafranil said:


> It is 5 months old tank but have never dosed bacteria before,don't know if they can be established by their own in 5 months


Five months is more than enough time in a regular fish and plants aquarium. You probably already have plenty of mulm and you didn't even know what it was. Bacteria establish themselves but folks dose at the very beginning to establish them more quickly. Unless you are having some particular problem you should be all set.

Bill


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

IME there is no need to ever cycle a planted tank. If you start off planting heavily (which you should be) then there is nothing to worry about.


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## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

That's what I thought too, thanks.


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