Dosing Bacteria To a Mature Reef - Does it Help?

In this video I discuss the bacteria dosing experiment I started about a year ago. Did it help my mature reef tanks?
---ReefBum's Fresh Cut SPS Frags---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---ReefBum's WYSIWYG Frags---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---ReefBum's LPS Frags---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---Sign up for my newsletter and save 15% on one order of frags!---
reefbum.com/newsletter/
---Reef Octopus Calcium and Kalk Reactors---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---GHL ION Directors/Profilux 4 Controllers/Dosers/KH Directors---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---GHL Mitras---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
----Royal Exclusiv Pumps, Skimmers & Dreamboxes
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---Pax Bellum ARID Algae Reactors---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---Reef Brite Halides & LED's---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---Maxspect & IceCap Gyre Pumps---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---iConsult: Advice on Setting Up a New Tank or Re-configuring a Current Tank---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
---Reef Keeping Master Class---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
-Tutorial on how to live stream to either Facebook or KZbin with a DSLR, GoPro or camcorder-
reefbum.com/photography-video...
---ReefBum Book---
reefbum.com/book/
---ReefBum Merch---
reefbum.com/product-category/...
--------Camera Used To Shoot This Video------
Sony A7 iii
amzn.to/2ALhU38
----Gimbal----
Zhiyun Crane
amzn.to/2RyF9mr
------Lenses Used to Shoot Video-----
Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro Lens
amzn.to/2D041j2
Sony FE 24-70mm F4
amzn.to/2JBRraV
----Video Editing Software----
This VIDEO was EDITED with Adobe Premiere Elements on a Mac.
amzn.to/2PIfpXw
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!
#reefbum #reefbumfragchannel #spsdeepdive #spscorals #spsfrags

[@flippersreef]

I'm still a believer in dosing bacteria. Same results as you.

[@ReefDork]

Interesting stuff. Have you done or do you plan to do a micro bionics test?

[@ReefBum]

I have actually done 3 tests. One before the reboot, one after and one for the 100g Rubbermaid tub with the CaribSea Life Rock. My goal is to see how the microbiome changed, if at all. Still waiting on the results.

[@pjshooter6]

Reefbrite liverock enhance and reef enhance are great bacteria dosing products.

[@JeepinReefer406]

Those 2 products have been life savers over the past year of reefing for me.. They, along with careful nutrient control have worked wonders.

[@sayurasem]

6:02 Chris from ACI explained that skimmer does pull out bacteria, dead bacteria. Chris mentioned it during Melev’s Reef stream at 1:44:25 mark.

[@ReefBum]

I will have to ask Chris about that when I have him on my live stream again next week

[@terrencerichardson839]

I'd suggest it does help. You also need to factor in how much live rock you have for the size of your tank. I do believe that it was key for me going to a bare bottom tank from a live sand bottom. The real issue is that there is no real way for a hobbyist to distinguish the best product or manufacturer of bacteria strains. I'd say mix up tye best know brands and dose small amounts every few days. For my money, Rock Enhance seemed to work better than the premixed ones.

[@northeastcorals]

I'm still waiting on some sort of probiotic additive to balance the microbiome, unfortunately I can't see it coming any time soon.

[@Mcappo]

Not sure if I was dosing wrong or what happened but I had green cyano outbreak. Just like vibrant I had red cyano. Did a ChemiClean reboot cleared it all out and think I’m done with dosing bacteria. I was only doing half the recommended dosing.

[@JamesJones-tu4pq]

So your not using the product as directed and yiur disappointed in the results?

[@Mcappo]

@@JamesJones-tu4pq well one who said I was disappointed, and two who said I wasn’t dosing as directed? I’m saying every time I dose bacteria in my system I have an outbreak of cyano. Some people see some sort of positive results some people don’t. I don’t so I don’t dose bacteria.

[@joewaddle3399]

Do you or have you considered dosing live phyto? I had a small cyano issue once, started dosing live phyto. I have not had an issue since.

[@ReefBum]

I have not but have heard others like it….thanks for the info

[@tonyroma1161]

Live phyto is the best thing to add to your reef...

[@so_so_reef]

One caveat to dosing bacteria is that it can tank your pH. I find microbacter doesn’t have a major impact but Dr Tim’s causes my pH to drop a LOT, so I don’t really like using it. But that makes me think maybe the Dr Tim’s is more “alive” or concentrated.

[@PazLeBon]

Depends what is in the tank already. if its low and they will be beneficial then yes, but if you dont need it cos maybe already slightly high in one then it might crash your tank. I guess thats commons sense tho really. so if we dont know or even understand the numbers we cant know, we're just chancers :)

[@opethmike]

How could bacteria possibly crash a tank?

[@PazLeBon]

@@opethmike ?what do you think a crash is?

[@opethmike]

@@PazLeBon Please go ahead and explain how bacteria can crash a tank. Second time asking.

[@PazLeBon]

@@opethmike lmao sorry dad but idont relly care ifi ts the 25thtime. leearn what a crash actually is and you might understand

[@opethmike]

@@PazLeBon 'Crash' can mean many, many things. You aren't actually saying anything, and you have nothing to back up your initial BS statement. Hence your defensiveness.

[@tomg5405]

Why not Just dosing carbon for increase bacteria?

[@bluereef9530]

The only problem I see with your theroy.The bacteria your adding is different from the bacteria pulling from your skimmer. To me that bacteria is in water column. Bacteria in a bottle grows on surfaces in sand and rocks. It's good for new tanks to help cycle nitrites. I agree they lower nutrients too. I would suggest turning your skimmer off for a few hours a day to see if cyano goes away.

[@ReefBum]

It would be great to see more data on what you are saying here. Which bacteria are in the water column vs. the rock and sand?

[@hurricaneaquatics]

@@ReefBum same bacteria, just extrely small amount, it isn't different. That's why you leave your UV off so that you don't kill any of the recently bacteria that you added. Once the bacteria is able to populate and replicate through the media surfaces (rock, ceramic media, etc) then hardly any remain in the water column. You can then turn on your skimmer and your UV as the bacteria doesn't live in the water column. Bacteria is constantly replicating and dying, that's just the cycle of bacteria. If you add nitrifying bacteria or other bacteria, it's a must to have a good source of ceramic media. Rock and a sand take much longer to establish.

[@knasereddin]

Hi Keith big fan why not to run chiemclean for 48 hours and all the cyano will disappear

[@ReefBum]

I hesitate to use an algaecide since it is not clear to me the impact on the good guy bacteria.

[@Messier87_M87]

I got a massive outbreak of dinoflagellates after using chemiclean. The outbreak was so bad I began to lose corals and the cyano came back even worse. It’s been 3 long years of dealing with the dinoflagellates and cyano, but I refused to throw in the towel. I have just recently got my tank back to a state of homeostasis after receiving some help from a local Reefer, who has been a mentor to me. I have used chemiclean in the past with good luck, but for whatever reason the last time I used it, I got the Dino outbreak.

[@fostee1]

Dosing these bacteria to lower nutrients is essentially the same as dosing vinegar to increase the carbon-limited bacteria population. And vinegar is waayyyy cheaper. You had healthy corals before and after this trial.

[@ReefBum]

I would never carbon dose….not for me since I see it as too risky. As I mentioned in the video, bacteria dosing has nearly eliminated all problematic green algae in my system. And it has allowed me to ditch chaeto. Big pluses IMO to continue doing what I am doing.

[@fostee1]

@@ReefBum sorry but your logic is flawed. Problematic algae require phosphate and nitrate. Bacteria in a bottle lowers nitrate and possibly phosphate. Carbon dosing grows bacteria in your system which in turn lowers nitrate and phosphate. Skimmer removes bacteria. It’s the same thing my friend. A bottle of vinegar is $2. I guarantee if you stop dosing the bacteria in a bottle the same thing would happen if you stop dosing vinegar. Gonna see cyano and other uglies because you’ve created an imbalance. If you over dose vinegar or bacteria in a bottle you would also have similar findings. Just food for thought. A successful reef does not require frequent additions of unknown species of bacteria. I like your experiment and content, but need to point out the other side of the story. Cheers

[@ReefBum]

@@fostee1 IMO, carbon dosing is too risky and something I have stayed away from. Of course algae is driven by nutrients and an imbalance

[@insanity4224]

@@fostee1 the difference between dosing vinegar to increase bacteria and dosing bottled bacteria is that vinegar grows ALL existing bacteria including potentially bad ones whereas dosing Micro Bacter 7 for example is increasing selected strains of just beneficial bacteria. Keith’s logic is not flawed, you just didn’t pick up on it. Otherwise I agree with the rest of what you said. I personally dose bacteria as well as vodka/vinegar to boost the numbers of good bacteria, my system is heavily stocked with fish.

[@insanity4224]

@@ReefBum may I ask what you consider the risks to be?

[@StubbyAcro]

So it’s just like carbon dosing

[@ReefBum]

Carbon dosing will accelerate bacteria growth. It is not for me….I see it has too risky if you do too much and tank nutrients.

[@insanity4224]

No because carbon dosing increases all bacteria (good, bad and ugly). Bottled bacteria is beneficial strains.

[@bellacasa8416]

So many idk from this guy.. nothing conclusive from this video imho

[@ReefBum]

That’s the point dude, not a lot of data out there about the effectiveness of this stuff. I am going off of observations, not concrete info. That’s the problem on YT and social media in general, too many creators are jumping to conclusions without the ability to back up those statements.

[@Botzz28]

Been fighting Dino’s for over a year .. bacteria doesn’t work it’s all a scam I think. Ever since the hobby went into the dry rock direction for starting a tank the bacteria products really benefited big time. Been in the hobby for 8 years had successful tanks. My newest tank was started with dry rock for the first time ever. Biggest mistake of my life. I’ll never start with dry rock ever again.

[@andrewgutt276]

First time Reefer here been doing it for 9months. I started my tank with 100% cycled rock and had my salt water ready for it. Rock scape was ugly but man have I avoided all these algae problems. In the future I’ll just plan better my rock scape. However I have rebuilt in tank 4 times and am happy with it now lol

[@daftgowk1]

I had similar with dry rock and a long cycle of issues,but i did find that a lot of manual filtering along with some dr tims refresh and waste away and i got on top of the dinos. His bacteria did seem to make a difference, even if it was only to reinforce bacterial load and get things back on track. Think my dinos and then digitat hydroid issue was caused by using NoPox, never again!

[@CLifemusic]

I have some bacter 7,I have a fresh water tank....the fish store sold me some..I don't know when to use it .I have a new tank. 1 month in,according to the water test..it's cycled...when do I use the bacter 7?? So is this live bacteria in here like friz zyme 7?

[@JoeKoors]

Works well for me.