Dr. Tim Hovanec: How to harness bacteria to cycle your saltwater tank quickly! | MACNA 2019

➡ New talks added each week! MACNA 2019 Playlist : brs.li/BRStv_MACNA_2019
➡ R2R Link : www.reef2reef.com/threads/dr-...
Dr. Timothy A. Hovanec is passionate on merging his love of fishkeeping with science. Dr. Tim got his first aquarium at age 6 with two goldfish he had won at a school fair. Responding to the pleas of help, his uncle brought over an extra tank from his dentist office and showed Dr. Tim the basics.
In not too many years, with the garage full of aquariums and visions from The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau in his head, Dr. Tim was determined to become a marine biologist. Possessing a major amount of curiosity and a love of reading, plus mentoring from some teachers, science came easy. Obtaining advanced degrees in the science of keeping fish was just the logical result of a boy’s dreams. Dr. Tim’s research was on the phylogenetics of nitrifying bacteria in aquaria and Mono Lake, CA and he continues to research the microbial pathways of closed aquatic systems and to develop ‘green’ products for the aquarium industry.
Previously, Dr. Hovanec was the Chief Science Officer for Marineland Aquarium Products and Instant Ocean where he discovered many novel species of nitrifying bacteria and developed several unique industry leading products. Other past work experience includes managing an aquaculture facility and US Peace Corps volunteer. Dr. Hovanec holds over 13 U.S. and foreign patents and has authored numerous papers on aquatic microbiology, water quality and filtration techniques for closed system life-support systems. Dr. Hovanec regularly speaks at national and international conferences and is a member of numerous scientific organizations.
Dr Timothy Hovanec is the Founder and CEO of DrTim’s Aquatics.
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The content contained in this video is general information on the topic and should not be relied upon as your sole source of information or safety advice for this project or topic. Each product or situation is different and has its own concerns related to successful completion and safety that must be fully researched by the individual considering the project or product.
The purpose and content of this video is to provide general information regarding the products and their applications as presented in the video. Aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents disclaim all express or implied warranties, in any way, related to the products and their application as presented in this video, make no representation or warranty regarding the products and the application as presented in this video and shall not be liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages of any type, including but not limited to punitive damages, or from personal injury or death resulting from or in any manner related to the video, and the products in and contents of the video. The viewer expressly agrees that aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents shall not be liable for any damages or losses related to the products in and content of the video and hereby agrees to hold the foregoing harmless from any such losses or damages.

[@LeeGrill]

I just burnt a pizza in the oven watching this. Wow! A whole new level of appreciation for Dr. Tim's products.

[@AH-tw4wy]

Probably the best talk of this series, no nonsense, very informative and in language most reef keepers can understand easily.

[@ReefStash]

A H agree!

[@freemansaquatics5326]

Agreed man it clicked with me very well

[@wilsonline90]

agree so far it is

[@gasprops]

Great info

[@lynnreefnerd]

agreed

[@mazroxeternal6047]

OMG Anyone looking to start a reef tank needs to watch this !! Understanding how it all works is really important and there were some real surprises here. Thanks so much :)

[@scotttang6229]

Woah, this is why I love the reef keeping hobby! There's always new things to learn even after 10 years of reefing.

[@rusty8735]

Anyone who owns an aquarium should watch this video probably one of the most important aquarium keeping videos I’ve ever seen on KZbin

[@jacklawer6389]

Learned a lot

[@megadeth1763]

Dr Tim. . You've got a new customer, and thank you !

[@quintin-johnsmith8363]

Very interesting

[@timothydillard9507]

Ryan, you need to have Dr Tim on one of your “what’s up uuuuu-tube!” shows. I’d love to have him talk about your 360g tank, Bare vs Sandy bottom experiment

[@CrotalusHH]

This goes back the the beginning of my keeping aquariums. When I started 20 years ago I was told to go to someone with an established tank and get a scoop of sand. I also used bioballs back then. Wonderful talk.

[@NyteFryte]

Best advise I've seen and finally straight to the point!

[@aliceholbert1246]

Just set up new tank and came across this. Oh boy. Tank is cycling fast like this . Wow

[@Tilly1770]

I’ve been cycling a tank for an Axolotyl and it’s been hell! This video helped explain it all so much

[@detroithammer8869]

Wow, mind blown! thanks Dr Tim

[@edson.jerez1982]

These talks are fascinating!

[@TheClemo]

This Is The Best Presentation So Far

[@MrSikorskys]

The most educational video if this year MACNA. Please do more of Dr. Tims!

[@theloneaquarist]

Best presentation I’ve seen this year. So much relevant information.

[@hotdroper]

Awesome talk, short and sweet full of useful relevant information

[@banasophia]

Excellent presentation, thank you! Will be sharing!!

[@thepassionreef]

really very informative talk..Thanks Dr.Tim and Thank you BRS for posting this...

[@rahjelli]

Great presentation, really put the home aquarist in mind using the most basic layman's terms for us while still putting the science behind it. It's really a cant fail approach if you follow it. Thanks Dr. Tim and BRS for posting!

[@TBassJaps]

Awesome presentation. Thanks for sharing.

[@tomkran1]

What a legend!!! The best presentation i have ever seen. This was so educational. Thank you BRS for sharing this with us. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@amermeer3989]

Great topic for new and experienced. So much good information with real science to back it up. I think many experienced reefers have just learned a thing or two

[@freemansaquatics5326]

This clicked with my mind so well thank you Sir for the great talk :)

Great presentation. Thank you

[@timsawyer1311]

Excellent presentation. I'm currently cycling my new dry rock using Dr Tim's one and only and his ammonia drops. It has worked perfectly so far. Can't wait now for my new tank to be delivered ;-) Thanks for uploading BRS

[@bluerider0988]

Great video. Who thought I would be interested in a video about bacteria. Very interesting and informative. Thanks for sharing.

[@joseamaya1934]

Amazing!!! 👏👏👏 very informative presentation.

[@christophernunez6802]

F$$king facinating. Wish I could have heard this in 99 when I had my 300gal reef.

[@harlanmichael7088]

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@andres19877]

Enlightening!!!

[@ReefStash]

Excellent! 👍🤙

[@VipeRecon]

Thank you for the supergood advice... I have like NO3 around 100 for 2 years, some corals keep dying and I just dose vodka and bacteria just t block out the good stuff that need to grow... finally a good explanation how to correct my tank in the future :)

[@reinaldo1504]

great free knowledge, thx doc

[@istandwithisreal8883]

Thank you Dr. Tim’s such a helpful video I appreciate it

[@hoohaaa0]

BRS saving the best for last... Very informative, loved the fact he broke up the reason you want a specific strain over another. I wish he spent more time going into carbon dosing, but not relevant to an initial cycle.

[@trojon]

Dr Tims next time then... Shame - already bought Fritzyme 9 - but heard it's also good... Great talk. Reminds me of my first year biology classes.

[@DanBuell]

Brilliant! Why on earth all the thumbs downs?

[@wilsonline90]

Oh shit I should have seen this before!

[@Allbean]

Wish that I had watched this video before starting my cycle - was at 34ppm salinity with Dr. Tims and had chiller working at 25-26 degrees Celsius . ;( slower cycle im guessing.

[@Jel0XD]

I was stomped on the marine pure/bright well like media. I thought it was a consensus that they're the most effective type.

[@dannycastaneda1974]

I've listened to this several times now to get a firm grasp of the concepts. This last time, he made me think of this. He says the bacteria don't need to be fed 3 times a day like humans but also says it's better if you dose smaller amounts of ammonia several times a day. Why not spread the dose out into several smaller doses? Like humans, it's better to eat several smaller meals than three large meals a day .

[@ReRe-yl6dq]

Did anyone hear if he said anything about the time period for the cycle to take? How long do we leave the tank fishless, high heat, low salinity?

[@dadehyowroquid9805]

Who can give me a whole package of salt water tank this christmas....

[@leoL3383]

Great presentation. But a bit confused as Dr. Tim said that bacteria doesn't live in the water, but his bacteria comes in liquid form and no live rock , or other surface other than the bottle.

[@alexisramos9064]

Also curious on this. How is it harvested exactly to package lol

[@taryndeclyn1474]

Dr. Tim. - please come over to my house and provide one on one consultation so I construct the most efficient and stable bio filter! You’re a master! Awesome presentation!!!!

[@salty_systems]

I would be innersted in how much halogenes like F,Br and iodine influenche the growth of beneficial bacteria in a reef tank

[@juliandiaz44]

So do we need to measure ammonia and Nitrite lower than 5ppm per 1 liter aquarium water? or something else?

[@DougFL66]

Mine is ammonia green but lowering now. Nitrite is purple to pink. Ph is 7.8 not sure how to raise that. Nitrate has a reading now as Amber 20. I’m on the 7th day.

[@Mikez-nh7jj]

If I change a water to lower salinity, did I have to get more Ammonium Chloride?

[@ticklebrown1028]

Lots of good jokes here that went over the audiences heads

[@freemansaquatics5326]

Speaking of stress keeping tanks someone demolished a power pole last sunday and left us without power for 14 hours i woke up because the transformers blew and homedepot wasnt going to open for 6 hours it was a super stressful...long story short a 700$ generator was purchased ASAP that day now i have no worries...to anyone who has tanks and you dont have a generator GET ONE!

[@Robocopter_fpv]

They sell big battery packs now a day. Might be cheaper then a generator if you wanna just power your tank. They have pass thru so they turn on automatically.

[@freemansaquatics5326]

@@Robocopter_fpv i want the ability to become my own power plant for days if i have too...but i hear ya...take care :)

[@freemansaquatics5326]

@@Robocopter_fpv and i have 7 tanks :/ the generator was cheaper for me and i was able to run my fridge/old 50inch tv/my ps4...cant beat it and next time a ice storm knocks the power out ill be set ;)

[@JasonGerrish1]

Back in the 80s / 90s...under gravel filters were considered the best... water flow forced through the massive gravel bed. It was cheap plastic grates under the gravel with 1 or 2 power heads. Think of the surface area (with good water flow) for all this bacteria growth. Why did the industry get away from that filtration approach? I hope it wasn't to sell more expensive filter equipment.

[@DougFL66]

What do I take out of my canister filter to start this fishless cycle??? Sponges and carbon socks? Just leave ceramics????? I don’t have a power head yet

[@briandixon4931]

Substrate wins 🏆

[@nhall00195]

Nice he works in metric like the rest of the world 😁

[@bibabuzemann]

Very interesting talk! Anyone knows how to get Ammonium Chloride in Germany or EU?

[@federicomanglavite9897]

I got it from eBay, or amazon.com. They have "amazon global" shipping"

[@johnravelo6321]

Can I add de tims to my half cycled aquarium? To speed things up?

[@BRStv]

It certainly wouldn't hurt.

[@bluebastion]

Well my heater on my tank was just adjusted to 84 degrees.

[@dannycastaneda1974]

I had mine at 85° for a few weeks and am now ramping it down to about 78°, a few degrees each day. Dr Tim didn't mention ramping up the salinity . I was thinking of topping off with high salinity water to bring up to 1.025 from 1.015. Not sure how high or how fast . No fish yet. Only live sand and live rock. Nitrate still takes 2 days to go to 0 but ammonia seems to drop to less than .25 in one day after adding ammonia .

[@robg915]

How long before the nitrite spike comes down? I did several water changes and I haven't added ammonia in 5 days still sky high nitrites.

[@BRStv]

The tricky part about the nitrogen cycle is that it's hard to get that final transition from nitrates to nitrogen gas to happen. Water changes will only work in a substantial way if they're larger (30-50%). One piece of advice that was pretty eye opening for me is that a 10% water change still leaves behind 90% of the problem. Alternatively, if your tank is fully cycled, you could consider starting up a refugium.

[@manuelegarzelli647]

hi I would like to use the method of dr. Tim to start my aquarium, in Italy the kits do not arrive so I will use simple ammonia purchased in a supermarket and bacteria, the method foresees a salinity of 20, can I still insert live rocks?

[@BRStv]

You can absolutely use live rocks if you wish 😃

[@manuelegarzelli647]

@@BRStv ok, i thought that live rocks being in water at salinity 35, starting them in water at 20 as suggested by dr. Tim, the bacteria they contained died. ok then I insert them and we hope to have a good maturation. Thanks for your suggestions

[@SuperMeerkat]

I have a question. Lets say you start a sterile process with dry rock and you mix your own salt. And dont seed the tank with a friends sand or rock. Where do these bacteria come from. Because after a while the tank will cycle.. it will take way longer without seeding but it will happen. Where are there bacteria coming from?

[@rodaempat1223]

whats the conclusion? i just dont get it :(

[@rja9784]

Good grief! This is far more educational from anything BRS offers. This is second level chemistry collegiate information. Thank you for this information!

[@Trenton.D]

This is actually more like high school chemistry.

[@Kungpaoshizzi]

Take that forum naysayers! :P I had to say it...

[@shannontan6216]

he didnt mention about the PH levels best suited for the bacteria to grow

[@dannycastaneda1974]

Not here , but on his website mentions doing a water change if pH drops below 7

[@dannycastaneda1974]

So how would we go about increasing salinity over 2 to 4 days, to say 1.025 from 1.015 after cycling and before adding fish? I am not losing enough water to evaporation. How much extra salinity would I add to water change water?

[@BRStv]

Check out this awesome water change/salinity change calculator 🙂 www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/TargetSalinity.php

[@dannycastaneda1974]

Ha! You are awesome. I found that! Too

[@dannycastaneda1974]

I also figured, I could add what amount of salt I didn't mix into the 1.015 solution that I began with... 5 gallons of water to 1.75 cups instead of 2.5 cups for 1.025 target solution. So for every 5 gallons I would add 1.75 cups. Split up into two waterchanges.

[@scatpack1381]

What happens if you pour this in without fish and without lowering the salinity. Will it still work but take longer to cycle?

[@BRStv]

That's correct. It'll just take a bit longer

[@scatpack1381]

@@BRStv thanks 👍

[@cairnsreefer4658]

Hi

[@trojon]

Merely a year later, common consensus is just to buy the bacteria and pour it in haha

[@joenewman6494]

Ya Dr. Tim now sells it in a bottle 🤣

[@NRG-ds5hc]

so whats the concrete advice for cycling now? - lights off and PSU 25? Am i right?

[@jyliang1917]

equation not balanced?

[@TheYear-dm9op]

Well, he's a biologist ;D

[@isoaqua5825]

SCIENCE BITCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@brickhunter9537]

After using Dr Tims and Dr Tim’s ammonia, day 20 and nothing is happening 🙄

[@BRStv]

You're not seeing any ammonia build up, or you aren't seeing the ammonia come down? If you aren't seeing any ammonia build up, but are adding ammonia, that could actually be a very good thing and mean your tank is cycled.

[@brickhunter9537]

@@BRStv ammonia has started out 2ppm but after day 7 it dropped to 1ppm. Nitrite is been sitting at 1.0 and nitrate has also been sitting at 20 with out change since day one. I’m 20 days in.

[@thebeigesheep6132]

@@brickhunter9537 whatever happened? Did it straighten out?

[@brickhunter9537]

@@thebeigesheep6132 i gave up on Dr Tim, after hearing from others who had same issues as me using Dr Tim. I dosed Microbacter Start XLM, it’s been 10 days and my tanks is cycling. Ammonia dropped to zero, Nitrate at 50 and Nitrate is 80

[@plaidjoker1321]

This man is fucking hilarious and nobody is cracking a laugh. I hope the mic just isnt picking it up.

[@jacklawer6389]

What do u mean ??

[@plaidjoker1321]

@@jacklawer6389 I watched this a long time ago... But in the short bit I watched, he cracked a joke about about reading his paper and curing insomnia.

[@harlemscarlet]

I can't be the only one with a headache after watching this🤦🏽‍♀️. He's very knowledgeable and I'll buy the products from this point forward based on that alone, however, it's all Greek to me and I CAN'T be the only one🤷🏾‍♀️

[@BRStv]

This is definitely more than the average hobbyist really needs to know. It's ok if not all of it made sense 🙂

[@bunzgaming7416]

First?