Some bacteria can be beneficial to your fish tank, such as cleaning bacteria and nitrifying bacteria. If your tank is not thriving, it may be because it does not have enough beneficial bacteria.
Adding certain things to your tank can kill bacteria or help it thrive. API General Cure does not kill beneficial bacteria. This article provides more detail about API General Cure and beneficial bacteria in your tank.
Does API General Cure kill beneficial bacteria?
API General Cure does not kill beneficial bacteria. The same is true for Seachem Paraguard and Tetra Parasite Guard.
Most fungus treatments such as Minocycline, Kanamycin, Nitrofurazone, and Furazolidone also will not kill beneficial bacteria.
Medications like Tetracyclines and Erythromycin do kill beneficial bacteria. You must be careful about what you add to your tank. If you are not sure about adding something to your tank, research it before you add it.
Should I add API General Cure to my tank?
API General Cure is used to kill potential parasites and treat diseases. API General Cure is safe for beneficial bacteria and will not disrupt the biological filter of your aquarium.
If you are worried about it harming your aquarium creatures or beneficial bacteria levels, you can use half the recommended dose for twice as long. API General Cure is safe for use for any aquarium creature, including turtles, snails, and fish.
Why does an aquarium need beneficial bacteria?
Aquariums need beneficial bacteria to remain healthy and balanced. Beneficial bacteria break down dead plant material, fish waste, and other debris in your tank.
Beneficial bacteria allows your tank’s water to stay clear while preventing the build-up of toxic ammonia and nitrate.
How do I add beneficial bacteria to my aquarium?
You can add beneficial bacteria to your aquarium by adding an ammonia source to your tank while running the filter. This will create the condition necessary for bacteria to flourish.
Oxygen-loving bacteria will flourish in the aquarium filter. This is a great way to keep your tank healthy and clean.
You can also add certain products to your tank to add beneficial bacteria. Products like API QuickStart, SeaChem Stability, and Fluval Bio Enhancer contain nitrifying bacteria. Adding these to your tank will promote the nitrogen cycle and the growth of beneficial bacteria.
What are the best products to add to a tank to promote beneficial bacteria growth?
Products like API Stress Zyme, SeaChem Stress Guard, and Fluval Biological Cleaner claim to have bacteria in their products. This bacteria is not nitrifying bacteria. It is “sludge-eating” bacteria.
These types of products are good to add to your tank for general tank maintenance and clean-up. They get rid of sludge from your tank by adding cleaning bacteria to consume algae, fish waste, uneaten food, and other sludge matter in your tank. These products do not include nitrifying bacteria, so they will not help increase the nitrogen cycle in your tank.
However, products that contain cleaning bacteria such as SeaChem Stress Guard and Fluval Biological Cleaner help nitrifying bacteria by getting rid of sludge. Because the sludge needs oxygen, it is starving beneficial bacteria of the oxygen it needs. Therefore, adding cleaning bacteria will help nitrifying bacteria thrive.
The products that do contain nitrifying bacteria include: API QuickStart, SeaChem Stability, and Fluval Bio Enhancer.
Adding both kinds of products to your tank can be beneficial and help with general tank maintenance. Bacter Gen-F contains both cleaning bacteria and nitrifying bacteria, making it a great choice to add to your tank.
How can I promote beneficial bacteria growth?
To speed up bacterial growth in your tank, there are several things you can do. First, you can add filter media from an established tank. This will help speed up the nitrogen cycle in your tank. To do this, run a new filter on an established tank for a few weeks. Then install that filter in your new tank.
Another thing you can do to promote beneficial bacteria growth is increasing the temperature of your water. Bacteria grow faster at higher temperatures. Keep your filter running to help beneficial bacteria thrive.
Increasing your tank’s oxygen levels will also promote bacteria growth. Increased oxygen concentration increases beneficial bacteria in your aquarium. An easy way to increase the oxygen level is to add an air pump. This will also help stabilize your aquarium’s pH levels.
Another easy way to promote beneficial bacteria growth is to turn off the lights. Beneficial bacteria thrive in the dark. You don’t have to keep the light off all the time, just make sure your lights are turned off some of the time to speed up the nitrogen cycle.
How do I know if my tank has enough beneficial bacteria?
Beneficial bacteria is what keeps your water clear. If your water keeps its clarity without you having to clean your tank very often, it probably has a good amount of beneficial bacteria.
Beneficial bacteria also help with the nitrogen cycle of your tank. If your tank has a healthy nitrogen cycle, you have enough beneficial bacteria.
How long until beneficial bacteria start to grow in my aquarium?
It can take up to six weeks for beneficial bacteria to grow in a brand-new aquarium. It takes time for bacteria to get established in a tank. Be patient when starting a new tank and don’t do drastic things to try to increase bacteria growth.
Why isn’t there any beneficial bacteria in my tank?
One reason your tank does not have a lot of beneficial bacteria is that it may be over-cleaned. If you vacuum your tank and scrub down each item in your tank too often, you can end up accidentally killing the beneficial bacteria, especially in smaller tanks. The tank cycling process has to start over each time you clean your aquarium.
Some medication that you add to your tank can also be killing your beneficial bacteria. If you are not sure about adding something to your tank, look it up and see if it is safe for your tank.
If you are concerned about adding API General Cure to your tank, you don’t have to worry. It is safe for your tank’s creatures as well as bacteria. It will not kill the beneficial bacteria in your tank.
If you are concerned about the beneficial bacteria in your tank, there are things you can do and products you can add to your tank to help the bacteria thrive.
