Bacteria/Unicellular organisms and plant growth

[JoeBanks]

I've been reading through some issues of Aqua Journal magazine that I received recently, and they seem to repeatedly mention the importance of the establishment of bacterial and protozoan colonies for proper plant growth. One section even states that when you see your plants budding, you'll know that the cultures have been properly established.

How are they relating these two things together? I was not aware of any direct correlation between the two.

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Bacteria/Unicellular organisms and plant growth

I do not think there is a correlation.
Good bacterial cycling is not present in sterile hydroponic culture nor tissue culture, clearly there is optimal budding and growth for aquatic plants.
Similarly, you can do the same thing with a new tank, but by the time the plants settle in, so has the bacteria. So that's a poor indicator.
Likewise, take well established healthy plant cuttings and add them to an otherwise new sterile tank, they bud raidly and quickly.

If it's speculation, they should say so and support their reasoning.
AJ is very bad about that. Good pictures and scaping, but poor on other things.

Adding mulm does help the cycling, this can reduce algae spore germination.
There is correlation there.


Regards,
Tom Barr