Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm curious . . . does anyone know the scientific name and common name of the bacteria in an aquaponics system?
Cheers

Nitrosomonas and nitrobacter. Just had to ask.

Which ones - nitrobacter and nitrosomonos are the ones often quoted, but the reality is that there are more than these performing the nitrification process. Will give you a start though if you are googling.

Beat me by a whisker faye

Great minds think alike, so they say! :

Download the first edition of the mag Mitch, there's some great info in there about bacteria..

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/magazine.html

(bottom of the page)

Should of known Faye would be the first one with the answer!!!
Thankyou for the quick response!!!
Cheers Joel I'll check that out

If you are interested in this the generic name for the above are autotrophs, the other significant bacteria type you will find in an AP system are the heterotrophs (in excess the ones we usually have problems with)
The other sub classification you should check, and this just relates to the requirement for O2, are aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria.

Then when you've read the years and tomes of information available on nitrobacter and nitrosomonos ... and the nitrogen cycle....

Then read the latest research on nitrospira.... that suggests that the whole, almost universally accepted view.... is wrong......

I bow to our new nitrospira overlords

i need some of these guys i think my nitrite is still at 2

Why?

from the encyclopedia britannica (right click convert to pdf) if you stay too long they want you to pay monthly fees
l nitrification process ( in nitrifying bacterium )
...to nitrites (Nitrosomonas, Nitrosospira, Nitrosococcus, and Nitrosolobus) and bacteria that convert nitrites (toxic to plants) to nitrates
(Nitrobacter, Nitrospina, and Nitrococcus). In agriculture, irrigation with dilute solutions of ammonia results in an increase in soil nitrates through
the action of nitrifying bacteria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrifying_bacteria

this link tells which ones are from soils and water

Nitrifying bacteria that oxidize ammonia (nitrosifyers)

Characteristics Genus Phylogenetic group DNA (mol% GC) Habitats
Gram-negative short to long rods, motile (polar flagella)or nonmotile; Nitrosomonas Beta 45-53 Soil, Sewage,
peripheral membrane systems Freshwater, Marine

Large cocci, motile, vesicular or peripheral membranes Nitrosococcus Gamma 49-50 Freshwater, Marine
Spirals, motile (peritrichous flagella); no obvious membrane system Nitrosospira Beta 54 Soil
Pleomorphic, lobular, compartmented cells; motile (peritrichous flagella) Nitrosolobus Beta 54 Soil



Nitrifying bacteria that oxidize nitrite

Characteristics Genus Phylogenetic group DNA (mol% GC) Habitats
Short rods, reproduce by budding, occasionally motile (single subterminal flagella) Nitrobacter Alpha 59-62 Soil, Freshwater, Marine
or non-motile; membrane system arranged as a polar cap
Long, slender rods, nonmotile, no obvious membrane system Nitrospina Delta 58 Marine
Large Cocci, motile (one or two subterminal flagellum) membrane Nitrococcus Gamma 61 Marine
system randomly arranged in tubes
Helical to vibroid-shaped cells; nonmotile; no internal membranes Nitrospira Nitrospirae 50 Marine, Soil