Importance of bacteria for immune system
 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0916122214.htm

This link deals with human anatamy immune system health tied in to gut cavity. It discribes crosstalk between gut bacteria and immune systyem bacteria that self regulates immune system response. Smart bactertia.

Randy Holmes Farley discribes an auto feedback loop between cynobacteria and the processing of orghanic phosphate into inorganic phosphate which is uptaken by cyno. Smart bacteria.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286716/

This peer reviewed rersearch paper discribes the coral holobiont which is a holistic view of the health of our reerfs. In fact, skewed bacteria species happened well in advance of declining reef health.

What can we do to promote healthy immune systems in our fish. We should feed them live food with the largest gut cavity possible. I go to the HEB seafood counter and buy live clams, mussels and oysters.

The fish love it.

PaulB was a big proponent of this, I tend to agree.

Any time I make ex-large shrimp that need to be devained I save that and the little strip of meat that comes with it for the fish, this does not happen as often as I would like. They always get a clam when I have one but I have found they do not like mussels much. The oysters are mine as they cost way too much.

Feed the fish the left overs.
 

Paul and I have talked extensively about the need for live food. He has made a convert out of me. I don't think that the seafood that has died is the same as live mollusk.

Two weeks ago, I was in his neck of the woods and went claming in Long Island Sound with my two brothers. Envision three Cajuns, bare footed with their toes in the sand. It was a blast.

I am in the process of turning off the lights on my mud/macro refugium to convert it to a cryptic zone. I will grow sponges and pods to recycle nutrients and feed the tank.

I could say that differrenty. The nutrient sink in my refugium will be sponges and pods.

I feed live earthworms from the compost heap.

Although one of the healthiest food sources and gut loaded with bacteria, since they are terrestrial I like to err a bit on the side of caution and just feed them once a week. I can say it makes for some 'happy', healthy and long lived little fish!

Ralph.

starfish?

I feed live clams everyday, but my system is nutrient rich with some gha. In the past, I did zero water change. I am now following Timfish suggestions: continue feeding heavy and vacume gravel while doing 20% water change each week. The only way this makes sense to me is that biological maturity of bacteria populations including micro fauna and fana have equalized with nutrient input to the extent that the biological filter outcompete GHA.