Bacter AE: The Silent Killer Of Shrimp?

is bacter ae safe for shrimp

The best shrimp food or the silent killer of shrimp? Bacter AE has gotten both tags from the reviews of shrimp owners. Now, the question arises whether Bacter AE kills shrimp instead of increasing the survival rate.

Using too much Bacter AE can kill your shrimp. This overdose reduces oxygen levels, leading to the death of the shrimp. However, using the right amount of Bacter AE is safe for your shrimp.

In this article, I’ve penned down all the ingredients of Bacter AE to find out the risk factors. Also, I’ve delved into the optimal dose, the alternative of Bacter AE, prevention of its potential harm, etc.

So, let’s take a tour into this write-up to know more about potential threats of Bacter AE.

Key Takeaways

  • Bacter AE is a bacterial supplement that increases the nutrient uptake of the shrimp.
  • By adding the perfect dosage, Bacter AE can increase the survival rate of your adult and baby shrimp.
  • Bacter AE can be a threat to your shrimp when you overdose it.
  • Generally, the experienced owners recommend applying much lesser quantity than the official suggestions.

What Is Bacter AE?

Before going into the conclusion, you should know first what is Bacter AE. After that, we can discuss whether it is a silent shrimp killer or not.

Bacter AE is a water additive for shrimp tanks. It comes in a white powder form that is mainly dried-biofilms. The bacteria present in Bacter AE aids in creating a microclimate in the tank.

Bacter AE is one of the favorite food choices for shrimp breeders. In a word, Bacter AE is a supplement specialized for shrimp.

Bacter AE is packed with freeze-dried microorganisms, probiotic bacteria, enzymes, and amino acids. Besides, this powerful powder contains essential nutrients for adult shrimp and shrimplets. In each box of Bacter AE, you’ll find a measuring spoon. This measuring spoon can hold up to 500 mg.

This powerful powder supplement plays a crucial role in improving the health of shrimp. Let’s go through the following section to check the benefits of Bacter AE.

Want the inside track on Freshwater Shrimps? This post is your go-to guide. Is It Ok to Leave Dead Shrimp In The Tank?

Is Bacter AE Good For Shrimp?

‘Bacter AE is hands down the best shrimp supplement in the market’ – said a shrimp lover. Do you want to find out the reason for the hype of Bacter AE?

I’ve noted down all the benefits of Bacter AE. These will help you determine the worth of your shrimp.

  • Bacter AE aids in improving the water quality of the shrimp tank.
  • This powerful powdered supplement boosts the development of biofilms in the tank. So, your shrimp may enjoy their staple food from these biofilms.
  • It’ll improve the digestion of your shrimp.
  • This nutrient-rich Bacter AE keeps your shrimp healthy.
  • Besides, Bacter AE makes significant improvements in the survival rate of baby shrimp.
  • When this powdered supplement comes in contact with water, it slowly decreases ammonia and nitrite. Bacter AE also removes other toxic substances.

Is Bacter AE Safe For Shrimp?

If you want to find out the risks of Bacter AE, you should know details about the components of this supplement. The ingredients of Bacter AE can tell you whether it can pose a threat to your shrimp.

So, let’s see if the components of Bacter AE are safe for shrimp.

9 Ingredients Of Bacter AE

1. Amino Acids

Amino acids can quickly dissolve into water. So, your shrimp need not struggle to intake the amino acids present in Bacter AE. Also, amino acids improve the digestion system of shrimp.

2. Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are mainly responsible for the growth of beneficial bacteria in your shrimp tank. It also boosts the immune system of shrimp.

3. Amylase

It works as an energy source for shrimp. Like other ingredients, amylase also plays a significant role in the digestion system of shrimp.

4. Xylanase

This enzyme improves shrimp health by strengthening the immune system. Besides, it improves the water quality of the shrimp tank.

5. Protease

It is also popular as a digestive enzyme. Protease in Bacter AE will add nutritional value to shrimp.

6. Glucanase

Glucanase present in Bacter AE works for better growth of shrimp. It also works as an immune booster for baby shrimp.

7. Hemicellulase

Hemicellulase in Bacter AE aids in resisting any disease in your shrimp. As a result, the survival rate of your shrimp becomes higher.

8. Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus present in Bacter AE improves the digestive power of your shrimp. So, your baby shrimp can search for more foods like adult shrimp.

9. Bacillus Subtilis

This ingredient increases the growth of beneficial bacteria. So, it’ll aid in improving the water quality of your shrimp tank.

As you can see the functions of all ingredients, none of them cause any harm to the shrimp. So, Bacter AE is safe for your shrimp. However, the perfect dosage of Bacter AE plays the crucial role of safety for shrimp.

Curious about Freshwater Shrimps? This post is packed with info you won’t want to miss! What To Do With Dead Shrimp In Tank?

Official Dosage Recommendation For Bacter AE

The experienced owners remarked that you need not follow the official instructions. Maintaining the official instructions may kill your shrimp too. I’ll share the recommended dosage of Bacter AE by experienced shrimp owners.

Before that, let’s take a look at the official instructions of GlasGarten for Bacter AE.

According to GlasGarten, the dosage of Bacter AE depends on two factors. One of them is the duration of using Bacter AE for your shrimp. Another one is the number of shrimp in your shrimp tank.

The ratio of shrimp to tank capacity can divide the tank into three stocks. These are lowly stocked tanks, normally stocked tanks, and heavily stocked tanks. However, the official website hasn’t mentioned the ideal number of shrimp per gallon.

The experts recommend that a normally stocked tank should have 3-4 adult shrimp per gallon. If there are over 5 adult shrimp per gallon, you can consider it a heavily stocked tank.

So, the dosage instructions of Bacter AE may vary due to the ratio.

If you are about to start using Bacter AE, you should abide by the following chart. After one week, you can increase the dosage. It is applicable for 120 liters or 25 gallons.

Tank VolumeRecommended Dose
Highly stocked tank½ measuring spoon Bacter AE two times per day
Normally stocked tank1 measuring spoon Bacter AE one time per day
Lowly stocked tank¼ measuring spoon Bacter AE one time per day

When it becomes one week, you can change the dosage of Bacter AE. Let’s see what the official instructions recommend for your shrimp.

Tank VolumeRecommended Dose
Highly stocked tank1 measuring spoon of Bacter AE twice per day
Normally stocked tank1 measuring spoon of Bacter AE once per day
Lowly stocked tank1 measuring spoon

How Much Bacter AE Is Safe For Shrimp?

In shrimp forums, the shrimp owners shared their bad experiences regarding the usage of Bacter AE. To avoid such incidents, the experts suggest using a lesser amount of Bacter AE than the official instructions. Some experienced owners may recommend you apply just half of the official directions.

The prime role of Bacter AE is to encourage the growth of microorganisms and biofilm. So, a little powder of Bacter AE can start the bacterial colony in your shrimp tank.

So, the experienced owners suggest applying only a small amount of this supplementation. I’ve made a chart that can help you understand the practical dosage recommendation.

Also, the dosage may vary depending on the colony of shrimp. The capacity of the tank to grow biofilm is another concern. The following recommended dosage of Bacter AE can be safe for your shrimp.

Tank CapacityRecommended Dose
25 gallon0.45 g
20 gallon0.37 g
15 gallon0.27 g
10 gallon0.19 g
5 gallon0.09 g

A significant reminder is not to consider Bacter AE as a staple food. It is only a supplementary food. You must provide a balanced and nutritious diet with this Bacter AE.

In addition, you should provide sufficient aeration in the tank. It’ll aid in nitrifying the bacteria while applying Bacter AE.

Get the full scoop on Freshwater Shrimps—check out this must-read article! Why Are My Shrimps Dying After Water Change?

How To Dose Bacter AE In Your Shrimp Tank?

To ensure the safety of your shrimp, you should strictly avoid overfeeding Bacter AE. It’ll not cause any harm if you underfeed the Bacter AE to your shrimp. Now, you might wonder how to dose this micro powdered supplement to your shrimp tank.

There are mainly two ways of dosing Bacter AE. No matter how is the method type, you should focus on the quantity.

Firstly, you can take Bacter AE of the recommended dosage in the measuring spoon. Afterward, you can directly mix it into the water of the shrimp tank. The powder will get mixed in contact with the water.

Otherwise, you can apply the pre-mix method. For this, you should add the powder to a bottle of water first. After diluting the powder, you can add the mixture to the shrimp tank.

What Is The Problem With Bacter AE?

Since Bacter AE has got the tag of silent killer, you might wonder the reasons. The root cause behind all problems is applying an overdose of Bacter AE. According to experienced shrimp owners, the official recommendation of dosage is too much for shrimp.

One of the most crucial roles of Bacter AE is to promote biofilm in the tank. When you apply an overdose of Bacter AE, there will be a bloom of biofilm. As a result, the overdosing may deplete the oxygen level of the tank.

As the oxygen level decreases in the tank, the nitrite level increases significantly. That’s why you might notice an ammonia spike after using Bacter AE.

Also, some journals mentioned the presence of Bacillus subtitles and lactobacillus in Bacter AE. When these bacteria come in contact with water, these microorganisms become activated.

Further, these bacteria will use the oxygen dissolved in the water. If you do not fix the aeration system, the scarcity of oxygen may kill your shrimp.

Some shrimp owners complain that these bacteria can infect their shrimp. Although the claim is nearly impossible, there are complaints about white spot syndrome in shrimp due to overdose.

Want the inside track on Freshwater Shrimps? This post is your go-to guide. How To Save A Dying Shrimp?

How To Prevent Bacter AE From Harming Your Shrimp?

You might have already understood that Bacter AE has lots of advantages. But, overdose and other malfunctions can cause Bacter AE to kill your shrimp.

That’s why I’ve noted down some suggestions. These will help you prevent Bacter AE from harming your shrimp.

  • Firstly, you must ensure not to use expired Bacter AE. Applying Bacter AE to your shrimp tank may kill your shrimp.
  • To avoid harm, you should keep the container of Bacter AE at room temperature.
  • Your main focus should be avoiding the overdosing of Bacter AE.
  • If you mistakenly overdose Bacter AE, you should do a water change of the tank.
  • You can add a good aeration system to your shrimp tank. It’ll decrease the risk of oxygen depletion.
  • Also, you must consider the colony size and tank capacity. Otherwise, Bacter AE may have bad effects on your shrimp.
  • A small tip is to add alder cones to the tank. It’ll provide a good surface to grow biofilm.

Can You Use Bacter AE After The Expiry Date?

You must not play a gamble with the lives of your shrimp by using expired Bacter AE. If you notice any mold or discoloration, you should instantly dispose of the container.

Before You Go…

I hope you got the answer whether you can call Bacter AE a silent killer. The quick summary is to use the appropriate dose for good health and a high survival rate of shrimp. Along with this supplementation, you must provide the best shrimp food to boost their immunity. Let’s take a tour of the following article to get suggestions for the best shrimp foods.

Best Shrimp Foods For Proper Growth And Breeding

Muntaseer Rahman

About Author

Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.

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