[reefkprZ]

I think I misspoke when i said dynamics of bacteria diminishes.

I wasnt implying that bacterial numbers diminish, as you said the numbers wax and wane due to available nutrients. I was trying to say that possibly diversification diminishes, out of 24,000 (random number) strains of bacteria in one tank after say two years the strongest 20,000 will still be there while the weakest 4,000 will have died out being overtaken by the stronger strains. a DSb in a reef will of course take longer to mature as it has more surface area overall to colonize as well as differing environments. same thing with microfauna say, tiger amphipods, they corner an ceartain ecological nich in our tanks a weaker amphipod introduced at the same time may compete for a while but due to standard fluctuations in our tanks as well as competition from the tiger amphipods ends up dying out completly.

IE say in a fish tank you put two gold fish (bacterial strain a) and two guppies (bacterial strain b). at first neither really dominates but the goldfish being hardier has a better chance at survival, while the guppies can out breed the goldfish. eventually the gold fish may be the only fish in the tank due to its ability to outgrow and consume the guppy no matter how many babies it has. see what I'm saying.

or am i way off base here, and bacterial strains keep diversifying over time? (this is the type of info I am really looking for)