Panta Germ Microbiome Analysis

The Panta Germ Test is a way to determine the bacteriological development and the status quo of the bacterial community in an aquarium, pond, natural swimming pool or aquaculture facility. The further development of the Panta Germ test now includes two different types of sampling, which together provide a clear picture of the total bacterial count and the composition of the bacterial community in the aquatic system.

The composition of bacteria in aquatic systems is of particular importance in order to be able to assess possible effects on the health of living organisms. At present, however, water quality is usually only described on the basis of physical (e.g. density, conductivity, temperature) and chemical parameters (e.g. pH value, macro, micro and trace elements), which means that the equally relevant microbiology and the associated bacteria are hardly taken into account. In this context, both the total number of bacteria in the water and the composition of the different types of bacteria in the water and in the biofilm are decisive. Most bacteria in aquatic enclosures are organized in biofilms, which are found at all points of contact with water-covered surfaces. Bacterial communities can be beneficial for the animals kept if the composition is favorable. However, if their composition is unfavorable or the content of individual species is high, they can have a negative impact on the aquatic system and then become harmful to aquatic animals.

The Panta Germ Test is used to determine firstly the total bacterial count in the water, secondly the bacterial community in the water and thirdly the bacterial community organized as a biofilm on surfaces. For this purpose, water from the system to be tested is passed through a filter, whereby the bacteria it contains settle in the filter. This sampling determines the total bacterial count and the bacterial community of the water. The biofilm can be sampled by swabbing the biofilm from a surface in the water using the cotton swab. Both the filter with the filtered water and the cotton swab with the removed biofilm are then sent back to us. Both samples are prepared in our laboratory and analyzed using the latest molecular biological methods. This makes it possible to precisely determine the total bacterial count and the composition of the bacterial community in the water and in the biofilm. These results can in turn be used to estimate the diversity of bacterial species in the aquatic system.