Ok. again. I want to see what these buggers look like microscopicly. Do they have cillia? Are they like a plaque on the surface of the sand?

If I could see what cycling bacteria look like I might be able to more easily take your word for it Gumbii.

I'll see what I can Google up.

The bacteria form a slime matrix adhered to the surfaces in the tank and filters.

I may try to put sand in my skimmer to see if it works as a good sand filter. Should I use coated aquarium sand or fine grained sand?

I've got a bag of really fine sand for reptiles. I hope it's not too fine as it's like white sugar.

It's very fine quarts.