

Sludge Gives Problem Microbes The Protection They Need The only question remaining is whether they've already caused problems or if it's just a matter of time. So if you've got sludge and biomass, you've got microbial contamination.

They can thrive a whole lot more than they would if they were stuck out in the open. It’s no wonder microbes prefer to live in and behind sludge and biomass. It’s a whole ecosystem living in your farm’s fuel storage tank. And they’re all coexisting symbiotically with each other, meaning that they all help each other grow and thrive. Biofilm is a really complex structure that houses thousands of different kinds of microbes. You’ll find that what looks simple on the outside is far from simple on the inside. In fact, to borrow a mental exercise, shrink yourself to a microscopic size and go deeper, into the layer of sludge and biomass that’s in there.
#Fuel we need to go deeper crack
Crack open your operation’s fuel storage tank and look more closely at the biomass or biofilm deposits that you’ll inevitably find in certain places. Remember a couple paragraphs ago, we said microbial communities. Whether you’re looking at a tank on a farm or at a commercial fleet, if they had their choice where would microbes most like to live in fuel storage tanks? Is it always at the fuel-water interface? No, actually microbes most prefer to live on solid surfaces behind a layer of biomass. Plenty of microbes can be find in any layers of biofilm and “sludge” that you may find. But it’s not the only place you’ll find microbial communities thriving in a tank, nor is it the only place to be concerned about. If you’re talking about the “most” activity, then that’s generally true.
#Fuel we need to go deeper free
The conventional logic from fuel professionals for years has been that since microbes need free water to grow, you’d find the most microbial activity at the interface between the fuel layer on top and the water layer on the bottom. Home Sweet Home For Microbes In Storage Tanks When you find either of these, it’s important to do something about them because they can play a larger role in fuel and tank problems than you might want to think. “Sludge” is a general term people use when they find dark “stuff” in the bottom of their tanks or in their fuel filter. Biomass, also called biofilm, is a general term used to describe the biological by-products that microbes like bacteria, fungus and molds produce during their life cycles. Whether you're talking about a farm fuel tank or any other kind (even home heating oil), it’s safe to say that any time you find “sludge” or biomass, you've also got microbial contamination.
