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Bacteria in a Bottle
How They Work - In Laymen's Terms
Written: March 2007
Our Approach to Bottled Bacteria and Enzymes...
There are so many products on the market designed to help establish the pond environment by using bacteria, enzymes and other natural biological building agents that one would practically need to be a chemistry major to understand the differences. I don't know about you but I am not a chemistry major and I would prefer descriptions of the products in laymen's terms. That's the whole purpose of this article - to understand what these bottled water treatments actually do --- in an easy-to-read format.
Some are designed for specific purposes like sludge removal, some work in lower water temperatures and some concentrate mostly on seeding filters while others are designed to do a little of everything. It's rare that any show instant results but we know they are supposed to work because they are scientifically engineered to do so.
Our approach to evaluating these types of products is very straight-forward and based on common sense. We use them and evaluate them. We have had as many as 30 separate fish tanks and show ponds and were able to see the results of using and not using the products. We also depend on the experiences of our customers. It's that simple. There is not enough time in the day to test all of them or have "experience" with each and every product. We can speak generally of the benefits of using them and what each type is designed to do and we can recommend some with which we've had experience or may give more bang for the buck.
We've been told by several of our "chemistry" friends that there is NO true live bottled nitrosomonas or nitrobacter - the two beneficial bacteria needed to make your pond healthy. They say nitrosomonas and nitrobacter will not live in a bottle so, right off the bat, we don't take the "live nitrifying bacteria" claim on any label seriously. There are other bacteria and enzymes that can be bottled that will promote the growth of nitrifying bacteria and help the pond reach it's balance. The operative words here are promote and help. That's what they do! One simply cannot pour any product on earth into a backyard pond and expect the nitrifying cycle to be instantly complete and established. It takes time for the cycle to develop -- and the right environment. The water has to be warm, contain plenty of dissolved oxygen, have a stable pH and the pond must provide biological filtering material that houses nitrifying bacteria. Once a pond has all that - there should be no reason it cannot reach it's nitrifying cycle balance within a couple of weeks.
To help the pond reach it's nitrifying cycle we can (and really should) use some sort of water treatment designed to boost the biological filter.
One, in particular, that we use often on systems with bead filters is Microbe-Lift's Super Start Bead Filter Bacteria. It's designed to reduce the buildup of the "stuff" inside the filter that sticks together and prevents the filter from working properly and I think that's the main reason it helps establish the nitrifying cycle. If a bead filter clogs up the water simply passes over the beads and not through them. Nitrifying bacteria colonize on the surface of thousands of tiny beads inside the filter. If water is not tossing the beads around and flowing through them no oxygen is getting to the bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria is aerobic, which means it depends on dissolved oxygen for survival. Anaerobic bacteria (which are unhealthy) thrive in environments of oxygen deprivation. So -- simply put -- clogging filters do not promote a healthy nitrifying cycle and this product can help keep the filter from clogging. Nothing, however, takes the place of thoroughly backwashing bead filters every week to remove that "stuff" and yearly maintenance on bead filters. We have found that blowers on bead filters help even more. Microbe-Lift's Super Start Bead Filter Bacteria has other good qualities that help set the stage for a healthy biological filter. It contains components that quickly break down tea tree oils and leftover residue from medications to help re-establish the biological filter after treatments. Melafix is a tea tree oil product so it would be smart to use this product after the Melafix treatment is over.
These products do a little of everything. Microbe-Lift PL has long been used with side-skimmer systems and in ponds that are lined with rocks but both these products help any type of pond system because they have enzymes and components that help eat up the waste that falls to the bottom of the pond and helps to keep that waste processed. Microbe-Lift PL also contains photosynthetic bacteria that work to bind floating particles together and allow them to drop to the bottom so it clears the water to a certain degree. As an aid to helping establish the biological filtration in a pond it is useful because it also increases the amount of dissolve oxygen in the pond. We found that it is very similar in its effectiveness as BioSeed and have since dropped the BioSeed from our stock because it is more expensive than Microbe-Lift PL. I have personally used this type of treatment in sterile aquarium environments with great results.
Microbe-Lift PL will work in temperatures below 55 degrees so it can be used pretty much all year round. There are, however, some products that are best suited for certain times of the year. Microbe-Lift SS (Spring and Summer) is designed to work in warm temperatures and will target specific warm-weather problems. Microbe-Lift AW (Autumn and Winter Prep) is designed to work in cooler water and deals more with preparing the pond for the coming of winter.
Here is an example where the label will state that a product will "clear the water" and those who do not know exactly why they put it on the label will think it actually clears the water of anything, whether it's bacterial bloom, suspended particles or green water algae. I have some customers who swear that their clearing agent (and they like their brand only) cleared up the water within days! This can be true if the reason the water was cloudy in the first place was from suspended particles or bacterial bloom. It's a little less black and white with an algae bloom. Although these clearing agents often claim to clear up algae bloom it would be more fitting for them to print on the label that their product helps or promotes the clearing of green water algae. The truth we've found with experience is that these types of water treatments help process the waste products of the pond and helps it reach its ecological balance. It's not instant -- just like with helping build the bio-filter -- it takes time.
The end result of the nitrifying cycle is nitrates which is aka fertilizer. Plants absorb fertilizer and algae thrives off of it. Clearing Agents help this situation by processing some of the sludge which actually feeds the algae. By adding water plants to the equation to absorb even more of the fertilizer we are helping the pond reach a natural balance so the green water algae does not have enough food to survive. Other factors, such as sunshine and warmth, contribute to green water algae so a clearing agent is only a small part of the solution to clearing the water of algae bloom. A couple of times I've had customers tell me that they woke up to clear water the next day after treating their algae bloom problem with a clearing agent. The only way that possibly could have happened is that the pond was on the brink of reaching its balance and perhaps the treatment just nudged it along. Nothing wrong with that! I, personally, would not purchase a clearing agent as a method of clearing up algae bloom. I would purchase it only for its other benefits.
Microbe-Lift PL is actually listed as a clearing agent. It promotes flocculation of particles in the water so it can clear up hazy or clouded water. It is effective whenever there are floating particles in the water such as when dirt has been washed into the pond after a rain. But that, too, is not instant. If one knows his pond has suspended particles causing it to look hazy there is a product that will render immediate results. That product is Accu-Clear by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
Microbe-Lift PL and Pond-Zyme Plus are two of our favorite all-purpose water treatments that help the pond reach it's balance.
Sludge will form in every pond, no matter how many times it's cleaned or how sophisticated the equipment. Sludge is basically a mixture of all the stuff that's been deposited into the pond --- fish poop, settled dirt from overturned plants, dust from the rocks, dead algae, leaves, plant parts, bird poop, even dead frogs and fish --- mmmm, doesn't that sound appetizing! It is basically waste and if left to collect over a period of a couple of years the pond will become a sewer of sorts. Sludge breeds anaerobic bacteria - the kind that causes disease and smells bad - and adds to the algae bloom problem. Ponds lined with rocks on the bottom and/or pulling water through a side-skimmer only are especially prone to getting bacterial problems. Waste collects between the rocks and it is impossible to clean around them. Skimmers pull only the top waters and do not circulate the bottom waters where all this waste (sludge) sits.
Nothing takes the place of a good, thorough yearly cleaning (and pulling out all those rocks on the floor of the pond while you are at it!) but there are some products that can help break down this waste. For those ponds that fall into the high-sludge category we recommend the Mac-Daddies of sludge removers. These are products that target only sludge and basically do the job that waste water treatment plants do for the pond.
Microbe-Lift SA (Sludge Away) is our pick for this dirty job! One word of caution: When Sludge Away is working levels of dissolved oxygen in the pond will drop because the process of treating waste will literally zap the pond of all its oxygen. Care should be taken to avoid problems with fish during the treatment. Never turn off the pump and keep all fountains and air compressors going at maximum speed!
In a Nutshell...
Bacteria in a bottle basically means water treatments that help the pond reach its ecological balance. There are no miracles within these bottles and nothing is instant. In most cases one must rely on faith that the products are working because there are no immediate visible results. It's always a good thing to add to the pond as long as it's used for the right reasons. Don't use these products for algae bloom - use a UV instead. Don't rely on these products alone to keep your pond fresh and clean. They are only a small part of the solution. Do use Sludge Away if your pond is lined with rocks -- although we'd rather see you remove the rocks. Do use Microbe-Lift Super Start Bead Filter Bacteria if you have a bead filter. It makes good sense.
This article has actually helped me understand why these products are good for the pond. I've been told what to use for what application but never knew why until I did the research for the article. I do hope it helps you as well.
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