Best way to "seed" my water with bacteria

[bagsmom]

Some of you know I am working on my second pond. The one in the front is healthy and has been going for 2 1/2 years. I am going to pull lots of the overgrown plants from that pond and transplant them to the new one. I know they will bring some good stuff with them on their roots.

Since I'm still in the digging stage, it will be quite a while before I'm ready to do that. Thinking ahead, is there something I could do now in the front pond - to collect a "crop" of good bacteria to put in the backyard pond when it is ready?

Could I sink a couple bags of lava rock in there to colonize over the summer? A net bat with poly quilt batting or some other filter media? Any ideas? I was thinking it would be a good way to start my pond off right.

 

[mrsclem]

Anything that you use as filter material will work. Kudos for thinking that far in advance!

 

[bagsmom]

Can I just throw it in the existing pond to collect bacteria? My waterfall filter would be really hard to get into right now, since all the plants are growing like crazy on the hill where it is.

 

[mrsclem]

Yep, just put it wherever you have room.

 

[Lisak1]

I wanted to share this with you. This was from a park near me where they dug a man make 115 acre lake. Here's what they said about seeding that lake:

The moral of the story is - it don't take much!

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Can you run the new filter on your current pond to get it mature/cycled?

That's how I've set up new tanks and my second pond. Worked out really well.

 

[bagsmom]

Can you run the new filter on your current pond to get it mature/cycled?

That's how I've set up new tanks and my second pond. Worked out really well.

The new pond is going to have a bog filter! But I was thinking along those lines, too - that I could put whatever media I decide to collect bacteria on - into the bottom of the gravel in the bog.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

The new pond is going to have a bog filter! But I was thinking along those lines, too - that I could put whatever media I decide to collect bacteria on - into the bottom of the gravel in the bog.

Ah okay, I didn't realize you were using a bog as the only filtration.

Either way you can run some type of small filter on your existing pond to mature it and then use it to start the new pond. Once the bog plants kick in and do the job of filtering your pond you can take down the temporary filter. I would think that would be way easier than using buckets and heavy rocks that you have to pick up and move.

 

[bagsmom]

It is so hard to be patient. I dug a bunch yesterday and won't be able to dig again for about a week, due to weather and schedule. It is going well. Big hunks of clay are coming out in boulder sized chunks that I can pick up and carry to the wheelbarrow. Probably the equivalent of 6 shovels full. I'd much rather carry one chunk than do 6 shovels! Each day I've been digging about 4 good sized wheelbarrow loads worth. I have the money saved for liner, underlay, and pump. I think I need to save about the same amount for rocks. I have tons of plants to divide, so that will be free!

 

[Bluerooster]

For my new pond I went to the bait shop, bought a dozen minnows, put them in and they fertilized the bacteria. When I had algae I knew that it was going the right direction. 11 minnows didn't survive long. (they never do) The sole survivor is now about 6" long, and about 2 years old.

Same way to "jump start" a saltwater aquarium.