Pond Start - Beneficial Bacteria

[philljp]

Hi all,

Do you guys recommend adding beneficial bacteria to a new pond? My pond is just over a month old, and just put the filter in. Shall I add something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Interpet-POND...m&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item27ab429e13

 

[koikeepr]

I confess I've always been skeptical of these products, and have always cycled my pond naturally.

That being said, this is the first time I've purchased some and added it to the filter media of my new pond. I have also, however, introduced media from my old pond to really kick start things.

 

[PS3]

i added mircolift bio gel a few weeks ago but the water went under 55 for a few days
so i dont know if it kick started the bio cycle yet.
if you do use it buy a good one like mircolift or buy mircolift p/l it comes
in a bottle and just follow the lable this p/l will start the cycle also
i have to get my water tested this week

 

[philljp]

i added mircolift bio gel a few weeks ago but the water went under 55 for a few days
so i dont know if it kick started the bio cycle yet.
if you do use it buy a good one like mircolift or buy mircolift p/l it comes
in a bottle and just follow the lable this p/l will start the cycle also
i have to get my water tested this week

Thanks. Tested with what?

 

[DoDad]

No matter what you do or use you first should buy a test kit then buy a product like detox plus, ClorAm-X or Ultimate to take care of Chlorine, Ammonia and
Chloramines.

 

[Squidhead]

No matter what you do or use you first should buy a test kit then buy a product like detox plus, ClorAm-X or Ultimate to take care of Chlorine, Ammonia and
Chloramines.

Sound advise. Test Kits and a tap water conditioner are key. Though it's not totally impossible for these products to work once in a while, they usually don't do squat. The only proven one to work is Bio-Spira by Marineland. It is not foolproof and doesn't always work. It is very expensive as it comes refridgerated and has a very short shelf life. After all, bacteria will die off without oxygen and food. Just my opinion on it, but I'd save my $ for better things.

 

[philljp]

Yeah im skeptical myself, and one of the first things I read was not to bother with chemicals, and let it do its thing naturally. The only thing I have been using is the dechlorinator to condition the tap water.

Next was to consider whether or not to get the bacteria. I've also read to switch off the UV (built into the filter) to help start the bacteria. I have initially been running the UV to get rid of the current green in the pond. But I can then turn it off for a while I guess. However, if the bacteria establishes, will the UV kill it when I turn it back on?

Also, is it actually possible to get the bacteria going with the UV kept on?

 

[koikeepr]

The directions on these products specifically says to not turn on the UV for 48-72 hours. After you have a good dose of bacteria in there, and it's doing it's thing, you can turn the UV back on--but not when the bacteria is in it's formative state.

 

[koiguy1969]

microbe lift bacteria is a good product especially the pl gel filter innoculant. when you buy bacteria its in its spore state and basically in a state of suspended animation...exposure to the water, oxygen, and a food source brings it to life. and yes you must turn off your u.v to give the bacteria time to settle on a surface and colonize.

 

[philljp]

This is a good one to get then:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microbe-Lift-...m&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item4838451640

Edit:
There is also this one, that appears to do more, such as reduce protein foam:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microbe-Lift-S...item5d26dcbe37

 

[PS3]

i bring my water to the pet store they test to see if its balanced
like ph and stuff like that i have to buy a test kit next week

 

[Squidhead]

i bring my water to the pet store they test to see if its balanced
like ph and stuff like that i have to buy a test kit next week

It's great to test your water or have it tested as long as the person testing is reliable. I have been in pet shops that have used the all in one test strips that I have doubts about. I have seen some employee's in stores that use reagent tests and do them wrong also. It's better to get a test kit and do it yourself, just easier when there is a need to test frequently. I have to be honest though, once I had my tanks in cycle and established I rarely tested the water unless I suspected something was wrong, which was rare. But I guess with ponds you have to worry about "restarting" them every spring if you live in a place that gets cold temps. Most reagent test kits say to replace them after a year. I have API kits that I will replace every once in a while, but I still have some reagents from 2006 - 2007 that I check with the newer one and they both get the same results.

 

[oldmarine]

I'm like KoiKeeper, I would rather let nature takes it's course. My pond is small, so I won't add any chemicals, and haven't. So far after two years of running this pond with the existing filtration system, everything is fine and the fish are healthy.

Happy ponding,

 

[koikeepr]

Oldmarine, most people don't have our kinda patience to wait the 6-8 weeks for the natural bio to establish each spring. Lots of folks want instant results and look for miracles in a bottle, and that's why products like bacteria in a jar exists. And, of course, these companies to a wonderful job peddling their magic to us.

We're a microwave society, where we feed color food to our koi because we can't wait for their natural colors to come out, etc. I call it the insta-pond syndrome. LOL!

 

[koiguy1969]

first of all bacteria isnt a chemical...its the same bacteria that naturally occurs, just in a bottle. and i know it works, at least the ones i use. i used microbe lift pl gel to start my filters and have never had an ammonia reading, nitrite or nitrates either and i had 40 fish in my 450 gal pond in about 2 weeks. i use them because they work not because i'm looking for a miracle. if you havent used them you shouldnt discount them.