What is cold-water bacteria?

[Shdwdrgn]

I got a flyer in the mail the other day, and one thing caught my eye... the mention of cold-water beneficial bacteria. I've never heard of this before! After a quick look online, it appears to be bacteria that thrives in < 50-degree waters, but otherwise the details are really scarce.

So - anyone know anything about this? I know bacteria can be found in almost every possible condition, so it doesn't surprise me that this is possible, but is it really beneficial to those of us further North? Once established, would it repopulate in my filters every year, or would I have to keep buying more? This stuff sounds too much like a gimmick to me, however since my pond temps are below 50 for at least 4 months out of the year, I would certainly welcome anything that helps the filtration during that period.

 

[addy1]

Well it seems a lot of places sell it, seems it does well down to freezing.

Here is a pdf on bacteria I am not awake enough to read it yet, page 8 states some bacteria can live in cold water or soil at 0c
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078685540/303084/Bacteria.pdf

 

[HARO]

If this bacteria can survive in cold water, I imagine you probably already have it in your pond! Is it a gimmick? Yes and no. Many ponders feel better if they THINK they are doing something useful for the pond, and are quite willing to spend twenty or thirty dollars on something that makes them feel better, rather than wait a week or so and let nature take it's course. I carry the entire line of pond remedies at the garden centre where I work, because customers were getting ticked off that they had to drive elsewhere to buy it.
John

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Haro - I add a bottle of bacteria supplement to my pond each Spring. I know that in time the bacteria will naturally multiply and start cleaning the water, but I also know that a lot of it dies off over the Winter. I figure why start the Spring with 1000 bacteria cells when I could start off with 1-million and get the bacteria colony up to a functional level much quicker?

With the cold-weather bacteria, I'm sure the opposite is true - some of it might survive the hot Summer weather, but it probably does much better once the temperatures drop down to its 'comfort' zone. What I am more concerned with is if any such bacteria has made its way into my pond... It doesn't just spontaneously appear - it has to be carried in by other creatures, most likely birds that have been to colder climates. And the more variety of bacteria I have in the system, the better the water will be overall.

I'm not trying to fix any known problem with my pond, it seemed to stay pretty healthy over this past Winter, but I thought if there was something I could drop in that would be helpful, it was worth investigating.

 

[HARO]

Which just proves my point! You are not "fixing" anything, you are just trying to be helpful. Nothing wrong with that. I've never added anything to my pond, ever, but then I'm cheap and don't like to spend money unless I really need (or WANT) something. As for bacteria having to be BROUGHT to your pond, how do you think disease-causing bacteria are spread? They don't need a bird or a bug to bring them to you, they just drift on the air currents until they find water, or the moist skin around your lips, or wherever. Don't get me wrong, you won't be doing any harm by adding this product to the pond, but I'd rather save up for another pump or that frog statue I saw last fall!
John

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Sure *some* kinds of bacteria can drift in on the wind - but the beneficial kind we use in our ponds dies when it dries out. I would guess that it is simply carried between ponds/lakes/rivers by birds or insects, but I can't imagine it surviving long enough to simply drift in with the wind.

Ah well... if I see some of the cold-water bacteria locally, maybe I'll grab some just to add new strains.

 

[Waterbug]

Sure *some* kinds of bacteria can drift in on the wind - but the beneficial kind we use in our ponds dies when it dries out. I would guess that it is simply carried between ponds/lakes/rivers by birds or insects, but I can't imagine it surviving long enough to simply drift in with the wind.

The microbial world is very different from our own. You can't think of bacteria like seeds. Nitrosomonas europaea for example, the bacteria converting ammonia, is everywhere. It's been found on the sides of office buildings, the Arctic, the Antarctic, in and around volcanoes, the deepest ocean floors...everywhere. It's in the packaging of the bacteria bottle you buy. It doesn't need birds, the wind or the US Postal service to spread it...it's already there.

The confusion is over "keeping bacteria alive" and "keeping a large dense colony thriving". For example, Nitrosomonas don't reproduce as fast in colder water. Huge dense colonies reduce in size in colder water...but they don't die completely. As soon as conditions improve the bacteria will reproduce faster and faster. In the case of Nitrosomonas they can double their population every 7 hours. A single bacteria will grow to 1,073,741,824 (one trillion) in 4.6 days.

Of course that's under perfect conditions...and that's the point. It has nothing to do with how much bacteria you start with. Conditions are the only factor. Consider this...you're buying bacteria to eat something, right? But if it's too cold, or some other condition isn't optimal, the bacteria aren't going to be hungry. They're just going to sit there. So what would be the point of adding a few trillion extra bacteria?

Well not just sit there. No matter the conditions there will be other bacteria species for who conditions are right. They're only too happy to eat the bacteria just delivered by FedEx. Yum. In the 1990's there were several studies that showed bacteria in a bottle only served as food for other bacteria species.

Money saving offer...
Don't believe studies? Cool. I can at least save you some money. I'll sell anyone any kind of bacteria useful in ponds for $5 and shipping is free...and instant. The moment I get the $5 I will make the bacteria appear in your pond. And I promise to provide just as much proof of the product I'm selling as any company selling bacteria in a bottle. That's a good deal.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

. In the 1990's there were several studies that showed bacteria in a bottle only served as food for other bacteria species.

Hmmm? Sounds like they are on to my new product idea. I've been thinking of saving my urine and putting it in little eye dropper bottles and selling it online as a nutritional suppliment for beneficial pond bacteria.
Add 10 drops three times a day to your pond to feed and keep your pond bacteria colony healthy and strong. :beer:

 

[Waterbug]

Hmmm? Sounds like they are on to my new product idea. I've been thinking of saving my urine and putting it in little eye dropper bottles and selling it online as a nutritional suppliment for beneficial pond bacteria.

Your product would be a better product than bacteria in a bottle because the net result would be more bacteria. Years ago I told people if you want to add bacteria to a pond and you want a product in a bottle then you couldn't beat beer. Directions were easy: Drink, wait 30 minutes, and wiz into the pond.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

you couldn't beat beer. Directions were easy: Drink, wait 30 minutes, and wiz into the pond.

Oh Man! Now you've stumbled on to my manufacturing processes. :sad: Oh well, not to be deterred, I shall pick up a 6 pack of raw materials and convert it into bacteria suppliment this weekend. :beerchug:

 

[eclipsejs]

so in theory...I could buy a bottle of beneficial bacteria, add a few pumps to the pond and refill the bottle with pond water and have the bacteria multiply in the bottle. It would be a never ending supply for my pond.