The only bacteria I have ever used is skippys from www.skippysstuff.com I used this when I first put in my skippy when I re-built the pond. It worked good. I have never had to use any bacteria any other time. Glenda

Hi Glenda,

While I've been trying to be patient, I've been reading. I now have 14 books on ponds, plants, etc. checked out from my library.

The best book so far is The Pond Doctor. The next best and largest is The Complete Guide to Water Gardening. All the books echo what you and others have said. High circulation through the bio filter (1/2- 1 pond volume per hour) plenty of plants, and patience.

The one thing that did jump out is that the liquid bacteria has a shelf life. The life stated was 2-3 months!!! I find it hard to believe that it could be bottled, shipped, shelved, and sold in that time frame. I also wonder if 100% of the dry bacteria "comes to life" when water is added.

This is really at the root of my question along with what is the most popular type/brand.

Way more challenging conditions in sunny Fla. compared to sometimes sunny & hot Michigan which also drops below 0*F in the winter. So your praise of Skippy's blend holds some weight. Coincidentally Skippy is only a 3 hour drive from here. I need to go to his store and see his setup.

Thanks

George

I've used various kinds of bacteria, both in liquid form and dry, but not as a maintenance routine, just in the spring to help jump start the bio filter. My preferred kind is Eco-Max dry, but I've also used Jungle Pond Start liquid. Microbe Lift is supposed to be good, and I've even heard of people using Rid-X, the septic system stuff, but I haven't had the nerve to try it myself.

I put Rid-X down the toilets, certainly would never put it in my pond. I only had to jump start my pond once. That's the advantage of living in Florida, The bacteria lives year round in our ponds. I didn't even have to use it when I drained the pond this spring to get the un-wanted bluegills out. While the pond was drained the skippy and the bog or veggie filter still held water and kept the bacteria alive. Plus I had pumped water from the pond into the temporary holding tank I kept the fish in. And when I re-filled, I pumped most of this water through a filter back into the pond. If you ever have to drain the pond for anything always save some of the water to put back in when you re-fill it. Glenda

[I put Rid-X down the toilets, certainly would never put it in my pond ]

Which is why I haven't had the nerve to use it, ;-) I do know of some people who have, and I've looked at the ingredients, which are comparable to what is in the pond bacteria, but it still seems . . . I don't know, wrong somehow.

In my opinion any bacteria that can live in your pond will find their way there without special effort on your part. Plants and fish are loaded with bacteria. The wind carries bacteria. If you build it, they will come.

You can add bacteria, of course, but if the bacteria can't sustain themselves in your pond, you are wasting your time. If they can sustain themselves, they are probably already there anyway. Personally, I would be surprised that you could find bacteria that can survive there and aren't already there.

There are really two kinds of pond bacteria you can buy for a pond and they are nitrifying bacteria and regular pond bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria is the kind that has short shelf life and has to be refrigerated as it is very fragile. It is commonly used to "jumpstart" a pond since these are the bacteria responsible for converting ammonia into nitrites and nitrites into nitrates. Regular pond bacteria is typically facultative meaning it can work with or without oxygen, although much better results are achieved when oxygen levels are good. Regular pond bacteria is used to break down organic waste and bottom muck to help prevent/ reduce the buildup of ammonia and reduce the nutrient load in ponds. Regular pond bacteria products are readily available in most pond stores and shops and come in liquid and powder versions. These are normally spore forming and have longer shelf lives.

Here is a link to some good pond bacteria product in various forms

Here is a link that might be useful: Pond Bacteria