Thanks for the input JHAP and BC. Indeed the strains and communities of bacteria will be very important to determine both in the supplements and the sludge sample. The idea of doing the testing in jars was to isolate the variables rather than to achieve a desired result. It's tough if not futile to isolate variables in a pond, but again I'm open to suggestion if anyone has some ideas. And, to be honest we don't have a desired result, we just want to see the results and share them with the lake/pond management community regardless of the outcome of the testing. Although I am already a believer, I would gladly be humbled to learn that the truth is other than what I believe it to be.
As an interesting side note, the professor I've been speaking with has noticed that in his bioremediation projects for oil contamination, some sites have existing bacteria in the soil that readily break down the pollutants. Adding bacteria to these sites does not appear to enhance or speed up the breakdown. Other sites do not have the same community or quantities of naturally occuring bacteria. These are the sites that are experiencing enhanced breakdown with bioremediation. Maybe not all ponds have a "healthy" community of naturally occuring bacteria. Of course, if this is true, the next questions are why aren't they there and will the store bought bacteria be able to thrive there.
