I have nothing to do with the sale of pond bacteria! I have nothing to do with the sale of windmill air pumps! I have nothing to do with the sale of swan predators....all mentioned in the original post.
Great read. I have wondered about beneficial bacteria as well. More aerobic bacteria. My water has about 5 foot visibility and more green/blue with a high PH of 8.2 after 100 pounds of alum. Trying to get the PH down to 7.5 don't want to over do it so small moves. Perch are eating well and the minnows are eating well too just their colours are kinda light in colour. Water temp has creep ed up to 70 now 3/4 of an acre pond with 875000 gallon ya she is deep.
I also use beneficial bacteria and have seen a significant difference in my water quality. I also use the stuff from organic pond and it works great. Also just installed a Vertex Aeration System from the same place and love how it works. I'm retired and have no interest in any company.
Great read. I have wondered about beneficial bacteria as well. More aerobic bacteria. My water has about 5 foot visibility and more green/blue with a high PH of 8.2 after 100 pounds of alum. Trying to get the PH down to 7.5 don't want to over do it so small moves. Perch are eating well and the minnows are eating well too just their colours are kinda light in colour. Water temp has creep ed up to 70 now 3/4 of an acre pond with 875000 gallon ya she is deep.
Cheers Don.
Why do you need to get the ph down to 7.5? Seems like a heck of a lot of water to get the ph down and i doubt if it's permanent if you do.
If your alkalinity is high you may not even have to worry about a ph crash with alum if that is your concern. Mine is about 350 and it's damn near impossible to get the ph to budge after an alum treatment.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 06/26/1307:23 AM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
Well I can tell you this. I also have been using beneficial bacteria going on my 3rd year now. And you all do know me and I have no vested interest in any beneficial bacteria.
I can tell you this. And I think things like this need to be talked about if they help or hurt your pond either way if you are using a prodcut like this please chime in and let us know if it working or not for you. As I believe thats a BIG positive about this site. Finding out pros and cons of different products is a BIG time and money saver for sure.
Keep in mind none of this is a quick fix, and most if not all of these products work better with an air system in place to help the beneficial bacteria along.
Anyway I have been using a product called C-Flo for 2 years now. And in combination with it and my air system my pond has been awesome! Well you guys have seen my fish as of late. I mean there is not a spot on them and they look great and are growing like mad. Not to mention I know I have lost about 3 or 4 inches of muck in the last 2 years. These products claim they can reduce muck by several inches per year but I don't think that's gonna happen. Maybe 2 to 3 inches per year but if you have time it works great. I have to walk out to my feeder in the water and I used to be in an easy 6 or 7 inches of muck and this last spring when I walked out there I could actually feel gravel / rocks under my feet with about 3 inches of muck. This product works is all I am saying. Like the experts will say it is only 1 tool in your toolbox but if you combine it with some of your other tools it can be effective!
Here are a few pics of my fish this year. They all look great and I have to believe some of it has to do with C-Flo cleaning up my pond along with my air setup.
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
I measured my muck prior to any treatment at the advice of the company where I purchased the product. Well over 26" of stinky black mess. I applied the bacteria monthly for two seasons and experienced muck reduction of 6". My water clarity as measured with a Secchi disk went from 6" to 28". Keep in mind this is an old farm pond without much intervention prior to my ownership. My hope is that by installing the Vertex system coupled with the bacteria, my water quality will continue to improve. I do know my fish are happy and growing.
RC51, that's good to know. People have to realize that it's not a quick fix, a couple feet of muck won't disappear in a year.
Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
RC51,
I think that's great and more power to you. I just wonder how much of your improvement is due to the aeration and natural bacteria already present vs. rhe bacteria you're adding.
Just my opinion of course and you know what they say about opinions.
Cecil that's a valid point. I do not know as I only had my air setup for 1 summer before I started adding bacteria. The first year I used Muck Away which worked but IMO doesn't work as good as C-Flo so I can't really tell you that. I do feel that as long as my pond had been sitting (unmanaged) it more than likely needed a bacteria boost if you will. Will I use the product year after year? I suppose not once I get my muck under control I will back off and let my pond and my air system do their work!
RC
RC
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
On the colour of the fish. I thought the feed quality and temperature of the water had the most to do with weather the fish were darker or lighter in colour.
Our camp is on a lake that is tea stained with a bunch of wood in the water. I have caught bass in the shallows just about black but when we fish the rock shoal off 40 feet of water the bass come up just about tan in colour.
On the colour of the fish. I thought the feed quality and temperature of the water had the most to do with weather the fish were darker or lighter in colour.
Our camp is on a lake that is tea stained with a bunch of wood in the water. I have caught bass in the shallows just about black but when we fish the rock shoal off 40 feet of water the bass come up just about tan in colour.
Cheers Don.
Actually I will go out on a limb here and say that fish color comes more from water quailtiy and water clarity. The more clear your water is usually means the fish will have brighter colors. The more cloudy your water is most fish are more light in color with no real dominate coloration. That is what I have seen anyway.
RC
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
RC nailed the bacterial and aeration for muck reduction on the head. gonefishinii is partial right, as the beneficial bacteria will help to provide water quality improvement, but it takes years to reduce heavy level of muck. Low concentration of beneficial bacterial, with good aeration, will aid the reduction of the muck, providing beneficial feeding resource for the aqua-biota, without creating unforeseen side effects. Once again, it will take years to reduce feet worth of mucks.
Don't rule out beneficial bacteria completely. They have their roles in the biota as well. However, there's not quick fix, with one tool fixes all problem. As RC indicated, the beneficial bacteria require good aeration. I'm an environmental scientists, working very closely with large lakes (from 10 acres to 1000+ acres) in deploying, monitoring, and maintaining water quality, environmental preservation, wildlife, while trying to save the agencies money on needless deployment of senseless technology.
By the way, C-FLo is a great technology implementation to introduce. C-Flo, among others, has been improvised at various lakes where I oversee, as the wastewater treatment plants and run-ons from the local national forests/urbanized areas create massive muck level. When a manufacturer suggested to add a certain product to a certain volume of water, they're already suggesting maximum load limit before adverse effects are detected. Once the contributing muck load exceeds the bacterial remedial processing capacity, you have to either go with the manual removal process of the muck, or wait it out as you try to prevent additional muck load from introducing into the water.
This is why I caution people utilizing bacteria of any sort to control the muck at the bottom. It's a great idea, but be extremely cautious of how much bacteria you're planning to introduce into the system.
Leo
* Knowledge and experience yield wisdom. Sharing wisdom expand the generations with crucial knowledge. Unshared wisdom is worth nothing more than rotting manure.
Leo thanks for that information very good to know! Even better coming from a guy who has been there done that for quite a while on multiple levels and multiple pond/lake sizes.
Thanks again,
RC
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
RC, I am not saying Bacteria won't help, because I know it will. I just want to know if HIS bacteria is worth the higher price.
Leo, thanks for the more complete explanation again!! Bacteria is one tool that works in concert with others to manage a BOW.
With a set of young ponds, I will be more proactive early and keep the problem from happening in the first place. Adding beneficial bacteria from time to time will be in the mix as needed.
Brian
The one thing is the one thing A dry fly catches no fish Try not to be THAT 10%
RC, I am not saying Bacteria won't help, because I know it will. I just want to know if HIS bacteria is worth the higher price.
Hey HF I never took it that way and you are correct we do need to be careful about what vested interest folks may or may not have for sure! I agree 100 percent. Keeping everyone safe here and on track with their ponds is priority 1.
RC
The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!