Dear forum,
I, like most people reading this, take great pride in my pond; and I like to do things the correct way. Since the inception of my pond I have been amazed at how expensive proper pond maintainence is. I have dumped a huge amount of beneficial bacteria in my pond. The problem is, there is no way of measuring results; does it work? I don't mind the expense if it works. I decided to do an experiment over the winter.
Stacy and I have set four aquariums (10-15 gallon):
(1) 2 inches of leaves and 1 cup of fish food - with aeration
(2) 2 inches of leaves and 1 cup of fish food - no aeration
(3) 2 inches of pond sludge - aeration
(4) 2 inches of pond sludge - no aeration
Into the aerated tanks we put the maximum recommended amount of beneficial bacteria (made for sludge).
Into the nonaerated tanks we placed 2 times the recommended amount of bacteria. We are keeping the tanks at their optimal recommended temperature. I won't mention the manufacturer but this is one of the most popular products on internet sites. They have several lines but this one is made for sludge. By reading between the lines it appears it has bacteria plus enzymes.
We are documenting progress. Before I take my scientific expertise too seriously (which I have been known to do) would some of you with more experience in this field please show me the weaknesses in my experiment model? We will share results with PB members as the winter progresses. We will add bacteria as time progresses as per their direction and we are taking detailed photos of progress or lack there of.
Thanks for your time,
Steve Munsey and Stacy
