Adding Beneficial Bacteria

[PossumsDad]

I have had ponds for years but this is my first experience with a UV clarifier in my filter.

If I add beneficial bacteria to my pond do I need to unplug my UV light? I'm not sure if the light will hurt the bacteria before they reach the bio balls & filter media. If I do need to turn off the light how many days do I need it off?

Thanks

Phil

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Why are you wasting your money on bacteria? Your pond already has billions of them. You really think a little bottle is going to make a real difference?
But, in answer to your question, yes you need to unplug your UV for at least a couple of days.

 

[mgmine]

I was given a container of beneficial bacteria so instead of letting it sit in the shed I ad a teaspoon in the spring. Why? I have no idea but in the spring I like to spend time outside around the pond so this gives me one extra thing to do. As far as the UV light I plug it in as soon as the weather warms up which is the same day as I add the bacteria. It clears the pond up in a few days but I have no idea what it does to the bacteria I added. I do know I can't tell any difference so I would say plug your light in when ever you want.

 

[budgenator]

My suspicion has always been that any living Beneficial Bacteria that went into the bottle has either long since expired on the shelf, or is so hardy that it is every where anyway.
Now I do use it, but it's because my Wife often says "Well do something!" and when I reply "I am doing something, I'm waiting patiently for the problem to resolve naturally" she looks at me like I'm a space-alien and says "No, do something"; so I find that putting in something that's probably ineffective in the water smooths her need for me to "Do Something"; if I measure the probably deceased bacteria very carefully and theatrically with a graduated cylinder, the soothing effect is intensified even more.

More on topic, since the purpose of a UV clarifier is to cause enough disruption of the cellular walls calcium and sodium ion pump to temporarily stop and cause the electrical potentials to neutralize across the cell walls and the organism to drop out of colloidal suspension rather than kill them, my guess is to leave the UV on so more bacteria gets caught in the biofilter.

 

[Mmathis]

@budgenator I don't want to ruin your marriage, but whenever you get that kind of response from her, remind her [if you've had kids, that is], remind her of labor. Just waiting for nature to take its course......

 

[tbendl]

@budgenator I don't want to ruin your marriage, but whenever you get that kind of response from her, remind her [if you've had kids, that is], remind her of labor. Just waiting for nature to take its course......

WHAT??? Are you trying to get him killed????

 

[Mmathis]

WHAT??? Are you trying to get him killed????

Well, it IS up to him...... And sometimes it takes something that we can personally relate to, LOL!

 

[tbendl]

If my hubby tried to equate anything he was doing that was garden related to my giving birth I'd feel forced to stab him in his dangly bits so he could compare.
I'm just saying... LOL

 

[pecan]

I use to add beneficial bacteria every spring. Then my not educated on the matter brain got to thinking.

How do I know the bacteria in the bottle is the right kind for my pond conditions. If its not it will just die, if the water isn't warm enough it will just die. Once the water conditions are right for bacteria to grow, wont they grow naturally? so why am I adding this stuff?

So I stopped a couple years ago, haven't missed it.

 

[Mmathis]

Once the water conditions are right for bacteria to grow, wont they grow naturally? so I why am I adding this stuff?

My thoughts!

 

[pecan]

What I did do the year I stopped adding it was added air stones inside my biological filtration system. I figured the extra air would help the natural bacteria to start growing. The air stones run as long as the filters run. It only gets shut off in the winter if I shut the pond down for the winter.

 

[PossumsDad]

Thanks for all of the replies. I'll probably just leave the light on.