- Joined
- Jun 12, 2023
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 6
- Location
- Washington State
- Hardiness Zone
- 8b
- Country
I have a 3000 gallon pond that fluctuates between 2820 and the full 3000 depending on how hot and dry it is. I didn't know to get a water counter for the hose. I measured with salinity. It's back down to 0.04%. Tap is 0.01%, so that is the lowest it will really ever go.
I jumped into this really fast. A less than forthcoming supplier I no longer used made it seem super simple.
Here I am a year later (almost). I have a few questions and found this forum which seems to actually be very active. My post would be a mile long, so I will make them specific. This question is regarding bacteria and my situation.
I have been using aquascape dry beneficial bacteria concentrate weekly. I have started adding API pondzyme as well. It's working OK.
I inherited this pond in terrible condition when buying this house. I almost filled it in and then I started to see how thoughtful the original owners were! It's brilliant. I could not tear it down. So I learned how to patch epdm liner. Fix a pump. Cleaned out a foot of sludge and debris and trash and toys. Cleaned a ton of dead plant matter from the bog. Got it running and found some things I missed.
First, the bog actually had about 3-4" of mud from the years of decomposition. Got 85% of that manually meticulously. Still working on the rest, but can't keep it off for long periods due to outside temps now.
I also found out the rocks along the edge had decomposing and fresh dirt between them and have removed 95% during water changes with a vacuum.
This has brought algae closer under control.
Then I got flukes from birds or critters. I'm near freshwater, so I think birds. Treated and fish seemed great. Went back to my koi seller who gave me awful advice I stead of the truth and popped a couple new fish in, they died. My pond killed them. One from fungus, so to protect the rest, I used microbe lift broad spectrum. It killed off the little algae.
Now I am seeing the limits of the bacteria & enzymes I am using. In reading maybe too much, microbe lift products seem to have a wider variety of bacteria strains.
I want to use Microbe-Lift PL + Microbe-Lift Nite Out II.
Is there actually any difference though?
Also, will the strains that turn nitrogen into gas to get it out of the pond hurt my bog plants ability to thrive? I understand that plants actually prefer the ammonia. This is where I get information overload and stop being able to make the decision. I am am experience learning brain. Research gets me on the right path, but I need to see for myself. I've never had a garden either. I once had a betta fish that I just kept with water changes.
My Ammonia-0 Nitrite-0 Nitrate-0-5
Ph is 8.2-8.8 (correcting with cracked corn because the plants take more CO2 than relased by decomp or plants yet). Tap is 7.8-8.
Kh 22 drops
Gh 7 drops (using crushed coral to bring this up, the clay is not enough)
My levels are OK, but I don't think they will stay that way unless I get a wider variety of good bacteria. I also don't want to go so far that my plants starve. My fish are too small to produce enough waste which is why I left a little of the nutrient rich dirt in the bog around the roots of the plants. Also why I need to add a few grams of cracked corn because it decomposes rapidly and naturally helps balance the ph slowly over time.
I have 1 new chocolate snowflake in the pond and 1 feathery mares tail now. Floating water lettuce and water hyacinths which are barely growing this year.
Bog is full of canna Lilly I think, water irises, marsh marigold, and two that started coming back on their own this year. I do not know the names, but have seen them at the pond plant nursery as fish safe plants. I forgot to write the names down while there last!
Also, the last homeowner planted bittersweet nightshade and I just found out what that was and removed all of it. It had a massive root networking going into the pond and probably why the mud was not causing as much of an issue. Also how I found out about the hidden mud. In removing most of the dirt, the bog water level is better/visible above the pea gravel and lava rocks, and flowing steadily now, the bog plants are actually growing faster than last year.
Will switching to that bacteria combo help bring a more manageable balance?
Somehow this posted before finishing! Sorry, user error!!
I jumped into this really fast. A less than forthcoming supplier I no longer used made it seem super simple.
Here I am a year later (almost). I have a few questions and found this forum which seems to actually be very active. My post would be a mile long, so I will make them specific. This question is regarding bacteria and my situation.
I have been using aquascape dry beneficial bacteria concentrate weekly. I have started adding API pondzyme as well. It's working OK.
I inherited this pond in terrible condition when buying this house. I almost filled it in and then I started to see how thoughtful the original owners were! It's brilliant. I could not tear it down. So I learned how to patch epdm liner. Fix a pump. Cleaned out a foot of sludge and debris and trash and toys. Cleaned a ton of dead plant matter from the bog. Got it running and found some things I missed.
First, the bog actually had about 3-4" of mud from the years of decomposition. Got 85% of that manually meticulously. Still working on the rest, but can't keep it off for long periods due to outside temps now.
I also found out the rocks along the edge had decomposing and fresh dirt between them and have removed 95% during water changes with a vacuum.
This has brought algae closer under control.
Then I got flukes from birds or critters. I'm near freshwater, so I think birds. Treated and fish seemed great. Went back to my koi seller who gave me awful advice I stead of the truth and popped a couple new fish in, they died. My pond killed them. One from fungus, so to protect the rest, I used microbe lift broad spectrum. It killed off the little algae.
Now I am seeing the limits of the bacteria & enzymes I am using. In reading maybe too much, microbe lift products seem to have a wider variety of bacteria strains.
I want to use Microbe-Lift PL + Microbe-Lift Nite Out II.
Is there actually any difference though?
Also, will the strains that turn nitrogen into gas to get it out of the pond hurt my bog plants ability to thrive? I understand that plants actually prefer the ammonia. This is where I get information overload and stop being able to make the decision. I am am experience learning brain. Research gets me on the right path, but I need to see for myself. I've never had a garden either. I once had a betta fish that I just kept with water changes.
My Ammonia-0 Nitrite-0 Nitrate-0-5
Ph is 8.2-8.8 (correcting with cracked corn because the plants take more CO2 than relased by decomp or plants yet). Tap is 7.8-8.
Kh 22 drops
Gh 7 drops (using crushed coral to bring this up, the clay is not enough)
My levels are OK, but I don't think they will stay that way unless I get a wider variety of good bacteria. I also don't want to go so far that my plants starve. My fish are too small to produce enough waste which is why I left a little of the nutrient rich dirt in the bog around the roots of the plants. Also why I need to add a few grams of cracked corn because it decomposes rapidly and naturally helps balance the ph slowly over time.
I have 1 new chocolate snowflake in the pond and 1 feathery mares tail now. Floating water lettuce and water hyacinths which are barely growing this year.
Bog is full of canna Lilly I think, water irises, marsh marigold, and two that started coming back on their own this year. I do not know the names, but have seen them at the pond plant nursery as fish safe plants. I forgot to write the names down while there last!
Also, the last homeowner planted bittersweet nightshade and I just found out what that was and removed all of it. It had a massive root networking going into the pond and probably why the mud was not causing as much of an issue. Also how I found out about the hidden mud. In removing most of the dirt, the bog water level is better/visible above the pea gravel and lava rocks, and flowing steadily now, the bog plants are actually growing faster than last year.
Will switching to that bacteria combo help bring a more manageable balance?
Somehow this posted before finishing! Sorry, user error!!
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