Water temperature & nitrifying bacteria

[Pondmaster]

Pondmaster. thanks but not impressive. i just read a lot. yes i use microbelift. doesn't change anything. one microbiologist says the stuff can't really be shipped, but i don't buy that. i've researched the products and according to the guys at Strata, microbelift's rotten egg smell is added to the product for the sales guys to use as a sales point. they don't have to make a hydrogen sulfide smelling product. strata's competitive product doesn't smell. the only live shipped product out there is Strata's AWT-1 used by the big commercial aquariums like Seaworld, but it costs $170 a gallon and is shipped in a cold pack. supposed to bring a pond up in 24 hours.

i just wonder if its possible to find a natural source other than filter crud from someone elses pond to bolster the nitrite eaters. the farmers use horse manure as start up stuff or chicken grit.

Alright I'm not understanding Microbe-lift's product, I didn't think it had live nitrifying bacteria only what it took to generate nitrifying bacteria safely. Say safer than horse manure or chicken grit.

 

[shakaho]

Unfortunately, Nitrobacter grows really, really slowly. They are very difficult to grow in pure culture. Some other nitrifying bacteria have still not been cultured at all. I fear what this all leads to is that you just have to be patient while they take their time getting established. I suspect that you only get efficient nitrification when you have a whole community of microbes established on your media. I also expect that the communities of microbes in your pond filter, in soil, in waste plants, etc. are all different, so using something other than filter media as a source will not work very well.

 

[carolinaguy]

you are both probably right on target. my pond, with the new filter, is about 20 months old now, and the readings have stayed steady bouncing around between .25 and .50 except in the winter of course. patience is the answer.

 

[Pondmaster]

The article states,"each strain may have specific tolerances to environmental factors and nutriment preferences not shared by other, very closely related, strains. The information presented here applies specifically to those strains being cultivated by Fritz Industries, Inc."

As a biologist, I cannot see how it would be possible for the nitrifying bacteria in the soil and water of the north to die out at 32 degrees F. They are obligate aerobes, and thus only survive where there is oxygen available, and both the soil and the water freeze deep. Pampered laboratory strains may well be different.

Are you saying then that the nitrifying bacteria in the soil and water of the north is a super strain tolerant of freezing temperatures and logically at that point of no oxygen supply?
I'm afraid I may have the "pampered" nitrifying bacteria in my pond filters since I have to start over each spring.