Pond World- The Blog

Most pond owners are aware of the benefits of pond bacteria and the importance of keeping a thriving colony in their pond or water garden,  However, many people are un-aware that there are two distinct groups of pond bacteria – sludge removers and nitrifiers.  Sludge removers are very common in the marketplace and come in both liquid and powder forms.  These are the bacteria that are responsible for digesting and removing excess nutrients and organic matter such as fish waste, excess food and dead algae.  These bacteria are fairly hardy and can revert into spores should conditions in the water become unfavorable such as high pH spikes or cold water.  These bacteria are also rapid multipliers and can colonize and spread quickly making them very efficient at their jobs.

Nitrifiers, on the other hand, are less prevalent in the marketplace mostly due to their sensitive nature.  Nitrifiers are the bacteria responsible for biologically reducing and controlling toxic ammonia and nitrites.  Two main species make up nitrifiers, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter.  Nitrosomonas will convert ammonia into nitrite, while Nitrobacter will convert nitrite into nitrates.  Nitrifying bacteria are very senstive to water conditions, needing stable pH, high dissolved oxygen content and no inorganic toxins like chlorine present in the water.  Like their sludge removing cousins, they also multiply and colonize throughout the pond, although mainly in the filter, however they colonize at a slower rate, which is why it typically takes a new pond or aquarium several weeks to cycle and become stable to support fish. During that time frame the nitrifiers are colonizing and working on eliminating ammonia. Nitrifiers do not have the capability to revert into a spore form, which means they are easily killed and are only available in liquid form with the best formulas requiring refrigeration for the best results.

Fortunately for our customers, we carry both types of bacterias in our online store, just look under the Pond Bacteria section and find all we have to offer.