# Heavy Beneficial Bacteria Inoculations Make A Difference!



## The Pond Digger (Oct 2, 2006)

Hey ponderers! 

Here is some interesting pond news, if you can bear with me. We built a pond many years ago for Crafton Hill College here is Southern California. Well the caretaker of the pond retired about a year ago and the new grounds keeper called me because the pond was a wreck. 

Needless to say not a stitch had been done to the pond in well over a year. No beneficial bacteria inoculations, no feeding of the fish, no string algae treatments, no thinning of the aquatic plants, no filter cleanings, *NOTHING!* :help: 

Well the bottom of the pond was a mess because the pond filter consists of the old fashion pad and lava rock waterfalls filter that is known for getting clogged in just a few short months. Remember if your filter pads and lava rock are clogged, then you are getting dirty water in (to the filter) and dirty water out (into the pond)! 

*ALL RIGHT ALREADY! *My point……….the muck on the bottom of the pond was several inches thick and as the fish swam across the pond, a wake of pond scum would flow up into the water column. Disgusting! 

At this time, I was training a guy of our pond construction crew the proper techniques or the pond maintenance aspect of our business. In this training process, I explained that in a situation like this, your typical one tablespoon a week of beneficial bacteria was not gonna’ do the trick. 

One pound of beneficial pond bacteria per 10,000 gallons of pond water is the recommended dose; soaked in pond water and then poured around the edges of the pond and broadcasted out into the center of the pond as well. This I demonstrated personally to my trainee. 

That was several weeks ago and today at lunch I asked my pond maintenance tech about the pond at the college and he replied that the pond is starting to look sexy and proceeded with a smile on his face, “Eric, the funny thing is, I was soaking the beneficial pond bacteria in the watering can like you suggested and then poured it around the edges of the pond just like you wanted me to.” He continued with a smirk, “However, I wasn’t broadcasting the treatment into the center of the pond like you told me to and now the edges of the pond look amazing but we still have a mucky mess in the middle of the pond.” “So now I started to broadcast the beneficial pond bacteria out into the center of the pond, too!” I will look forward to my next update and of course keep you updated! 

*Moral of the story:* “It’s hard to find good help these days!” LOL! :help: 

Just kidding! I have a great crew! 

*The moral is –* the one-pound per 10,000 gallons of water is the trick for ponds that are faded (in bad shape)! Just don’t forget to broadcast the beneficial pond bacteria water treatment into the center of the pond too! 

Keep on Rockin’
_________________
Eric Triplett 
The Pond Digger 
Exotic Aquatics
www.exoticwaterscapes.com


----------

