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Success in controlling water quality in a pond is subject to several variables. One of the main variables is the amount of nutrients present in the pond. Most pond owners are happy to find that when their pond fills up initially after being dug, the water is clean and inviting. Ponds that are dug in sand, gravel or “clean” soils will generally stay that way for a period of a year or two since there is not a lot of nutrients present. Over time leaves, fish waste, runoff and other nutrients find their way into the pond and start to build up along the pond bottom. These nutrients act as a stimulant, or food source, for excess aquatic weeds, algae and other water quality problems.
The use of beneficial pond bacteria has proven to be one of the best tools (along with pond aeration) a pond owner can use to maintain water quality. Beneficial bacteria are like mini vacuum cleaners working along the ponds bottom to consume and digest organic materials such as decayed leaves, grass clippings, dead algae/weeds, fish waste, etc. Left in the pond, these materials will contribute to future water quality problems. Most all ponds contain natural bacteria. The problem is these are usually anaerobic bacteria (meaning they do not need oxygen to survive) and they digest sediment very slowly. Pond-Vive contains aerobic bacteria which does require oxygen to survive (this is why we talked earlier about the importance of aeration in ponds) but decomposes sediment at a much faster rate.
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