It might come as a surprise to know that pond bacteria is essential to your fishes’ health. While you don’t want bacteria growing in most places, it keeps your water levels in the right condition for your fish to live their best lives.
Here’s why beneficial bacteria for ponds is so important and how often you should top up the bacteria in your pond.
Why do pond fish need bacteria?
Pond bacteria is key to your pond’s nitrification cycle (the process of fish waste turning into ammonia). Too much ammonia in your pond can cause fish diseases and even death. Luckily, beneficial bacteria balance the nitrogen cycle in your pond by reducing ammonia and nitrates.
Beneficial bacteria also break down organic waste, including fish waste, excess food, and dead plants. Each of these can affect water quality and cause algae build-up, so introducing bacteria is an essential part of caring for pond fish.
Bacteria is important in aquariums as well as ponds, but ponds are subject to heavy rain that can wash lots of debris into the water and push the pond’s ecosystem out of balance. Other factors that can affect the ecosystem include having too many pond fish and overfeeding.
Bonus Tip
Contrary to common misconception, pond bacteria will not get rid of all the algae in your pond, especially if you have a lot of algae buildup. Our algae and greenwater treatment range is your go-to for this problem.
What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic bacteria?
The two primary types of beneficial bacteria for ponds are aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic bacteria use oxygen to break down organic compounds, which is quite a rapid process. Meanwhile, anaerobic bacteria break down organic compounds using natural enzymes. This is a much slower process.
In an ideal world, it’s great to have a fountain or aerator in your pond. A feature like this will emit lots of oxygen, which aerobic bacteria need to thrive.
How often should I add beneficial bacteria to my pond?
There’s no way of knowing whether your pond is out of balance for sure, so it’s best to add pond bacteria to the water regularly. Aim for once a week to once a month.
When you top up your pond with beneficial bacteria regularly, you’ll:
- Improve water quality
- Reduce nutrient overload
- Reduce ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates
- Get rid of bad smells
- Keep your pond safe for pond life
You can buy cost-effective pond bacteria in both water-soluble packets and liquids to keep your pond life healthy.
About Warehouse Aquatics
The Warehouse Aquatics mission is to offer the most choice at the best prices when it comes to your fishes’ wellbeing. We use the products on our website ourselves and are well-versed in all things fish, so we can give you all the advice you need. We’re not just here to sell aquatic supplies. We’re also here to guide you through your journey as a fish owner and enthusiast.
As a small team, we love to hear from our customers, so please do join the Warehouse Aquatics social media community. We’re always up for a chat, and we’d love to share your aquarium photos with our followers.