It's July... Don't Stop Adding Beneficial Bacteria Now!
Colorado’s intense sun, high elevation, and hot July and August temperatures put extra stress on ponds. Most pond owners do a great job adding beneficial bacteria during the spring startup. They diligently add it weekly for a couple months. The pond looks great, and then life gets busy, temperatures rise, and the weekly treatments slowly stop. You may not even be able to remember when you last added it or if you added it each week.
If you’re new to beneficial bacteria, start with this short explanation of what it is.
Photo of our pond the other day.
As water temperatures climb past the 80s, everything in your pond speeds up.
- Fish eat more and produce more waste.
- Algae grows faster.
- Organic debris breaks down more quickly.
- Warm water holds less oxygen.
- Uneaten fish food and fish waste accumulate faster now than in they do in the spring.
Without enough beneficial bacteria working to digest that organic waste, your pond can quickly develop various types of green algae and unpleasant odors.
While these lilies are slightly overgrown, they are really providing shade
“But I Added Bacteria in April…”
That’s great—but beneficial bacteria aren’t a one-time treatment.
Bacteria may or may not stay in your pond forever. If the bacteria consumes the nutrients some can die off. a UV clarifier will kill some off. If we had heavy rains, which we have NOT had this year, it would dilute it down. Because we can’t see them, it is hard to know if their population has been reduced over time. Adding bacteria weekly, continuously processes the waste entering your pond.
Consistently adding bacteria weekly is much more effective than adding a large amount only once in a while. Beneficial bacteria won’t eliminate every algae problem overnight, but when used consistently alongside :
- good filtration
- proper circulation
- proper fish feeding
- routine maintenance
it is one of the best natural tools for keeping your pond healthy and clear!
Look at this beautiful pond in Longmont. A client of ours sent me this picture. Her care of this pond keeps it looking gorgeous!
Kristi's Tips
If you have scheduled a cleanout in this hot weather, make sure that they keep most of the water and put it back in. Otherwise, the temperature of the hose water may cool off the pond too quickly for your fish! Temperature difference of over 5 degrees can kill fish if not done SLOWLY!