2010 Fall/Winter Pond Maintenance-Microbe Management

Did you spend more time than you would have liked this year trying to get your pond water clean and clear?  Did you suffer from a case of never ending pea soup colored pond water? Or maybe you still haven’t been able to see your fish this year… Or the looming thought of just one truck load of dirt to bury the headaches all together?  Face it, a pond or water feature takes a lot of hard work to go from a dream to a reality.  If all of this is sounding a little too familiar, now is the time to start to make next year easier and less of a hassle.  There are a few key steps to take in the next few months as the leaves change that are necessary to prepare for winter and ensure that your water garden is in top shape for the beginning of next spring.  Fall and winter maintenance is often forgotten or overlooked and can be the keystone in your maintenance routine.

Probably the most overlooked aspect of a healthy pond and happy fish are the microscopic bacteria on the frontlines of the battle for water quality.  Establishing a colony of beneficial bacteria will combat murky water and fishy odors.  The Beneficial bacteria contained in Microbe-Lift® products are: Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacters, Nitrospiras, Denitrifiers and cellulase producers all play a major part in the Nitrogen Cycle in your pond.  A fully functioning Nitrogen cycle will keep your water clear and your fish healthy.  Fish waste, excess food and dead plant matter break down in the pond water and release Ammonia, which at high levels is toxic to fish.  Nitrosomonas convert Ammonia into Nitrite.  Nitrite is also toxic to fish at high levels so Nitrobacter and Nitrospira bacteria oxidize the toxic Nitrite to a non toxic Nitrate.  Nitrate is a food source for plants.  Denitrifiers that colonize anoxic environments such as filters and bio-films convert the nitrates into nitrogen gas that will bubble out of the water.  There is a lot of action behind the scenes in a healthy water garden and the Microbe-Lift® products fill in the gaps and keep the gears turning all year long.

 Creative Visions has a full line of Microbe-Lift® products to help you keep your pond clean, clear and ecologically balanced.  The Microbe-Lift® Autumn/Winter Prep is a two part system designed to give your pond a head start for a cleaner clearer spring.  This product is natural and completely safe for humans, plants, fish and pets.  The all natural bacteria species in AWP accelerate the decomposition of leaves, sediment and other organic matter during the fall and winter months and continues to work in water temperatures below 55° F.  Applying this now will make the dreaded spring pond cleaning much easier.