How to make bacteria for the pond?

How to make bacteria for your pond? A pond is an aquatic environment that must be maintained regularly. In addition, it is a micro-space of biodiversity where a wide variety of microorganisms live.

Thus, the presence of bacteria is essential to ensure the biological balance of the pond. So, how to promote the development of good bacteria in a closed aquatic environment? This is what we will see in this article.

Why make bacteria for your pond?

Bacteria are microorganisms that perform several functions. Their effective action begins with the degradation of organic matter that accumulates in your pond. They transform waste of plant or animal origin into nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

In this way, bacteria reduce the pollution caused by the proliferation of algae and the accumulation of sludge. Likewise, they reduce the amount of pathogens such as Escherichia, salmonella or coliforms.

Making bacteria for your pond: instructions

Starter bacteria

To create a new ecosystem in your pond, simply install "starter" bacteria in it. This setup is done simply by pouring a product containing bacteria into your pond. 

At the beginning of spring, fill your pond with tap water and let it rest for two days. Once the chlorine has evaporated, check its temperature, hardness and pH. Well-oxygenated water should be over 10 degrees, a KH of 8, a GH of 14 and a pH of 7. 

You may be interested in: our guide for analyzing your pond water

Oxygenation of the pond

To oxygenate your pond and facilitate the development of pond bacteria, we recommend selecting an aeration kit adapted to your volume ofem. 

Nitrifying bacteria

Finally, pour nitrifying bacteria in liquid form into your pond. You will find bottles of different sizes in gardening stores. For a new pond, count 1 liter of liquid bacteria for 10 cubic meters of water.

When to add bacteria to your pond?

To maintain your pond in the long term, you must add maintenance bacteria. The easiest way is to sprinkle powdered bacteria over the entire surface of the pond. 

Repeat this operation once a week, to treat the new water. Then, add it once every two weeks during the heat waves.

When the water ages, its biological balance stabilizes. Consequently, the addition of bacteria becomes less and less useful. However, if you notice that the water changes color, do not hesitate to test your water to see if it needs an addition of bacteria.

How to add bacteria to your pond?

To add powdered maintenance bacteria, you will need a bucket and an oxygenation device. Take a bucket filled with water from the pond in which you place an oxygen diffuser. Mix 4 spoons of powdered maintenance bacteria. Let this preparation rest for 3 hours.

The dehydrated bacteria become active under the action of water and oxygen. 

Pour the mixture over the entire surface of the pond at a rate of 4 spoons per 20 cubic meters of water. The accumulated impurities will disappear in a few days.

Furthermore, note that the action of bacteria is vital to safeguard the ecosystem of the pond. Decomposing organic matter, algae and sludge can suffocate the biodiversity of an aquatic environment. However, the primary role of bacteria is to ingest all this polluting matter. Then, they transform it into nutrients essential to the ecosystem of your pond. Finally, the action of bacteria also promotes gas exchanges between the water and the air.

Before adding bacteria: precautions to take

A few simple steps avoid wasting a bacterial treatment:

• Check the water: check the hardness and the pH before adding. Bacteria work better in sufficiently hard water, with a stable pH around 7 to 8, and as soon as the water exceeds 8 to 10 °C.
• Beware of chlorine: tap water often contains chlorine, which destroys bacteria. After a filling or a major top-up, let the water rest for one to two days or use a water conditioner before seeding.
• Think about the UV lamp: turn it off during seeding to give bacteria time to settle. We detail this point in the article Should you turn off the UV when you put bacteria in a pond?
• Distribute over the entire surface: pour the bacteria over the entire pond, and not only in the filter.
• Double the dose in case of a peak: in case of an ammonia or nitrite peak, the dose of liquid starter bacteria can be doubled, i.e. up to 2 liters for 10 m³.

On the filter side, clean in stages rather than all at once: for example the brushes one week, the Japanese mats the following week, then the sponges. Always rinse in pond water, never in tap water, to preserve the bacterial colonies.

How to keep bacteria during filter cleaning?

The action of good bacteria cannot be sustainable if your filtration system is effective. Indeed, the Nitrosomonas bacteria and the Nitrobacter bacteria constantly need oxygen to survive in stagnant water and filtration promotes the oxygenation of the pond. This is why filter cleaning is extremely important.

Attention: you should never clean a filter completely. Each cleaning must be done partially to safeguard the good bacteria that cling to it.

Thus, for your pond to be a real asset for your garden, you must know how to maintain it. So, think about monitoring the quality of its water and regularly adding good bacteria. This is how its balance will be guaranteed, in the long term.

For more information regarding the maintenance of garden ponds, visit our blog!

• How to create a natural pond? 
• How to choose your filter for a garden pond?
• How to grow a water lily in a pond or pool?