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Q. Does utilizing my UV in my pond have any effect on Microbe-Lift?

A. I would assume that you are using the UV filter to control "green Water" or pathogens or both. The UV will affect all organisms passing through the beam so we recommend turning off the UV for 48 to 72 hours after the first addition of Microbe-Lift/PL and for 24 to 48 hours after all subsequent dosages. After this point, there will be a large enough population of the beneficial MICROBE-LIFT organisms in your pond that they will grow faster than your UV light can kill them while it's doing it's job of controlling algae and pathogens.

There is a little more in depth explanation of this is the FAQs on our website at www.microbelift.com.

Q. What causes cloudiness in the water and can MICROBE-LIFT/PL and MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep help?

A. There are basically several reasons for cloudiness to the water. The first is suspended solids, which can be either inorganic or organic. Inorganic solids can be sand, etc. Organic solids can include decomposing organic matter and even bacteria. Since most of these particles have  a higher specific gravity than water they generally settle out unless there is some energy e.g turbulence that keeps them in suspension. A lot of times these particles will stay in suspension more readily in cold water which is denser than warm water. Usually when these suspended solids settle the water will be clear. There are also colloidal organics which can cause suspension of organic and inorganic solids. Another cause of cloudy water is dissolved organics which can cause dispersion of the light in the water making it appear cloudy. An example of this would be something like tea. Where can dissolved organics come from? There are any number of sources including organic waster from fish and  waterfowl; decomposition of plant matter and runoff of organic matter. Now that you understand what causes it, what can you do about it. Well...in most cases the MICROBE-LIFT/PL will do a very good job by degrading dissolved or colloidal organics. The bacteria can also induce flocculation of solids and sweep inorganic solids from the water as they settle. How long this takes depends on how much organic is there.

Our product has been successful 95% of the time in clearing cloudy water and we are trying to improve it to work 99% of the time. I'd say 100% but I don't know if it's possible to get anything to work in every different kind of pond environment to which the product can be introduced.

Before I get to the following questions, there are some very good videos on pond installation and maintenance by Gary Wittstock of Pond Supplies of America. I have been a speaker at a number of seminars where Gary has also been a speaker and he has been installing ponds since the mid-80's. In addition Gary has a degree in engineering from Ohio State so he approaches pond installation like an engineer......with a lot of hand's on experience.

Q. Which of the Ecolab products do you recommend for me based on the above description? (both initial and maintenance)

A. For the situation you describe above you can use a combination of our products as follows. First, I recommend the MICROBE-LIFT/PL to balance the ecosystem in your pond. There are organisms for cycling all of the key elements in your pond including the organic compounds that make up much of the sediments that build up on the bottom of your pond. Kind of like recycling vs. taking out the trash. In the fall, in fact any day now, you can use our MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep to accelerate the breakdown of leaves and other extraneous matter that can build up on the bottom of your pond. Of course, there is a limit to the amount of organics the product can digest but most people find that using these two products significantly reduce the frequency of cleaning. Many people contracted us and said that after using the Autumn/Winter Prep their pond had never looked so good this spring. While you may have clean the pond our occasionally when you do there will be less material to remove and it will be less mucky. Also, you will be able to get by with fewer water changes.

Q. Will any of your products have a significant impact on the sludge bottom or am I stuck mucking it our by hand, and can this even be done with any effect?

A. See answer to the above question.

Q. Is algae control the best I can hope for or will it be possible to actually get clear water?

A. In better than 90% of the cases, people report that after using our products their water was clearer than it has ever been. One man with a number of prize Koi fish called because he was so happy that we had gotten his water so clear that he said it looked like "they were floating in air". Maybe your pond won't get this clear....but who knows.

Q. I do not have any type of filtration system. Is this a necessary component to actually clearing the water? Does it have to be or should it be UV? Do they even make systems to deal with the size that I have described?

A. Is this one question? Like in may areas, there are differing opinions on this. I am an advocate of filters since they will provide a "home" for the bacteria and an environment where certain biological conversions, e.g denitrification (the biological reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas which harmlessly exits the pond into the atmosphere). This reaction is one that would not occur right in the pond water but only in the kinds of environments that occur in the filter.

There are three primary functions of filters: mechanical, chemical and biological. Simply, the mechanical function is to remove large particulates like leaves, twigs, etc. The chemical function is usually absorptive using a media like carbon which removes certain trace organics and certain metals. Finally, the biological function involves media for the bacteria to grow on. These bacteria are capable of carrying out a variety of complex biochemical reactions.

There are two advantages of having a UV component to your filter. First, it will help control the growth of certain planktonic algae like blue-green algae which cause what people describe as "pea soup". This only works on the algae that pass through the UV light so it will have no effect on filamentous or sessile algae. It will also help control pathogenic bacteria in the tank. Unfortunately, it also kills the beneficial bacteria. Fortunately, MICROBE-LIFT/PL will allow you to maintain a good population of healthy bacteria. We do recommend turning off a UV filter for 48 to 72 hours after the first application of PL and 24 to 48 hours after subsequent applications.

And yes, they do make filter systems large enough for any size pond. You can also use several filters or even have once custom made by a pond specialty store.

Q. Are any of these strategies mutually exclusive? Would a UV filtration system make the use of beneficial bacteria unnecessary?

A. See the last answer.

Q. Do you know of anyone locally (at Rutgers) who is knowledgeable and accessible for these types of question/problems?

A. Probably the best source for this type of information is your local pond professional. If you let me know what town you are in I might be able to recommend one that can give you the help you need.

Q. I recently put the MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep in my pond. My question is, there is string algae forming. I had been using Interpet Pond Balance to control. The instruction sheet with the MICROBE-LIFT says not to use algaecides. The Pond Balance does not call their product such, but says it creates a biological and chemical balance that prevents the algae. Do you know if it is safe for me to continue using the Pond Balance with your product?

My second question is, most sources say to remove the biological filters in the pond after the temperature reaches 50. I live in Idaho and the pond is now between 45-50. Should I leave my biological filter in with your product in the pond, or do you also recommend removing it for the winter?

A. The MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep will speed up the decomposition of leaves and other organic particulates solubilizing them. In the short term, this will release some nutrient that can stimulate some algae growth until the pond is ecologically balanced which the MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep will do in much the same way as the Pond Balance. However, if you want to use them together there is not a problem. The MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep is perfectly compatible with the Pond Balance.

As for removing your filter from the water it is not absolutely necessary but I will give you some guidelines. There are some "psychrophiles" or "cold-loving" bacteria in the MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep. These will help to shift the population from the "mesophiles" that are  predominant in your pond during the summer when temperatures are generally above 55 degrees F. The populations tend to diminish as the weather gets colder to the point where usually a biological filter doesn't do very much when ambient temperatures are below 50 degrees F. With the MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Prep we have observed and had people report good activity down to around 37 degrees F. While this activity is slower than the activity of the mesophiles at 60 degrees it does provide a benefit in terms of helping to break down organics late into the season. The key is to keep your water circulating through the filter at a rate where the water in the pump and filter does not freeze which can damage the filter housing and pump. I'd leave the filter in until this becomes a concern. I'm sure that won't happen for another month or so although it does get cold in Idaho....or you wouldn't have all that great skiing.

Q. Is it safe to use MICROBE-LIFT/PL every week indefinitely, instead of going to the once/month maintenance schedule? I live in South Florida where the climate is perfect for algae growth. In addition, I have a large fish population. The pond looked great after the first couple of treatments, but when I went to the maintenance schedule, it started to slip back into cloudy mode.

A. Yes, it is safe to use MICROBE-LIFT/PL on a weekly basis. We have found that when there are a number of conditions that tend to promote an unbalanced ecosystem e.g. large fish population, intense sunlight, warm temperatures that more frequent addition or bumping up the dosage 20% usually helps overcome these factors.

Unlike chemicals it's not possible to add too much bacteria since the system will only support a certain population based on the "substrate" or "food" available to the bacteria so the ultimate population density is self regulating. In addition, the dosage of bacteria is designed to allow for growth of the bacteria to give you the appropriate levels.

The only thing you have to watch when a pond has a large fish population or a lot of built up organics is to make sure you have an adequate dissolved oxygen level in the water so that there is enough for the fish...and the "bugs".

By the way, did you know our products are produced in Florida?? Not quite south Florida but Cape Coral. Good luck with your pond.

Q. I have a couple of questions concerning your product. I am familiar with my options I have of all your products. I was wondering if I could use all of the products together such as your MICROBE-LIFT/PL, MICROBE-LIFT/TheraP, and your MICROBE-LIFT/Ensure or will this be an overload, and cause the products to cancel each other out or create a bloom. I do know that the MICROBE-LIFT/Ensure product does help to promote a longer blooming cycle on water lilies, lotus, hyacinths etc. Is this going to put a fertilizer in the water? If so, then will it create an algae problem? Which goes back to the point of one product such as the MICROBE-LIFT/PL formula which is used for the algae not being as effective because you are putting the MICROBE-LIFT/Ensure product in your pond also.

And for my next question I listened to you speak at the GARDN/WISE VPG seminar in Boise ID. It was mentioned that there is a product out on the market that you can use in your fish aquariums at home. Is this product just the standard MICROBE-LIFT/PL formula or is there a special type which is needed for this purpose?

A. Yes, the products are all compatible and can be used together. Since there is some overlap in the organisms I usually recommend that if a customer is using PL that they can lower the dosage of any additional products by 40%.

And the ENSURE does not work by adding fertilizer to the water but adds symbiotic bacterial populations that allow the plant to use the nutrients in the water more efficiently. They also produce certain growth factors that help the plant to grow. It can be used to help keep the plants robust with a minimal amount of fertilizer which can help minimize algae blooms. A big benefit of the ENSURE  is the reduction in transplant shock. I'd recommend it to anyone purchasing aquatic plants.

As for the aquarium product, we started the testing  with PL in aquariums, which worked very well. In the field-testing, we ran into some minor problems which we were able to eliminate by a slight reformulation of the product. It is still very similar and in most cases the PL will work well in an aquarium except in that small % of cases. From a marketing standpoint, it is probably better to have a dedicated label for the aquarium product but there were some technical considerations as well.

Q. My problem is this, I have a Koi that is affected with an external ulcer. I know that the cause of this ulcer is aeromonas and that the aeromonas are feeding on the nutrients that are available in the water. The Koi is about 7" and the ulcer is the size of a dime. I would really like to save this fish if I could.

1) Is there any hope of using any combination of MICROBE-LIFT products to decrease the food supply for the Aeromonas?

2) Can I overdose the water with MICROBE-LIFT products to make their effect more rapid?

3) Have you had any experience with fish having this disease, and if so, are there any other products that be of better help?

A. You seem pretty sure that the ulcer is caused by Aeromonas so I will respond according to that scenario.

Yes, the Aeromonas does feed on nutrients in the water. Aeromonas are heterotrophs and, in many cases, saprophytes. This means that they use organic sources of carbon and often live on dead or decaying organic matter. Because of this the population or Aermonas proliferates in the vicinity of the ulcer by feeding on the dead tissue. (A similar organism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, causes infections in burn wounds in much the same way.) It also produces chemicals that destroy more living tissue.

There are two key factors to address: the first is the ulcer which you want to address with a more aggressive therapy which means a medication or possibly surgery; the second is eliminating the conditions that resulted in the infection to begin with but first things first. Right now you want to do is isolate the fish, if possible, to avoid infection of any of the other fish and eliminate the environment that caused the infection in the first place. You may want to do a "salt dip" to shock the Aeromonas. Then I'd recommend one of the formalin based medications, tea tree oil medications or an antibiotic.

You can ask your pond specialty store if they have any of these products-tea tree oil, formalin product or antibiotic in stock. (You may have to get a prescription from a vet for an antibiotic.) The formalin products and tea tree oils have bactericidal properties so they will address the infection at the site of the ulcer. An antibiotic will not kill bacteria but slow down the growth so that the fish's immune system can destroy the infection. Using a medication in combination with an antibiotic gives you two-pronged approach and will work a little faster.

Before putting the fish back into the pond I'd recommend using our MICROBE-LIFT/PL and MICROBE-LIFT/TheraP in combination in the pond. (You can reduce the TheraP dosage when you use the PL by 40% since there are some organisms common to both products.) The PL will help keep the water cleaner and provide a population of beneficial bacteria which will make it harder for undesirable organisms, like Aeromonas, to become established. This will address the root cause of the infection. The PL also provides many other benefits like keeping the water clear, reducing sediment buildup and cycling nitrogen compounds. Like any organism, the healthier the environment the healthier the organism and the better it's ability to fight off infections to begin with.

By adding the TheraP as a preventive or in response to low grade infections e.g a small ulcer, you stimulate the organisms immune in much the same way a vaccine does. Your fish are regularly exposed some level of pathogens and normally are able to fight off the infection. Due to certain conditions, including environmental factors, occasionally a pathogen will find the right route of entry and act on what is called an etiological agent and cause a disease. At the same time the TheraP controls pathogens through "competitive exclusion" and also help keep the water quality good providing a healthier environment, just like the PL does.

Hope this information is timely enough to save your fish and that use of the MICROBE-LIFT/PL and MICROBE-LIFT/TheraP will keep you from having to worry about this again.

Q. I have used MICROBE-LIFT for my pond. This year we bought a UV light because we just couldn't get the pond clear. It worked. The pond is clear except for what I think is string algae. It is attached to the liner, but stringy. I had not been using MICROBE-LIFT since the light. I bought some today. MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep. If I use it will the light cancel out the benefits of the MICROBE-LIFT? Thanks for any help you can give me.

A. This is a very good, as well as commonly asked, question. In fact, I address it in our FAQs. Rather than referring you to the FAQs though I wanted to add a little in your case regarding filamentous, or string, algae. Yes, you should unplug (or turn off) your UV light for the first 48 to 72 hours after you add the first dosage of MICROBE-LIFT/PL and 24 to 48 hours for the weekly and monthly maintenance dosages that follow. The reason for this is that the microorganisms are most sensitive to the effects of the UV light when they are rapidly growing. The most rapid growth usually occurs within the first 24 to 48 hours after addition of the product and possibly a little longer with the first addition. When rapidly dividing the organisms are most affected by the UV light because that is when the DNA in the dividing cells so that new cells produced aren't viable it stands to reason that this will be the time when the organisms are most affected. This is a good case for adding MICROBE-LIFT products  to restore an healthy population of beneficial bacteria when UV lights are used to control algae.

The UV lights affect the algae in much the same way it affects the bacteria so only the planktonic, or free floating algae, will be affected by the UV light since only the cells passing through the light are affected. Since the filamentous, or string algae, is attached and does not pass through the UV light it is not affected since the UV light doesn't affect the water in a way it has a residual affect

All questions printed here were answered by Mark Krupka, Technical Director for Ecological Laboratories. Mark has a degree in Microbiology from Rutgers University and has published numerous articles on environmental microbiology, biological wastewater treatment, strain selection, bioaugmentation and bioremediation. Mark can be reached at our web site: www.microbe-lift.com or email him at markanswerme@aol.com.