If you have a pond or water garden in your backyard, think of it as its own small ecosystem. You may have fish or plants, but you will always have debris. All this causes the water to have nutrient buildup that can cause issues like algae, toxic ammonia, or phosphate issues. There’s a way to balance all these nutrients to have a healthy, clear pond that lets fish and plants thrive: This is to use the right water treatment supplies to encourage the Nitrogen Cycle to naturally balance out nutrients for better water quality and healthier fish.

We are going to break the Nitrogen Cycle up into steps:

Ammonia–Ammonia is a toxic waste product produced by the fish themselves. When fish eat, they produce ammonia and if not kept in check, it can become harmful to all aquatic life. Also, uneaten fish food and overfeeding fish increases ammonia levels. Another cause of ammonia is the debris that turns into sludge at the bottom of the pond. All this decaying waste releases ammonia into the water, which can impact fish health. When you test for ammonia, it should ideally read 0.0 ppm. The introduction of Beneficial Bacteria will start the Nitrogen Cycle to break down the ammonia present in a pond and turn it into Nitrites.
Nitrites–Nitrites can also be toxic to fish and other aquatic life. But in the Nitrogen Cycle, you want to introduce Beneficial Bacteria to convert ammonia into nitrites as a natural step in the Nitrogen Cycle process. When ammonia is converted into nitrites, the water is moving on to become safer for fish. After testing, nitrites should read 0.0 ppm after the Nitrogen Cycling process. Nitrites will eventually turn it into nitrates.
Nitrates–With Beneficial Bacteria, ammonia is converted to nitrites, which are then broken down into nitrates. Nitrates are safer for fish, act as important nutrients for plants, and this eventually helps to create a stable ecosystem in the pond. This is the next stage of the conversion process. From here, plants will continue to absorb nitrates, which help produce growth.
All Testing Levels Read As 0.0 ppm–Eventually, even nitrates will be broken down and, if tested, this will also read as 0.0 ppm. All these nutrients are converted into harmless gases that escape out of the water. This process also aids in naturally filtering water and helps maintain clear water and good water quality.

Here are some benefits of completing the Cycle:

The water will be clearer.
There won’t be issues will foul odors.
The ecosystem will be balanced to support fish and aquatic wildlife.
Sludge will eventually break down at the bottom of the pond.
Plants will thrive and consume leftover nutrients.

Why is Beneficial Bacteria So Helpful?

These Bacteria cultures are “seeded” typically in liquid or powdered form. As they are introduced, they grow within filter media, bio balls, river rock, gravel, and many other places they can colonize. Beneficial Bacteria helps to break down organic waste and improves water clarity.

There are various things that can help Beneficial Bacteria take hold and multiply:

Water Circulation – Having good oxygen levels in the water will only help Beneficial Bacteria thrive. Using an aerator and having the pond pump turned on both encourages increased oxygen levels.
pH – Ideal pH levels for Beneficial Bacteria growth are neutral to slightly Alkaline. This would be a reading of 7.0 to 8.0/8.5.
Temperature – Seeding your pond should be done between the temperatures of 65 degrees and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want to start earlier in the Spring, there are cold water bacteria options you can also use.
Filter Media – As mentioned above, using filter mats, bio balls, gravel, and other materials, Beneficial Bacteria can multiply and thrive.
Nutrient Sources – Believe it or not, having a little ammonia present in your pond can help the seeding process start. You don’t want the Ammonia to be at toxic levels, but some will help them flourish. This could be just the muck at the bottom of your pond.

The Nitrogen Cycle is an ongoing process in any body of water. That’s why treating your water with Beneficial Bacteria in a routine maintenance plan will only help this process continue. If you have fish, sludge at the bottom of your pond or plant debris, Beneficial Bacteria will encourage turning ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates in a healthy cycle with natural biological filtration. This means less algae, clearer water, and less muck at the bottom of the pond.

I use Beneficial Bacteria at each house I do maintenance at each Spring. It is a tried-and-true process for lake and pond management in all parts of the country, not just Omaha or Nebraska and Iowa or even the Midwest. It works in any pond or lake anywhere in the world. At Heartland Pond Supply, we are big believers in applying Beneficial Bacteria as part of a whole maintenance plan.