Most of us live our lives trying to avoid bacteria and situations that may expose us to bacteria, and here I am telling how important it is to add bacteria to your pond and aquarium installations! Now stay with me because I am not suggesting that you expose yourself to anything that would have a negative impact, the bacteria I am recommending is “beneficial bacteria” (or microbes); a bacterial strain that will have a positive impact on your aquatic environment whether it be an aquarium installation, backyard pond installation, or large natural ponds. The bacteria we are speaking of occur naturally, but not always in the quantities and concentrations that we are hoping for; so we supplement our aquatic environments by adding bacteria directly. Beneficial bacteria plays a major role in the breakdown of organics and nutrients that build up in ponds, lakes, and aquaria. Without the activity of beneficial bacteria our ponds would never be more than a pool of green water and overgrown algae, with the addition of beneficial bacteria to our pond installations, aquarium installations, or natural ponds and lakes we are creating a stable, clean, clear biotope for the inhabitants of the environment and YOU!Beneficial bacteria/microbes are produced by a manufacturer through a fermentation process and offered on the open market where companies can buy the bacteria and create their own blends or simply repackage them for sale. Quality and potency of the microbial blends depend on the manufacturer and their “recipe”, part of my job at FSA is to shop the different products and direct our customers to the highest quality bacteria blend that is available for them to use; as with any product there are many bacteria blends that are full of fillers or have a very low bacteria concentration. The higher the bacteria count in the pond installation or aquarium installation, the higher your water quality will be. Some scientists have also proven that the use of beneficial bacteria can also eliminate bad bacteria like salmonella found in captive turtle environments.Our recommended blend of bacteria treatments for our customers to use, have a blend of Heterotrophic Bacteria and Lithotrophic Bacteria strains. Heterotrophic bacteria are responsible for the reduction and decomposition of organics like pond sludge. Lithotrophic bacteria (nitrosomonas and nitrobacter) are vital in the active removal of ammonia and nitrite. Consistent use of these beneficial bacteria treatments will ensure a clean, clear, and efficiently functioning aquatic system.