Dollars And Sense

Text Box: Bacteria What is Bacteria? It is a microorganism that the naked eye cannot see. When I was at a pond supply store an employee caught my attention he was filling one gallon plastic jugs with pond water and then adding 4-5 drops of some kind of blue dye. After doing that he was stocking the shelves with these jugs. I have to say I was very intrigued and when a customer picked up two of the jugs and put them in her shopping cart, I had to ask what she was going to do with the liquids in the jugs. “She said why this is bacteria for my pond. I was told I need to put 1 gallon a week in my pond, for the next 6 weeks.” I have read just about all products that there is on the market. All the major manufacturers sell their products in aquarium stores. This makes sense because aquariums are indoors and are not exposed to the elements of outdoors; they are more sterile, than your outdoor pond. This is the reason they need bacteria. Prior to the water gardening explosion, the manufacturers of bacteria were selling small quantities for aquariums. Of course the manufacturers saw dollar signs, and began to the bacteria by the gallon!! My opinion is why buy something that you already have in your pond? Bacteria is a microorganism that the naked eye cannot see, but it comes from outdoor elements. If you have any of these elements in your pond you have plenty of bacteria. These elements are, plants, dirt or soil, rainwater, leaves that have blown down from a tree, water bugs, snails, mosquito larva, dragonflies, fish, rocks and the so on. To me it seems like buying fresh air in a can, just walk outside and there is plenty of air for free, just doesn’t make sense buying something that Mother Nature gives us for free.