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General information
America’s #1 pond clarifier requested by brand name
The most often asked questions
What is bio augmentation for water gardens & fish ponds?
It is the purposeful inoculation of a pond with a pre-selected consortium of micro organisms to restore the natural balance to your pond. This provides a healthier environment for all forms of aquatic plant and animal life and controls or eliminates many problems which commonly occur when the pond is not ecologically balanced.
What is Ecological Laboratories method of bio augmentation for water gardens and fish ponds?
Ecological Laboratories produces a product which is the equivalent of an 'ecosystem in a bottle' with all the necessary organisms required to fill in gaps in the lakes ecosystem which have resulted from environmental stresses. The bacteria are fully functional once the product is added to the pond or lagoon without having to 'germinate' like spore based products.
What makes Microbe-Lift® products work so well?
Microbe-Lift® products like Clean & Clear and Super Start have a full complement of photosynthetic, aerobic, facultative anaerobic, anaerobic, and chemosynthetic organisms which address all the common problems encountered in pond maintenance including high ammonia and nitrite, undigested organics, algae blooms, organic sediment build-up and foul odours.
Why does the product smell like rotten eggs?
The smell is attributable to the natural production of hydrogen sulphide by sulphate reducing bacteria as part of the ecosystem. This provides a source of energy for the purple sulphur bacteria in the product and as a metabolic inhibitor preserves the product giving it it’s long shelf life.
What is the final by-product?
CO2 and water.
Can Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear be diluted with water before use?
No. Microbe-Lift products should be shaken and used as it is.
If I have a biological filter, how do I apply the Microbe-Lift product?
Apply it directly to the pond. The organisms will establish a bio-film on the filter media as they circulate through it in the pond water.
What will Microbe-Lift do for my pond?
It reduces ammonia and nitrite levels, reduces noxious odours caused by urine, faecal matter, algae, overfeeding, etc., reduces hydrogen sulphide odours, improves dissolved oxygen, breaks down algae, reduces build-up of bird droppings.
Do the microbes need special conditions in the pond in order to work?
Microbe-Lift products can’t be used with pesticides or algaecides. For best result switch of UV, ozone and/or protein skimmers for 2-3 days.
What is the shelf life of Microbe-Lift products?
Approximately 3-5 years. Nite Out II has a shelf life of 18 months.
Are these microbes dangerous to my health?
No, these microbes are strains of bacteria that are naturally occurring in our environment.
Is it safe?
Microbe-Lift is 100% safe to humans, animals and plant life. It is non-toxic, non-pathogenic.
Can I use Microbe-Lift in the winter months?
Microbe-Lift will be successful if used under the layer of ice, even if it freezes in the container, it will thaw out and be effective when used.
Should Microbe-Lift be applied in one spot or should I walk around the pond and put it in different areas?
Microbe-Lift can either be applied in one area of the pond, or it can be applied in different areas. The end result will be full coverage of the entire pond.
Can Microbe-Lift work without light?
Microbe-Lift can work with or without light.
Can Microbe-Lift be sprayed in the pond?
Microbe-Lift can only be applied by pouring it into the pond by hand, or metering dispenser. It cannot be applied with a sprayer.
Are there chemical solvents or toxins in Microbe-Lift?
There are no chemical solvents or toxins detected in Microbe-Lift as substantiated by independent laboratory tests.
If I have a biological filter, do I need to add live bacteria?
Yes. Microbe-Lift will immediately seed the biological filter with beneficial bacteria and will help to enhance the ponds environment.
How will the bacteria react if I add salt to my pond?
Microbe-Lift will function in an environment of up to 1% salt.
Many people ask; 'How is Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear different from other biological products for my pond?'. Well, there are a number of important differences that make Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear superior to other bacterial products. Here are some examples:
- Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear has photosynthetic bacteria which can be very beneficial in balancing the ecology of a pond. They can use the sunlight as a source of energy, taking some of the load off of the aerobic heterotrophs. This is why our product has it’s characteristic purple/red colour. We do not add food coloring or other type of pigments to the product. Like all photosynthetic organisms, photosynthetic bacteria need a pigmented material to absorb the sunlight. In green plants, this pigmented material is chlorophyll which is responsible for the green colour in plants. The pigmented materials in the photosynthetic bacteria are called carotenoids, which gives them the purple/red colour. When we start to grow our product, the media is clear. After a few days of exposure to sunlight it turns the purple/red colour as if by magic when the bacteria synthesize this natural pigment. When some of our competition hear that customers and dealers feel the photosynthetic bacteria are beneficial they claim they have them too. Unfortunately, this is impossible since most of these products are clear. Since light just passes through a clear liquid, how can it contain photosynthetic bacteria? It simply can’t.
- Ecological Laboratories, Inc. is the basic manufacturer of Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear. Many other companies do not produce their own bacteria and their products are “stock products” mass produced by large culture manufacturers, sold for any number of applications and packaged under a variety of labels. Most of these products contain only aerobic heterotrophs and facultative anaerobes. While these may provide some benefit in a pond environment it cannot balance the ecosystem the way Microbe-Lift's consortium of aerobic heterotrophs, facultative anaerobes plus photosynthetic, anaerobic and chemosynthetic organisms can.
- Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear is grown in the container in which it is sold. This is because the organisms grow synergistically. It is a virtual 'ecosystem in a bottle'. They are grown together because that’s the way they have to work in your pond – together. Most products from the mass producers of bacteria are grown as individual strains in large tanks or in tray fermentors if they are dry products. Then they are blended before packaging with very little knowledge of how they will interact in the pond environment or any environment for that matter.
- Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear is so versatile that it will do many things that would require the addition of three or four of another company’s products. While the price of Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear may be a little higher than some competitive products by the time you add the various products you have to add to get the same results as Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear you might spend three to four times what you would spend to use Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear to achieve the same results.
- And, if you want to keep it simple - do what the most successful salesman for one of our best dealers does when asked why he recommends Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear. All he tells his customers when they ask him what Microbe-Lift Clean & Clear can do for their pond is 'It cuts your pond maintenance in half'. Simple, but very effective - and true.
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