Questions and Answers On Bacta-Pur Products
1 Question: What time of the year should I be using Bacta-Pur® KLEAR & Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK?
Answer: This depends on where you live. Bacta-Pur® products should be used as long as there is no ice cover on your pond and particularly as long as you are feeding your fishes.
2 Question: Where do I add Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK should be added directly in the filter, if there is no filter then directly in the pond, near the aerators, if any.
3 Question: How often do I use Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK should be added weekly, as indicated on the label. There is no need to add any, during the winter months, if there is ice cover or if water is near the freezing point.
4 Question: Can Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK harm the fish or other life in the pond?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK are absolutely not harmful to fish and invertebrates; they are beneficial, just follow the instructions. The beneficial bacteria in Bacta-Pur® KLEAR can out-compete algae.
5 Question: I’ve added the products but ammonia is not coming down or the water stays green -why?
Answer: There are several conditions to verify:
Are you overfeeding the fish? This is THE most common cause of problems. You are not trying to produce tonnage but rather just keep your fish healthy. Daily feeding is not necessary; three times a week in small amounts is usually more than enough. Bacta-Pur® KLEAR converts wastes into natural and beneficial food for goldfish and koi. If the body is larger than the head, as viewed from above, the fish are not starving; they are well fed. Don’t love your fish to death.
- Check pH; the ideal pH is 7.0 - 8.5 but is acceptable as low as 6.5 or up to 8.8. Outside of these limits, the activity of nitrifying bacteria is reduced.
- Check carbonaceous alkalinity (measured in mg/L CaCO3); it should be above 100 mg/L.
- Is the biological filter working properly? Check the flow rate through the system and make sure that the filter media is not in need of cleaning.
- Are you using Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK as indicated? Beneficial bacterial require trace elements, just as people do.
6 Question: Will Bacta-Pur® KLEAR clear algae/green water?
Answer: Yes, as it’s name implies. Bacta-Pur® KLEAR contains no algaecide or other poison; Bacta-Pur® KLEAR does not kill algae. The community of beneficial microorganisms in Bacta-Pur® KLEAR out-competes algae for nutrients. This is a natural process not a chemical one, natural processes are slower but safer and may take up to about a week.
7 Question: How do I know Bacta-Pur® is working?
Answer: There will be greater visibility in the pond, and there will be improved water quality, which can be monitored, with test kits, in terms ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Sludge accumulations will also decrease.
8 Question: Will Bacta-Pur® KLEAR help reduce diseases in fish?
Answer: Yes, regular use of Bacta-Pur® KLEAR helps maintain good water quality and reduces stress on the fish (ammonia and nitrite cause stress), thereby making them more resistant to infection. In addition, regular use of Bacta-Pur® KLEAR protects the fish by the probiotic effect of assuring the presence of vastly greater numbers of beneficial microorganisms, which out number the pathogens and thus limit their growth.
9 Question: How long does Bacta-Pur® KLEAR last once the bottle is opened?
Answer: The bottle should be used within three months.
10 Question: Is it possible to over-dose with Bacta-Pur® KLEAR?
Answer: No, but one should always follow instructions.
11 Question: Is it possible to under-dose with Bacta-Pur® KLEAR?
Answer: Yes, one should always follow instructions.
12 Question: How do Bacta-Pur® KLEAR and NUTRIPAK work?
Answer: Regular use of Bacta-Pur® KLEAR assures the presence of a balanced community of bacteria, which improve water quality. The bacterial team in Bacta-Pur® KLEAR work synergistically to improve water quality by controlling ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate as well as reducing sludge. The bacterial community out-competes algae for nutrients to remove green water. The beneficial community in Bacta-Pur® KLEAR also provides biopolymers, which help clarify water. The result is clearer and healthier water for your fishes and elimination of noxious odors.
Growth of the beneficial bacteria can be limited by lack of essentials minerals in the water; these conditions can vary both geographically and seasonally depending on rain fall, snow melt, water treatment systems etc. Regular use Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK assures the presence of essential minerals and trace elements, which may be lacking in your water. Think of Bacta-Pur® NUTRIPAK as a vitamin or mineral supplement for the health of the water purifying community.
13 Question: Can I mix Bacta-Pur® with chemicals in the pond?
Answer: Some chemicals are harmful to bacteria. Read the instructions for the chemicals to find out. Never mix two products together, even if you use them at the same time.
14 Question: What time of the day should Bacta-Pur® KLEAR be added?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR can be added at any time of the day, but if one wishes to out-compete algae, additions should be made at the end of the day when algae are the least active due to reduced light.
15 Question: How long before Bacta-Pur® KLEAR begins to work?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR starts immediately to solubilize sludge and other processes start over the next hour as the beneficial bacteria come out of dormancy. Biological processes are slower than chemical poisons; positive results will be seen within a few days to a week, depending on conditions such as temperature, pH or aeration.
16 Question: Some users of Bacta-Pur® KLEAR have noted a rapid decrease in nitrite. How is this possible?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR contains bacteria capable of converting and removing nitrite by not just one but two pathways: nitrite can be converted to nitrate by the nitrifiers and to nitrogen gas by the denitrifiers.
17 Question: Does Bacta-Pur® contain bacteria capable of nitrification and denitrification? If so how does one avoid partial denitrification?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR contains bacteria which are capable of nitrification and complete denitrification, which is the conversion of nitrate or nitrite into nitrogen gas. Partial denitrification is the conversion of nitrate into nitrite. Not all bacteria are capable of complete denitrification, in fact, strains capable of incomplete denitrification are naturally more abundant than the desirable ones, which perform complete denitrification. Regular use of Bacta-Pur® KLEAR assures the presence and dominance of strains capable of complete denitrification.
18 Question: How does Bacta-Pur® KLEAR solubilize protein?
Answer: Bacta-Pur® KLEAR solubilizes sludge and proteins by splitting the long chain molecules into smaller fractions such as amino acids, which are water soluble. Bacta-Pur® KLEAR also solubilizes fats by converting them into fatty acids, which are also soluble in water. The solubilized sludge, protein and fats will then be converted by the beneficial community in Bacta-Pur® KLEAR into bacterial biomass, carbon dioxide and water. The bacterial biomass is natural food for your fish and invertebrates. Converting pollutants into beneficial food is the natural way of maintaining pond health by converting pollutants into something useful to your pond community.