Bacterial products are formulated for specific purposes and therefore require specific bacterial strains. Each strain has a unique “profile” to it. These profiles will determine which bacterial strains are chosen for each product formulation, therefore optimizing each blend. A strain profile has many steps.
Enzyme Production
Each individual strain of beneficial pond bacteria is mapped for its enzyme production. Most strains are capable of producing dozens of different enzymes, but usually efficient at producing only a few enzymes very well. For example, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is a strain that is a very efficient producer of amylase, which is the enzyme needed for starches. We determine enzyme production by running each culture through a series of enzyme agars. Examples are a “casein” agar for protease production, “xylan” agar for “xylanase” production, etc. Each bacteria culture we use is run through 7 different enzyme agars, to confirm their ability to produce those specific enzymes. The test is performed by “stabbing” each agar plate with a specific strain of bacteria, then placed in incubators at different temperatures, for specific periods of time. After the allotted time we look for “clearing zones”. These zones are created when the cultures produce enzymes and emulsify the agar. The larger the clearing zone (measured in mm), the more enzyme produced.
PH
A pH range of 5.5 – 10 is ideal for our bacterial formulations. Each individual strain will have much tighter ranges, but our overall blend of strains will function in the 5.5 – 10 pH range. We run aerobic plate counts on strains while adjusting the pH dilution bottles. This helps us determine both optimum pH and the overall pH range in which each strain will function.
Respiration
The term “facultative” refers to a bacterial strain’s ability to perform aerobically (in the presence of oxygen), or anaerobically (without the presence of oxygen). However, this does not mean that each strain will perform equally well in anaerobic and aerobic environments. Specific strains will usually prefer different oxygen levels. Each strain is grown in an aerobic, and anaerobic environment. The strain growth (in both time and efficiency) is measured to determine a strain’s respiration profile.
Temperature
Each strain is then grown at different temperatures, to determine its optimum temperature range for performance.
Combining Strains To Formulate Bacteria Products
Combining all the above information will allow a complete “bacterial strain profile” for each individual bacteria strain. The bacterial strain profile of each individual bacterial culture is considered when formulating a “blend” of strains, to perform specific tasks, in specific environmental applications. For instance, the overall blend of bacterial strains used to formulate a product to remove fats, oils, and grease from a restaurant grease trap, is a completely different blend of strains than those used to formulate Aqua-Vive, which accomplish very specific tasks in ponds and aquatic environments. Furthermore, it is important to choose the correct strains that can perform their tasks in a wide range of differing environmental conditions (varying temperatures, pH levels, dissolved oxygen levels, etc.).
FORMULATING AQUA-VIVE
Aqua-Vive contains a blend of 7 different strains of beneficial pond bacteria. It has been formulated as a natural pond clarifier, to non-chemically clear up murky water, remove bottom sludge (muck), and eliminate odors. With these primary tasks in mind, we chose a specific set of 7 strains of pond bacteria that are excellent at eliminating the wide range of organic wastes found in pond water. The beneficial pond bacteria in Aqua-Vive naturally remove excess fish food, fish wastes, dead & decaying plants, dead algae, and similar organic debris from the water. This automatically eliminates the murky water created by these wastes, and the muck build-up at the bottom of the pond, also created by the accumulation of these wastes over time.
Aqua-Vive naturally turns cloudy pond water into clear pond water. It also provides a natural solution for pond sludge removal (pond muck removal). Since Aqua-Vive is not a pesticide, it does not require an aquatic pesticide applicator license to use. It provides natural pond maintenance for pond owners looking for a safer alternative to using toxic chemicals to clean your pond.
