Aquaculture Solutions of East Mississippi
Why is Carbon Important
Aqua Boost Probiotic
Organic Carbon is an essential building block in the ecosystem of ponds. Beneficial Bacteria need oxygen, food, and water to multiply. Beneficial bacteria begin to slow down when the oxygen level falls to 80% saturation. This translates to around 5ppm on average. The ammonia and phosphorus are food sources. Carbon is the primary building block for all types of living organisms. This is often the missing link in having a healthy population of beneficial bacteria.
Carbon Dioxide is a source of carbon for beneficial bacteria. However, as the CO2 levels increase so does the PH which inhibits the growth of the bacteria. This type of problem can become worse when the algae levels are high.
Organic carbon sources, such as sugars and alcohols are very important in creating the ideal environment for beneficial bacteria to multiply. Biochar is also used to create a long-term carbon source and prime real estate for the bacteria to grow. By adding organic carbon sources to the pond it helps in connecting all the requirements for beneficial bacteria to become the dominant way ammonia is removed from the water.
AquaBoost Probiotics is formulated to improve the beneficial bacteria in the water. It contains a dose of Lactobacillus Bacteria and two different sources of carbon. Lactobacillus is a very aggressive probiotic that consumes organic matter in the water and pond bottom. Some studies have shown that Lactobacillus also effectively removes pathogenic bacteria and nitrogen from water. One of the carbon sources is molasses, an easily consumed food source. The other is bio-char for a longer-lasting source of food and for a substrate to begin the colonization process. Feeding the beneficial bacteria in the water helps create a much healthier balance in the pond. Since bacteria is not photosynthetic, sunlight is not a critical part of their life cycle. The beneficial bacteria need oxygen, a nitrogen source, and carbon to multiply. This is not a quick process. It can take a few days to a couple of weeks to really make drastic changes in the water quality. However, in high ammonia situations, it can have dramatic results. As the bacteria reproduces exponentially, it can create a large oxygen demand for a short time. Once the nitrogen source is used up, the bacteria slow down and die. This will cause huge nitrite spikes that will be dangerous if the chloride levels are not maintained at a high level. This stage is usually fairly short, only a few days, and will begin to come down. AquaBoost Probiotics is best used as a preventative and not as a way to fix a problem already in place. I used a version of this product on my ponds in 2024 and saw an enormous improvement over 2023 in water quality. The ammonia levels stayed significantly lower than in previous years. The algae levels stayed at healthy levels. The oxygen levels did not have the huge swings sometimes seen in the summer. At harvest time, the fish were on flavor. I used no chemicals in the pond all year. This is an important aspect of this management strategy, because of the indiscriminate nature of chemicals. I believe that even though these chemicals are safe for use, it may contribute to diseases by weakening the immune system. Contrary, Lactobacillus has been shown to improve the immune response in other aquaculture industries. Adding carbon sources and Lactobacillus bacteria is quite common in other aquaculture scenarios. As I stated before, I don’t believe this is the magic bullet. I do believe that it has great promise to transform the water quality in ponds. My goal with AquaBoost Probiotics is to create an affordable and effective product and make a difference in the industry.
Lactobacillus
Lactobacillus is a powerful probiotic that has many good benefits. As a probiotic, it has been shown to have antimicrobial effects and is good at reducing harmful bacteria. Its primary food source is carbohydrates. By reducing carbohydrates, the water quality is improved. As carbohydrates are reduced, it decreases the risk of other pathogens being able to use these nutrients. Lactobacillus is a very dominant bacteria that will outcompete many types of bacteria. This means healthy bacteria will be present and keep the potentially dangerous ones from ever having the opportunity to cause infections in the fish.