Our ponds are home to far more living organisms than the fish we have stocked and see swimming around ever day. A pond is quite literally alive with micro organisms that have colonised to exploit the food and favorable conditions for their own benefit. These micro organisms (predominantly bacteria) are attracted to the freely available food that is produced by your fish, taking up residence wherever they can find suitable accommodation.

Fortunately for us, these micro organisms digest and breakdown the accumulation of waste that is potentially toxic to our fish in an attempt to maintain balanced environment that will continue to support them (and fortunately support our fish also).

Our ponds will inevitably accumulate nutrients through the food that we feed our ?koi?, and unless these are processed, will lead to water quality problems. How do bacteria work to convert a brand new, sterile pond environment into a balanced ecosystem that literally cleans up after itself?

I find it helpful to think of the processing role that bacteria perform in our pond as a series of complementary processes that carry on where the previous process left off - rather like a conveyored assembly line. The workers are bacteria which can be classified by the job they do or the way they gain their energy.