Travena PondRelief is not an algaecide, but rather a completely natural and ecologically harmless method of controlling pond scum and odours that commonly plague lakes and ponds. The program consists of simple, regular treatments during algae season. When using PondRelief, no applicator’s permits or licenses are necessary.

PondRelief is a special blend of naturally occurring bacteria and nutrients that removes the algae’s primary source of food, nitrogen, from the water. This drastic reduction in nitrogen concentrations makes it difficult for the algae to bloom. PondRelief works in the entire water column, as well as bottom sludge layers, to digest any organic wastes generated by fish, animals and plant life in the pond. PondRelief also contains cultures beneficial for enhancing turf quality and is therefore safe to use in irrigation ponds. The cultures are completely safe, and will not harm humans, plants, animals, birds or the environment.

BENEFITS OF USING PondRelief

1. Removes existing algae and prevents new growth.
2. Breaks down organic and fish waste in the water (Aquarium).
3. Clarifies lake or pond water.
4. Eliminates ammonia and organic odours.
5. Enhances uptake of nutrients by grasses.
6. Improves the aquatic environment for fish and wildlife.
7. Reduces ammonia salts and other contaminants.
8. Completely safe for humans, animals, fish and aquatic plant life.

 

HOW IT WORKS – IN GENERAL
The principle behind PondRelief is that of bio-augmentation. Bio-augmentation is the controlled addition of selected microorganisms into a specific environment to carry out a defined objective. Biotechnology can be described as the application of both biological science and engineering principles to the solution for everyday problems. Therefore bio-augmentation, or bacterial supplementation, is considered biotechnology, even though its history is as old as its first users in the fermenting of alcoholic beverages.

Bacteria are isolated from soil and water samples and tested in the laboratory for their ability to degrade complex organic compounds. Useful strains are grown and blended in a commercial scale for application to specific degradation problems. The formulations of bacteria will typically contain a number of species, which have been selected and combined to degrade organic compounds of interest. These organisms work in concert, each strain possessing the enzyme systems necessary to degrade specific components of the waste, yielding breakdown intermediates that are further degraded by other species in the blend. In this manner, complex compounds can be systematically reduced to ever more simple and ultimately non-harmful compounds such as water and carbon dioxide.

HOW IT WORKS – IN PONDS & AQUACULTURE

Whether in the small confines of the hobbyist’s aquarium, in commercial fish and shrimp aquaculture farms or in golf course ponds, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate must be removed or kept at very low levels to avoid toxicity to fish and control algae blooms. By adding PondRelief to the water phase, a living system of biologically active seed culture, enzymes, activators and accelerators, developed specifically for ponds and aquaculture is introduced. The PondRelief microbial cells populate the entire system, multiply and produce large quantities of digestive enzymes on a regular basis.

The bacterial cultures will oxidize ammonia to form nitrite and nitrate, and then reduce the nitrite and nitrate to nitrogen gas. These reactions give the bacteria both the energy and nutrients they require to grow and reproduce. Algae also require nitrogen as the critical element for growth. Algae blooms are controlled through competition because the bacteria in PondRelief removes nitrogen compounds from the water column faster than the algae, thus the algae will be starved out of existence or will not bloom at all.

PondRelief also degrades accumulated organic waste, top scum and bottom sludge for use as carbon sources. The overall result is a pond with clean, clear water, free from algae, odours and sludge.

The organisms selected for inclusion in PondRelief have been chosen for their ability to stabilize the conversion of nitrite to nitrate and to tolerate conditions that would totally inhibit Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. Reduction of organics and the lowered BOD (Biochemical Organic Demand) achieved by PondRelief help these nitrogen-cycle bacterial organisms to thrive.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PondRelief

How does PondRelief work?

PondRelief is designed to treat the cause, not the effect, of pond maintenance problems. Excessive algae growth results from easily available food sources – normally excess nutrients in the water. PondRelief bacteria digest the excess nutrients before the algae, cutting off the algae’s food supply and controlling algae growth.

Will PondRelief harm turf?

      No PondRelief actually enhances turf health in the following ways:

1. The microbes used in PondRelief are natural soil and water bacteria that are an essential part of the mechanism for the efficient transport of nutrients from the soil into the turf roots.
2. PondRelief also improves the water quality of irrigation ponds by breaking down ammonia salts and other contaminants before they reach the turf. Common sense indicates that better water contributes to better turf.

Is PondRelief safe for fish?

Yes. By removing ammonia and nitrite from the water, PondRelief enhances the aquatic environment for fish and other wildlife. PondRelief formula is used to enhance production in commercial fish, alligator and shrimp farms in Japan, Thailand, France, Canada and the United States.

How does PondRelief control odour?

The bacteria in PondRelief attack the cause of the pond odour, ammonia and slow decaying organic matter. By accelerating ad stabilizing the natural nitrogen conversion reactions, PondRelief greatly reduces or eliminates the release of ambient ammonia. Rapid digestion of accumulated organic matter eliminates foul odour.

How does PondRelief clarify water?

PondRelief reduces the algae population and digests floating and suspended organic matter that clouds the water column.

Will PondRelief clear a pond of existing algae?

Yes, however, PondRelief mode of action is to “starve” the algae by out-competing for a primary nutrient, nitrogen. Therefore, it is most effective when used as a preventive maintenance program, before algae start blooming.

 

What do I do if I have an existing algae problem?

PondRelief is designed to be a preventive maintenance product. It is therefore advisable to start with a clean pond surface. This can be accomplished in the following ways:

1. Remove existing algae by harvesting. This provides the additional benefit of removing nitrogen and phosphorous bound in the algae.
2. Treat the pond with an approved algaecide. Great in the short term, but has many drawbacks for long-term effectiveness. Reduces beneficial micro organisms in the water and in the bottom sludge. Upsets the natural balance of the aquatic ecosystem. Wait 7 days after the addition of an algaecide before using PondRelief.
3. It is important to note that certain species of blue-green algae have adapted to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Although this species can survive in nitrogen-depleted environments, they are only a small portion of the total natural algae population. And even though not effective against these species, PondRelief will still cause a reduction in filamentous and other algae, digest organics ad reduce bottom sludge and odour.

Is PondRelief compatible with algaecides or pesticides?

No. Algaecides work well in the short term, but kill the natural bacteria in the pond that handle excess nutrient. As algaecides reduce the populations of beneficial bacteria, fewer nutrients are being digested and the potential for long-term algae problems increases.

How do algaecides cause long-term problems?

Nature regulates nutrient levels in ponds with bacteria similar to those found in PondRelief. Continual use of algaecides will kill these beneficial bacteria, and over time the pond will lose its ability to self-regulate nutrient levels. The result is an out-of-balance ecosystem whose nutrients will support a large algae population. This can be compared to the increase in turf thatch and disease caused by the use of pesticides and fungicides. As with algaecides, pesticides and fungicides also kill the bacteria that are essential to healthy turf, and their continual use may cause greater long-term turf problems.

Is PondRelief an algaecide?

No, PondRelief is not an algaecide. PondRelief is designed to digest the algae’s primary growth nutrient, nitrogen. It will not kill living macro-organisms. PondRelief will help to re-establish a healthy, balance aquatic ecosystem. PondRelief is non-toxic, non-corrosive, and all natural and will not harm animals, plants, birds, fish or humans.

What about aeration?

PondRelief bacteria utilize dissolved oxygen in their digestive processes. This utilization will not, however, affect the dissolved oxygen concentration in a well-aerated pond. Aeration will enhance the effectiveness of PondRelief, as well as benefit all aquatic life present in the pond. It is recommended that all ponds without adequate dissolved oxygen levels be aerated. By digestion of free organics, the bacteria in PondRelief dramatically reduce the BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand). In aquatic systems, this means that more of the dissolved oxygen is available to fish life, as less is required for the oxidation of organics. Thus, PondRelief will enhance even an unaerated or poorly aerated pond.

Will PondRelief work within the pond bottom and sludge layer?

Yes. PondRelief’s bacterial formulation was designed to supple the correct bacteria for the entire pond, including the sludge layer. The sludge layer can be the largest contributor of nutrients to the pond for two reasons:

1. As organic matter (leaves, grass clippings, etc.) degrades on the pond bottom, nitrogen and phosphorus are released to the water.
2. The bacterial populations in the sludge layer can be damaged by applied algaecides and pesticides flushed into the pond during rainstorms. PondRelief will repopulate the sludge layer and accelerate the degradation process. This not only reduces the sludge layer volume but will also reduce the release of nutrients. It is important to note here that the copper used in algaecides and herbicides accumulates in bottom sludge causing an ever-increasing toxicity problem for natural micro organisms.

Are any permits or applicator’s licenses necessary?

No, because PondRelief is not regulated under FIFRA.  No permit or applicator’s license is required.

How is PondRelief used?

PondRelief is a pond management program, not a one time, quick-fix chemical addition. As such, it requires initial preparation and continued attention in order to provide optimum results. The initiation (heavy) dose is designed to rapidly populate the pond with PondRelief cultures. Seasonal golf courses require only one initiation dose, while year round courses should be done twice. The initiation dose is applied at a rate of 3 lb. Per acre-foot of water.

What is the purpose of the maintenance dose?

Since PondRelief is designed to be a preventative maintenance product, the biweekly doses ensure that the levels of beneficial bacteria remain sufficient to handle nutrient inflows. One must also remember that water outflow, irrigation, leaching and inter-species competition with less desirable bacteria, reduces PondRelief’s bacteria numbers. The maintenance dose is applied every other week at the rate of 1 lb. Per acre-foot.

Because each pond has unique set of characteristics that will impact the action of the bacteria, the length of time to achieve the desire results will vary from pond to pond. Remember, PondRelief is not a quick-fix to pond management problems; rather it is preventative maintenance program that will yield excellent results if followed diligently.

 

PondRelief - AQUA CULTURE DOSE RATE

How to calculate the amount of PondRelief you need:

Travena recommends a triple dose (three times the maintenance dose) of bacteria for the first treatment and a double dose for the second treatment. Thereafter, use the maintenance dose as determined in step 3, below. For ponds that already have some algae growth or that receive heavier nutrient loads (from lawn fertilizers, farm fields, geese manure, etc.), Travena recommends using double dose until the pond’s algae is gone before going to the maintenance dose.

Use 250 grams per 100 SqMeter of aquatic area initial dose.

Maintenance use 250 grams for 300 to 500 SqMeter of aquatic area every 6 to 9 weeks.

Diluting in warm water prior usage for 4 to 6 hours increases effectiveness.

Be aware that when lawn fertilization or other sources of nitrates has been recently applied to areas around a pond, you can expect a surge of nitrates into the pond soon afterward. When this occurs, check the shallow areas of the pond for new algae growths. You may need to temporarily increase the maintenance dose for one or two applications to account for this nutrient surge. Use the 2x or 3x amounts depending on what you see as new growth.

Product Specifications

Safety
PondRelief is a balanced blend of selected natural bacteria, bacterial enzymes and nutrients developed specifically to enhance water quality. PondRelief cultures are derived from natural-occurring soil and water bacteria that utilize only non-living organic matter as food sources. They have not been genetically altered or manipulated in any manner. The cultures are completely safe, and will not harm humans, plants, birds, fish or the environment.

Appearance
A dry, free flowing powder with white and tan particles.

pH
The pH of a re-hydrated solution will be 6.8 – 7.2. The solution will not harm or corrode process equipment.

Stability
If stored at temperature under 950F, the product, in its original, unopened container will maintain viability and effectiveness for not less than 3 years.