This summer I used 3 different Orb-3 products: Water Garden Enzymes, Lake and Pond Liquid Bacteria, and Lake and Pond Antifoam, in an effort to clean up years of neglect and previously unsuccessful attempts. Perhaps a UV filter would have solved these my problems, but $200-300 is not an investment that I was ready to make. After 2 months of use, I can say that these Orb-3 products work very well for their intended purposes - keeping pond water clean and healthy. But these 3 did not completely solve my algae problems, which I believe only a UV filter will do. I have a 2,000 gallon outdoor pond with a 55 gallon waterfall system, which I installed 6 years ago. During my 2nd year I began to experience many of the typical cosmetic problems of outdoor ponds: cloudy brownish-green water, algae growing on the rocks and floor, and stronger odor. The first year I could easily see the pond floor (4 foot depth). The second year, I could still see it, but hardly so. The third year, the water was so cloudy that I couldn't see deeper than 1 foot. My koi and gold fish were hidden from sight until they'd surface at feeding time. I research online for organic ways to remove the algae and clear up the water. I did not want to use herbicides or harsh chemicals, for fear of harming my fish. I tried using Barley Straw which helped a little bit with the algae, but did not completely solve the problem. Perhaps my pond was too large and I used too little Barley Straw. Although the Barley Straw helped, having a few pods of straw floating in my pond looked unattractive. So I ultimately decided against it. To use these 3 Orb-3 products most effectively, I began with the Water Garden Enzymes to remove the cloudy greenish-brown water, using it for 3 weeks. At the same time I used the Antifoam. Together these cleared up the water very well. I could again see the bottom of my pond, but the algae was still growing there. During my 4th week, I used the Liquid Bacteria. The Liquid Bacteria will keep the water clean and also fight excess algae build up. I feel that my water did stay clean longer and I think that the algae is reducing, but I did not yet (after 3 weeks of use) see a complete removal of my algae. I have hopes that the Liquid Bacteria will continue to reduce the algae, but I cannot say this with 100% accuracy. I feel that these 3 products are a great alternative to herbicides and toxic water cleaning chemicals. My water is much cleaner, my ponds looks great, and the algae problem is on it's way to being solved (hopefully). In these 2 months I have lost a single fish, frog, plant or lily, so I know these products are eco-friendly.
