What we call “muck” is a combination of soil particles and organic materials, like dead weeds and fish poop.
“Aerobic bacteria,” (meaning they use oxygen) digest dead weeds and fish poop on the lake bottom. They work quickly and create odorless methane gas.
There are also “anaerobic bacteria” that digest organic stuff under the muck where there’s virtually no oxygen. Anaerobic bacteria work slowly and create hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells like rotten eggs. It’s a very deadly gas.
Muck pellets are aerobic bacteria. In a well oxygenated lake, there are about one trillion of them in a cubic foot of water, so you don’t need any more. They will digest stuff on the bottom, but not down deep in your muck.
But let’s say you had overachieving anaerobic bacteria that ate all the organic stuff in your muck. If you had four feet of muck and bacteria ate half of it, you’d still have two feet of mucky dirt. And what eats dirt? Nothing. That’s why it’s call dirt.
If you put muck pellets right on you own lake bottom and have an aerator, you can expect up to three inches of “muck” reduction per year. If you know your “muck” is just a few inches deep in your lake or pond, muck pellets can work pretty well. If you want muck remover pellets, get the Natural Waterscapes brand on Amazon. They have a good product (and they’re friends of ours).
Obviously, a MuckMat Pro will work faster than muck pellets. You’ll have a firmer, weed-free bottom in a half-hour. It won’t eliminate or eat muck, but it gives you a platform to walk over the top of your muck, no matter how deep it is.
Note:
LakeMat Pro is for lake weeds only.
MuckMat Pro is for both lake weeds and a firmer lake bottom
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