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Jomoma: I agree with the comments that these products should not be needed in a well-designed pond system with full filtration. For those who do not have such a system, they serve a purpose while waiting to do the appropriate upgrades. Among the bacteria in the bottle (which are alive in a suspended state) are those that consume organic debris in the pond.... debris that a well-designed system would capture in the filter system for discharge to waste. It is preferable, IMO, to use the 'sludge' consuming bottled bacteria than to allow the organic build-up. Better still is the well-designed system that, unfortunately, many do not have. Use of these sludge consumers can affect oxygen levels, etc. The instructions should be followed with care. If anything, use less than recommended. Do not use more. These bottled bacteria are harmless except for the oxygen consumption issue.
Another class of 'bottled bugs' are those intended solely for supplying nitrifiers. The worth of these products is much debated, and few users have found any increase in the speed of cycling a pond. The few who think it cycled more quickly have not been able to make their case effectively. This class of product causes no harm, other than the koikeeper misunderstanding that cycling is not instantaneous.
So, my advice is a little different. I do not suggest you throw the product away. It will not hurt to use it. If you have organic debris in the pond, there will be a benefit. The worse the pond design, the more the benefit. However, I do join the others in recommending that you look for the root causes of the issues that caused you buy the product and focus on how to fix the problem for the long term. A well-designed pond with proper filtration will deliver better water quality and long term koi health. The bottled bacteria is not a substitute for continuous effective systems.
In regard to the two products, I believe they are the same. Different labels. Check the instructions.
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