wrote in message
...
in spring the biobugs are not up and booting at all. the green stuff acts
as the
filter removing nutrients and fish wastes. replacing all the water may or
may not
add more nutrients to the water. best is to remove the green stuff with
daily filter
cleaning until the water temp is high enough to support the biobugs, OR,
if you got a
veggie filter that the plants are removing most of it.
at this time of the year in my heated pond where I am feeding the fish I
am happy
there is green algae to soak up the nutrients (my seachem ammonia alert
says no
ammonia) ... when I begin running my veggie filter before putting in the
plants the
string algae does a good job. only when the plants are in and I see good
root growth
do I turn on the UV to get rid of the suspended algae. and I watch
carefully for any
ammonia or nitrates. Ingrid

Hmmm maybe I don't need the uv on yet then? We are seeing quite a bit of
plant growth outside the pond already though.. the dogwoods are all in
bloom, or already turning green, the daffodils are in bloom, or loosing
their flowers already, and creeping flox is already in full bloom.

I think my filter was just so clogged with the gunk that it couldn't pull
any more crap out of the water.

(I'm also thinking it's pump has seen better days.. it's flowrate is much
less then before, and I think it's time to just use it for a decorative
pump, and replace it with something stronger.)

You mentioned string algae.. I have quite a bit on the liner and rock in the
pond.. I've been removing some of it.. should I let it be?

--
Gareee©
(Gary Tabar Jr.)